St. Helens Borough Council Retail and Leisure Study Final Report May 2017
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St. Helens Borough Council Retail and Leisure Study Final Report May 2017 (Publication date January 2018 to Incorporate the Latest Experian Data) Contents Page 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Current and Emerging Retail Trends ................................................................................................ 5 3.0 Planning Policy Context .................................................................................................................. 14 4.0 Original Market Research ................................................................................................................ 24 5.0 Health Check Assessments.............................................................................................................. 54 6.0 Population and Expenditure ............................................................................................................ 70 7.0 Retail Capacity in St. Helens Authority Area ..................................................................................... 78 8.0 Commercial Leisure ........................................................................................................................ 89 9.0 Key Findings and Recommendations................................................................................................ 102 Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................................................... 116 Appendices Appendix 1 – Study Area Plan Appendix 2 – Household Survey Results Appendix 3 – In-Street Survey Results Appendix 4 – St. Helens Town Centre Healthcheck Appendix 5 – Earlestown Town Centre Healthcheck Appendix 6 – Rainhill and Thatto Heath District Centres Healthchecks Appendix 7 – Local Centre Healthchecks Appendix 8 – Quantitative Tables Appendix 9 – Spatial Distribution of Centres www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands 1.0 Introduction Instruction 1.01 WYG Planning (hereafter referred to as ‘WYG’) was commissioned by St. Helens Council (‘the Council’) in June 2016 to undertake a Retail and Leisure Capacity Study for the St. Helens administrative area. 1.02 This version of the Study has been published in January 2018 to incorporate the latest Experian release of both population and expenditure but also forecasted growth in expenditure, special forms of trading and sales densities from the Experian Retail Planner Briefing Note 15, both of which were published in December 2017. As such, this latest publication of the Study includes the latest available data to inform the Council’s local plan evidence base. 1.03 The Study will help inform and advise on the preparation of the forthcoming St. Helens Local Plan, and will also provide baseline information to assist in the determination of planning applications for retail and leisure development. The key purposes of the Study provided are set out at paragraph 4.6 of the Tender Brief of February 2016 and, in summary, comprise: ▪ a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the Borough’s future retail and leisure needs over the forthcoming plan period; ▪ consideration of the latest retail and leisure trends, including the implications of special forms of trading; ▪ a review of each centre’s boundary, function and role within the St. Helens retail hierarchy, and consideration of each centre’s ability to accommodate identified retail and leisure needs; ▪ health check assessments of key centres; and ▪ recommendations in respect of appropriate floorspace thresholds for the application of the retail impact test. 1.04 In order to address the above requirements, the Study draws on new empirical research, with NEMS Market Research Limited (‘NEMS’) undertaking surveys of 1,250 households within the defined Study Area in June 2016. The Study Area for the household survey comprises six zones which are based on postcode sectors grouped to reflect areas which are likely to exhibit broadly similar patterns of shopping behaviour. The household survey allows for a detailed consideration of shoppers’ habits and an assessment of the expenditure currently claimed by existing retail venues. www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands 3 1.05 In addition, NEMS also carried out ‘in-street’ surveys of visitors to St. Helens and Earlestown town centres in June 2016. The in-street surveys assist in the qualitative assessment of the two town centres and provide an indication of where shoppers travel from in order to visit each centre. 1.06 In assessing the quantitative needs, the Study draws upon the most recent Experian Micromarketer G3 (MMG3) population and expenditure data (published December 2017) in order to establish the up- to-date position with regard to both convenience and comparison goods capacity. Structure of Report 1.07 Our report is structured as follows: ▪ Section 2 provides a context for the Study by providing an analysis of key retail and town centre trends; ▪ Section 3 considers the up-to-date position in respect of relevant national retail and town centre planning policy; ▪ Section 4 presents the key findings in respect of the household and in-street survey research; ▪ Section 5 considers the vitality and viability of St. Helen’s town, district and local centres; ▪ Section 6 identifies current and future population and expenditure levels within the Study Area; ▪ Section 7 provides our assessment of the quantitative and qualitative need for further convenience and comparison goods retail floorspace over the assessment period; ▪ Section 8 considers the need for additional commercial leisure development; and ▪ Section 9 summarises our key findings for St. Helens and sets out our recommendations in respect of its future retail and town centre strategy and planning policies. www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands 4 2.0 Current and Emerging Retail Trends Introduction 2.01 The retail property landscape across the UK has evolved significantly over the past 50 years, from post-war redevelopment in town centres, through to the emergence of retail warehouse parks and out-of-town regional shopping malls. For most of this period, the retail sector has experienced considerable expenditure growth, which has been attributed to a number of factors, including greater disposable income, availability of credit, new technology and a general overall increase in our standard of living. However, recent economic conditions have had a clear impact on expenditure and per capita convenience goods spending has actually reduced in recent years. The way in which goods are purchased has also altered due to the increased popularity of ‘e-tailing’, which now claims more than one in every ten pounds spent in the UK. 2.02 In order to set out the wider context for the Study, we provide an overview of prevailing retail and leisure trends below. Polarisation and the Decline of Secondary Centres 2.03 In recent years, shoppers have been increasingly prepared to travel in order to access a greater choice of shops and the type of leisure facilities which are more commonly available in larger towns and cities. As a consequence, larger retail venues (with a regional or sub-regional role) have tended to perform relatively strongly, but a number of smaller towns (particularly those proximate to larger centres) have fared less well. The performance of many smaller towns has also been particularly impacted upon by the recession and the growth of internet shopping, which has resulted in many operators believing that they can achieve appropriate nationwide coverage with a smaller number of stores. 2.04 Colliers1 reports that many retailers are focused on a much smaller portfolio of stores to cover main markets and to complement online sales. As such, Colliers indicates that new and emerging retailers frequently target no more than 50 stores in key locations and, as a consequence, this trend is having an impact on take-up levels in shopping centres. 1 Midsummer Retail Report 2014, Colliers, July 2014 www.wyg.com creative minds safe hands 5 2.05 It is also evident that certain operators – including the Arcadia Group, through its Outfit format which incorporates Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and others – are sometimes prepared to close stores in smaller centres in favour of representation on a retail park. We also note the increasing preference of fast food operators to incorporate ‘drive thru’ restaurants, which has resulted in the closure of ‘in centre’ McDonald’s restaurants in some centres. Furthermore, in November 2016, Marks & Spencer announced its intention to close up to 30 stores and relocate or downsize a number of others. The changes will result in clothing being sold in a lesser number of Marks & Spencer stores. 2.06 Such changes can result in particularly significant impacts at smaller town centres, which tend to be the subject of higher vacancy rates, and which have also often suffered related reductions in rental levels and footfall in recent years. As a consequence, a greater proportion of comparison goods expenditure is being claimed by a smaller number of centres of sub-regional or regional importance. 2.07 However, such changes have also brought forward opportunities for different types of retailer. Some available units in smaller centres have been re-occupied by household discounters such as B&M Bargains, Poundland, Poundstretcher and Wilkinson’s. Whilst such lettings are valuable in bringing back premises into active use, many smaller centres