Appendices for Leisure, Arts, Culture and Tourist Accommodation In
APPENDICES Leisure, Arts, Culture and Tourist Accommodation in Basildon District and an Update of Prospects for Retail Sector Capacity For Basildon District Council APPENDIX 1 Appendix 1: Health Check Assessment: Introduction July 2010 ______________________________________________________________________________________ HEALTH CHECK ASSESSMENTS INTRODUCTION Planning Policy Statement 4 (PPS4) ‘Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth’ emphasises the need for the local authorities to monitor the ‘health’ of their town centres and how they change over time. It also indicates that town centres which benefit from higher levels of vibrancy and vitality foster a sense of civic pride and local identity and can contribute towards the aims of sustainable development. The health checks contained within this Appendix provide a ‘snap shot’ assessment of the vitality and viability of the main centres within Basildon District as of April 2008, in accordance with the then PPS6, but now updated to reflect the subtle changes that have appeared in PPS4. The health checks thereafter feed into a broader consideration of the function and performance of these centres and how they can be managed, through policy, to achieve appropriate outcomes. THE IMPORTANCE OF TOWN CENTRES The five centres of Basildon, Billericay, Wickford, Laindon and Pitsea form the focal point for the community and provide a hub for retail, employment, leisure, education, transport and civic activities. Since the late 1990’s, town centres nationally have witnessed high levels of vitality and viability with strong retail sales growth and the implementation of major town centre redevelopment schemes. Despite the ongoing growth of out-of-centre retail development there has been resurgence in development activity within established centres, primarily linked to the ambitious expansion plans of national department stores and key retailers such as Debenhams, Next, and Primark.
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