This is one of a series of draft town centre South profiles which will be used to inform future Council planning policy. Comments are invited. Please send suggestions for change to…. Policies, Sites & Places Plan

Town Centre Profiles To arrive by 20th December 2013.

Longwell Green Retail Area – Draft Profile October 2013

1. Location The Longwell Green retail area is located adjacent to the Ring Road within the East Fringe. Although it has a significant amount of retail fooorspace it is not a defined ‘town centre’ within the terms of planning policy. Across the ring Road there is a major Leisure venue and Swimming Pool. Longwell Green has a free standing local centre along Bath Roadmeeting local needs. That is not subject of this profile.

2. Origin The Longwell Green area was planned during the 1980s. It comprises five main sub areas: o The residential areas including Barrs Court o ASDA Foodstore o The Retail Park – along Aldermoor Way o The Employment Areas – also off Aldermoor Way o The Leisure area – west of the Ring Road. The main focus of this profile is the retail park. This was originally intended for the large format stores selling Bulky DIY and other household goods. Much of that remains but part has been remodelled for more general comparison (particularly clothes shopping).

3. Character The Retail Park has two main areas. The southern end includes DIY stores – Longwell Green Homebase, Wickes and B+Q. This area retains the character of a bulky goods retail park. At the northern end former DIY and employment units have been replaced by a more general development of large format units including Marks and Spencer and Boots. The whole area is functional in character and dominated by large format stores and car parking.

4. Strategies and Research There is no specific strategy for change within this area.

5. Catchment Area and Competition Longwell Green has a wide catchment area across East Bristol and for both retail and leisure services. While initially intended for bulky goods sales which could not reasonably be accommodated within Kingswood and other local town centres it has attracted more general retail investment which proved difficult to resist given a lack of development opportunities within the town centres. Longwell Green is therefore competing strongly with and drawing trade from the more traditional centres. For most convenience and comparison goods offers some competition but Longwell Green has the only major bulky goods/DIY stores in the East Fringe area.

6. Retail provision Drawn from annual Town Centre and Retail audit. Retail Floorspace Summary - Longwell Green Retail Park – including ASDA

2013 Floorspace % Units %

Total 40,368 21

Convenience 9,819 24.3 1 4.8

Comparison 30,549 75.7 20 95.2

Service Uses 0 0 0 0

Vacant floorspace 0 0 0 0

Edge of Centre

Key – traders ASDA, Homebase, Wickes, B+Q, Curry/PC World, Marks and Spencer, Outfit, Boots, Next, Clarks.

Key community uses. Aspects Leisure Centre (cinema, bowling etc) , Swimming Pool

Markets None

NB *Longwell Green Trade Park opposite B&Q includes (Not A1 use): Buildbase; Halfords Autocentre; Toolstation; Screwfix; and x 4 vacant units

7. Retail Frontages As Longwell Green is not a town centre retail frontages have not been defined or monitored.

8. Retail Health Check (Drawn from South Gloucestershire Town Centres and Retail Study Final Report Roger Tym & Partners February 2010). As Longwell Green is not a town centre the RTP Study did not undertake a full health Longwell Green check – however the area appears to be trading very well and drawing trade which might otherwise have gone to town centre.

9. Non-retail uses Longwell Green is primarily an out of town centre retail park which draws from a wide catchment area. It is partly because of the out-of-centre character and limited mix of uses that Longwell Green does not function as, or defined as, a town centre. o Commercial floorspace – There are very limited banks, buildings societies etc that are normally found in High Street areas. There is employment floorspace of a generally industrial, rather than office, character. o Community Uses – Within the main retail area community spaces are limited. o Service uses – very limited health and allied service provision. o Hotels, Pubs and commercial leisure – The Aspects Leisure Centre includes Vue Cinema 10 pin bowling, restaurants and a gym with swimming pool and laser quest near by. o Residential uses – There are very few residential uses within the main retail area and limited opportunities for walk-in trade from residential areas. Community Activity – Mop Fair, Local festivals etc Further Examples of Community activity to be added following consultation.

10. Evening Economy The leisure sector is well served by the Aspects Leisure Centre.

11. Governance There is no overall management company or strategy for the Longwell Green area.

12. Safety and Security CCTV systems etc .

13. Accessibility issues Pedestrian and cycle routes – The general nature and volume of goods sold means that there is limited walk in or cycle based trading. There is a cycle walkway route alongside the Ring Road which links into the Centre. Pedestrian links between the main retail areas are not good. Public Transport – For a major retail area services are relatively limited. Parking – Each of the main development areas has its own area of car parking. It is a car based retail area. Mobility issues - Stores are generally modern and accessible. It is the distance between stores and poor pedestrian environment which is the primary concern.

14. Environmental Quality Heritage – Low heritage value. Environment – the area is well maintained but car dominated and of limited visual interest compared with most traditional high street areas.

15. Tourism There is no specific point of interest for visitors and no overnight accommodation.

Longwell Green 16. Health Check Summary

Health Check Tests Comments

o Diversity of uses Retail dominated – limited diversity.

o Proportion of vacant Very limited vacancies street level property

o Commercial Yields No data available on non-domestic property

o Customers’ views No data available and behaviour

o Retailer Dominated by large scale national retail outlets. representation and intentions to change representation

o Commercial rents No data available

o Pedestrian flows High volumes of footfall but nearly all car borne.

o Accessibility Generally acceptable within individual development areas but links between areas are poor.

o Perception of safety No data available and occurrence of crime

o State of town centre Well maintained but generally of limited visual environmental quality interest.

17. Key Messages from Roger Tym Study (2010) “It is arguable whether the level of floorspace and popularity of shopping in this area constitutes a good enough reason for Longwell Green to be identified as a town centre…South Gloucestershire has indicated that this is not a preferred area for [residential] growth and as such will not require any significant floorspace. By indentifying it as a town centre it may provide scope to increase floorspace which does not reflect the desired development and growth aspiration of the council. If at a future stage the area around Longwell Green is identified for future growth then it may be appropriate to reconsider its role.”

18. Key sites and Development issues Longwell Green is not identified as a town centre. The principal issues are: i. whether it is desirable or possible to stem future retail growth ii. Whether it is possible to improve linkages between units and provide for overall enhancement of the area without being either funder through retail growth or encouraging it.

19. Longwell Green Summary Longwell Green is a major sub-regional retail and leisure area but is not a defined Longwell Green town centre. National and local polices direct future investment into town centres providing sites are available. In preparing the Policies, Sites and Places DPD the Council will need to consider whether there is need for any further policies to specifically address issues at Longwell Green.

20. Policy: Role and Function Core Strategy Policy CS14 states that /Mall, Abbeywood and Longwell Green Retail Parks will be treated as out-of-centre and development proposals will need to satisfy the sequential test [investment in town centres first if sites are available]. Area Specific Policies for the East Fringe (CS29) focus attention on development at Emersons Green and consolidating existing defined town centres not Longwell Green.

21. Vision and Actions Suggested Vision Thoughts on the need for a specific vision and/or policy for Longwell Green are invited. Suggested actions Actions are likely to fall in to two main categories: o Land-use changes – where there may be some opportunities for further development of retail and other floorspace. o Management and promotion – which is about enhancing the existing centre through marketing activity and, for example, special events to both provide for loc al people and visitors. Suggestions for action are invited as part of this consultation.

22. Potential areas of change/opportunity sites: Within the Longwell Green retail area the main areas with potential for major change or development include: o Potential sites to be identified through consultation. Where sites listed are proposed for development they should be subject of design briefs.

23. Draft Policy Area Boundaries The following diagram illustrates the existing defined retail park boundary as set out in the South Gloucestershire local plan 2006. The need for any other policy area boundaries in this area will need to be resolved as a basis for discussion

Longwell Green

Longwell Green ______Existing Retail Area Boundary.

24. Table summarising feedback from Parish Council questionnaires autumn 2013 (in response to Question 4 re Town Centres and Retailing)

Q4 (a). Please indicate any significant issues/problems your community feel are present in the town centres that they most frequently use. (b) Please also indicate if there are positive aspects of particular town centres that the community value.

Longwell Green Area (Gallagher Retail Park & Asda, Longwell Green)

Issue/Problem with Centre Positive Aspects of Centre Comment by

• Issues around traffic • Very popular. People like not PC management, parking. Need having to go into a town centre for ATM/bank, WHS-type if needs are met shop, wider range of facilities

Longwell Green

Longwell Green - Discussion points Comments are invited. Please comment on any aspects of the above profile for the Cribbs Causeway area and /or comment on any of the discussion points below. It would help if you could provide a coordinated response with others who have an interest in the area. Please send suggestions for change to [email protected] To arrive by 31st December 2013.

Issues i. Do you wish to make any comments on the draft profile? (Please quote specific section number and add comment). ii. If you would like to meet Officers to discuss specific issues please indicate here. iii. Do you consider that retail units meet retailer needs? If not can they be remodelled? iv. Can trade increase – if so how? v. Should the retail area intensify, expand or contract in line with demand for units? vi. Is there space for this area to grow? If so where? vii. Should the area diversify or specialise in any particular forms of retailing or services to have a unique selling point – if so what? viii. Is there scope for additional indoor or outdoor market stalls? ix. Should tourism/visitor facilities be improved – if so how? x. Do service and community groups have any unmet needs? xi. Can access to and within the area be improved? xii. Is car parking an issue? How could it be addressed? xiii. Should the evening economy be further developed – if so in what way? xiv. How else could the area be enhanced?

Summary of Tasks for the Longwell Green Area Need to: o Agree a vision and strategy for the area that is consistent with national and local planning policies. o Agree actions required to manage future change in and around the retail areas and their integration with residential areas. o Review policies and policy area boundaries for the Longwell Green retail parks o Identify any potential development sites and policy for those sites.

Your contact details. Name ………………………………. Group – if relevant ……………………………….. Address ……………………………….. Email ……………………………….

Longwell Green