1 Town Centre Health Check

1.1 In this Section, we undertake a health check in order to assess the vitality and viability of Northampton town centre, drawing on indicators set out in paragraph 4.4 of ‘PPS6: Planning for Town Centres’.

1.2 To undertake the health check, we have used Experian Goad data, combined with observations from site visits. We have also relied upon available in-house data and other research sources, such as Promis and Focus Centre reports. The extent of the health check covers the area surveyed by the Experian Goad report. It should be noted that the Experian Goad data does not cover the entire central area of Northampton, which is the focus of this study. The data does, however, cover the vast majority of the central area and all of the main retail offer. A map outlining the extent of the area surveyed is attached as an Appendix to this section.

Northampton Town Centre – An Overview

1.3 Northampton performs a sub-regional centre role. In that respect, its town centre is fairly large and offers a broad range of retail, leisure and other attractions. It’s primary function is to meet longer term shopping needs rather than day-to-day requirements.

1.4 The core of the town centre is Market Square, with the main shopping streets spreading out from this location. A brief summary of Northampton’s key shopping areas is provided in the table below.

Area Retail Mix Gold Street/Marefair Mostly independent retailers with a good representation of restaurants/take-aways and value retailers. A major leisure development (Sol Central) provides an anchor at the western end of Marefair. Bridge Street Strong representation of estate agents, bars and restaurants and take-aways. Typically small units. Mercers Row/George Predominantly high street multiple retailers along Mercers Row Row with George Row characterised by professional service outlets. Bradshaw Street/Sheep A broad mix of independent retailers. Reasonable Street representation of comparison outlets and restaurants/take- aways. Small retail units. The Drapery Strong representation of high street multiples, including Debenhams department store. Market Square Dominance of high street multiple retailers with some professional service and banking outlets. This Square also accommodates a daily market. Peacock Place Small covered shopping centre on two levels. Accommodates national multiples retailers. Grosvenor Centre Prime shopping area and Northampton’s largest covered mall. Dominated by national multiples. Generally large units. St Peter’s Square, St A small retail park with large unit occupied by national Peter’s Walk multiples. Smaller units located along St Peter’s Walk. Predominantly comparison goods retailers. Abington Street Mostly national comparison goods retailers in the west, and a

C:\Documents and Settings\LSanders\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\Northampton Town Centre Health Check MH - 20 02 06.doc 2 growing number of professional services/offices moving east. Abington Broad mix of independent retailers, specialist outlets and Square/Kettering Road/ restaurants/bars. Small retail outlets. Wellingborough Road/York Road Fish Street/Ridings Predominantly smaller independent retailers offering luxury Arcade/St Giles Street/St comparison goods. Small units. Giles Square Derngate Street, Mixture of independent restaurants, professional Castilian Street/Guildhall services/offices and a few bars/restaurants. Small units. Road

Diversity of Uses

1.5 The Experian Goad report for Northampton town centre (October 2005) identifies a total of 122,724 sq m (1.32m sq ft) of existing retail and service floorspace, based on the ground floor footprint of units. In total, 518 shop units are identified. The table below sets out the occupancy of these units in terms of the retail categories for convenience, comparison, service and vacant units. This is set against the national average for town centres to provide a comparison.

Retail No. of Units % of Total National Variance Category Average % % Convenience 33 6.37 9.14 -2.77 Comparison 237 45.75 47.35 -1.60 Service 164 31.66 32.07 -0.41 Vacant 62 11.97 10.08 -1.89 Source: Experian Goad Centre Report, Northampton, October 2005

1.6 The table above indicates that the mix of uses in Northampton town centre is broadly consistent with the UK average. However, given Northampton’s role as the main shopping destination for the area, then possibly an increase in the number of comparison retailers would be desirable. Similarly, there may be a case to improve the convenience offer in the town centre. Presently, Sainsbury provides the only main full price food offer in the centre. A large Morrisons foodstore lies at an edge of centre location, but is separated from the centre by the busy ring road.

1.7 In addition to the above analysis, we attach, at Addendum C, a detailed breakdown of the current uses and unit sizes within the town centre. Based on the Goad figures, we set out below the percentage breakdown on a Use Class basis.

Use % of Units A1 56% A2 12% A3 5% A4 7% A5 2% A5G 2% B1 5% Others 13% Source: Goad

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1.8 The floorspace figures by retail sector (see table below) underlines the weakness in the convenience offer in Northampton town centre. Although this is somewhat expected given Northampton’s prime role as a comparison retail destination, any increment in foodstore provision would be welcome. It should, however, be noted that a daily market held at Market Square does accommodate some food goods stall holders (especially greengrocers). The market’s offer is not included in the floorspace figures above.

1.9 Read in conjunction with the table above, the comparison floorspace figures indicate that these operators are typically located in larger retail units. This is a continuing requirement trend of high street retailers, who are continuing to diversify their product range and therefore require larger units.

Retail Floorspace % of Total National Variance Category (sq m) Average % % Convenience 6,780 5.53 16.76 -11.23 Comparison 78,870 64.27 52.84 11.43 Service 25,080 20.44 21.10 -0.66 Vacant 9,380 7.65 8.10 -0.45 Source: Experian Goad Centre Report, Northampton, October 2005

1.10 A more detailed breakdown of the retail categories is appended to this section. For the convenience goods offer, this indicates that Northampton has an under- representation in all of the sub-categories. For example, Northampton town centre has no butchers or off-licence outlets. In terms of the comparison goods sub- sectors, Northampton performs extremely well in respect of variety, department and catalogue stores. Northampton has two department stores – Debenhams and Beatties (which has recently been taken over by ). Department stores are known as being key shopper attractors, and were another department store operator enticed to locate in Northampton, this would be very beneficial.

1.11 A detailed examination of service sub-sectors shows that Northampton is broadly comparable with the UK average. If, however, the strategy were to improve the evening economy, then it may be desirable to increase the number of restaurants and cafes in the town centre along with other associated cultural and leisure pursuits.

1.12 Northampton town centre already has a reasonable range of entertainment facilities. A multiplex cinema and casino are located in Sol Central at Marefair. Derngate Theatre and the Royal Theatre lie in the south-western quadrant of the town centre. Several nightclubs are also located in the town centre. In addition, the centre accommodates a museum. Improvements to the restaurant/café offer would help to support – and feed off – these entertainment attractions.

1.13 There are also several health and fitness/leisure centres in Northampton. These include Derngate Gym, Top Notch Health Club, and Fitness First. These leisure and cultural facilities increase the diversity of the centre, and help add to the attractiveness of Northampton.

1.14 Northampton town centre is also an important employment location. The town does not however possess a well defined office core, and the out of town market is

C:\Documents and Settings\LSanders\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\Northampton Town Centre Health Check MH - 20 02 06.doc 4 now the key office location. Generally, the office stock within Northampton town centre is inferior to its out of centre stock. However, some of the largest outdated office blocks have been replaced by leisure and retail development in the town centre. According to the ODPM’s Town Centre Activity Statistics (2002), the central area of Northampton, offers a total office floorspace supply of 146,630 sq m (1.58 million sq ft) and employs 3,540 staff.

Retailer Representation

1.15 Another good indicator of the strength of the centre is to examine multiple retailer representation. According to the Experian Goad report, a multiple retailer is defined as being part of a network of 9 or more outlets. The presence of multiple outlets can enhance the appeal of a centre to shoppers. In October 2004, 230 of 518 shop units in Northampton were occupied by multiple retailers, equating to 42% of available stock. This figure is considerably in excess of the national average of 34.08%. Experian Goad highlights 27 key retail attractors, as a benchmark against which to judge centres. Northampton has 21 (78%) of these key retail attractors, as indicated in the table below.

Key Retailers No. in Northampton Argos 1 BhS 1 Boots 1 Burton 1 Clarks 1 Debenhams 1 Dixons 0 Dorothy Perkins 1 H&M 1 House of Fraser (Beatties) 1 John Lewis 0 Marks & Spencer 1 New Look 1 Next 1 River Island 1 Sainsburys 1 Superdrug 1 Tesco 0 Topman 0 Topshop 1 Virgin Megastore 1 WH Smith 1 Waitrose 0 Waterstones 1 Wilkinson 1 Woolworths 1 NB – Beatties department store in the Grosvenor Centre has recently been acquired by House of Fraser.

1.16 Fashion retail is acknowledged to be a key shopper attractor for a town centre. According to the Promis Retail Report for Northampton (2005), the centre ranks 38th on the fashion score indicator, which, when compared to other sub-regional centres, demonstrates the town is slightly below the average representation in this

C:\Documents and Settings\LSanders\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\Northampton Town Centre Health Check MH - 20 02 06.doc 5 sector. Also, compared to other sub-regional centres, Promis indicates that Northampton has a slightly below average volume of retail provision relative to the size and affluence of the shopping population. In particular, speciality and upmarket retailing within the town centre is limited. On observation, Northampton seems to be dominated by mid-market retailers.

1.17 Also, the importance of independent retailers should not be understated for their ability to create a more diverse retail offer. For example, St Giles Street provides an alternative independent retail offer – and arguably atmosphere - to the mainstream outlets at Abington Street and in and around the Grosvenor Centre. Typically, independent retailers seek smaller units at more affordable rents than available in prime pitch areas. Retention of some smaller retail outlets can help sustain independent operators and boost local enterprise opportunities.

Retail Demand

1.18 The level of retailer demand to locate in Northampton provides another good indication of the centre’s health. The table below describes the total current retailer floorspace requirements for the centre as logged on the ‘Focus’ demand database.

Comparison Convenience Service Total Sq m (sq ft) min 18,940 1,895 5,280 26,115 requirement (203,850) (20,400) (56,850) (281,100) Sq m (sq ft) max 47,720 2,380 7,835 57,935 requirement (513,650) (25,600) (84,350) (623,600) Source: Focus February 2006

1.19 In total, 114 retail and service businesses have expressed demand for floorspace in Northampton town centre. The vast majority of space is required by comparison retailers. However, it should be noted that generally convenience retailers (such as the main supermarket operators) do not post their requirements on databases such as ‘Focus’. This may, in part, explain why such a low requirement is required from this sector.

1.20 Retailer demand for Northampton has generally been increasing in recent years. In October 2000, 73 retailers were seeking space in Northampton, ranking the town as 53rd. (1st equals the strongest ‘demand’). Northampton is now ranked 38th in terms of occupier demand, suggesting that the attractiveness of the centre has increased considerably. With the proposed significant increase in Northampton’s population, then, potentially, this trend may continue. Overall, the strength of the demand from retailers suggests that Northampton is a healthy location.

1.21 Closer inspection of the retailer requirements shows that a broad range of shop unit sizes is required. There is strong demand for smaller units (46% of retailers require units between 0-232 sq m/2,499 sq ft, based on the maximum floorspace requirements). However, the majority of retailers (54%) are seeking units of 232 sq m (2,500 sq ft). This can be contrasted with the average size of vacant units in the town centre, which is 151 sq m (1,630 sq ft). Therefore, existing vacant units are unlikely to match many of the outstanding requirements. It also points toward the need to retain a stock of smaller retail units but also to develop larger premises to meet more substantial requirements.

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1.22 We are aware of a major proposal to redevelop the Grosvenor Centre. If these proposals proceed, then the amount of floorspace in Northampton town centre will increase very considerably. Our site visits have also identified a number of sites which could offer redevelopment potential in Northampton town centre, including:-

· Land bounded by Sheep Street, Silver Street and Bradshaw Street; · Units fronting Abington Street (No.71-77), including the associated backland/service area; · Car parks at the junction of Albert Place and Wellington Street; · Fetter Street car parks; · St Peter’s Square; · St John’s car park; · Victoria Street car park.

1.23 Although these sites may not all be suitable for purely retail-led development – and some may be more appropriate for mixed use development – it is clear that there are a number of sites which could enhance the retail, leisure and other facilities within the town centre. On this basis, we consider that there is sufficient scope for Northampton town centre to accommodate potential demand over coming years. Some of these sites may however require public sector intervention to overcome constraints, such as land assembly.

Shopping Rents

1.24 The level of rent that retailers are prepared to pay for space in a centre is an indication of the perceived attractiveness of that centre. Rental values can also provide a measure of the primacy of streets and locations. If rental levels are rising, it is generally considered an indication of an increased popularity of a centre. Equally, falling rents suggest the centre is becoming less attractive to retailers.

1.25 Prime retail rents In Terms of Zone A (or abbreviated to Zone A) in Northampton are £140 per sq ft. Prime rents in Northampton have risen steadily since June 2001 from £120 per sq ft Zone A to £140 per sq ft Zone A at the end of 2005. However, the increase in Zone A rents has been below trend for other similar sized centres. Potentially, an improvement in the retail offer could result in increased rents in the town centre.

1.26 Retail rents vary considerably across the town centre. A selection of Zone A retail rents for Northampton is provided in the table below.

Location Rent (per sq ft Zone A) Newland Walk, Grosvenor Centre £140 Abington Street West £127 Abington Street East £100 Peacock Place £85 The Drapery £75 St Giles £40 Gold Street £35 Source: Northampton Promis Retail Report 2006

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1.27 The table clearly shows that the Grosvenor Centre is the prime retail area. However, it should be noted that these Zone A rents are achievable on the ground floor of the centre, with rents of only £80 per sq ft Zone A achieved on the upper level. Outside the core area of the Grosvenor Centre and Abington Street, the retail rents reflect the more secondary nature of these locations. Gold Street and St Giles Street, have a strong presence of independent traders whereas the Grosvenor Centre and Abington Street are dominated by national high street multiples. This is a familiar pattern observed across large UK centres.

Commercial Yields

1.28 The commercial yield on non-domestic property is an indication of the confidence of investors in the retail growth potential of a city centre. The yield on a property investment represents the return (in the form of a rent) on capital to an investor. The greater prospect of future rental growth, the lower the initial yield which an investor would be prepared to accept. Yields are therefore an indicator of expectations of rental growth and thus of the general economic prospects for a retail centre.

1.29 As at autumn 2005, prime retail yields for Northampton were 5.25% (Promis 2006). This is a keen retail yield and reflects the strength of Northampton. Indeed, this yield has showed no change within the 6 months previous suggesting Northampton has developed and maintained an impression amongst investors as a centre which has been, and continues to be, a strong, successful and robust retail location.

Vacant Retail Property

1.30 The proportion of vacant street level property provides a strong indication of the health of the town centre. A degree of caution should however be applied as vacancies can arise even in the strongest of centres, particularly where properties are undergoing alteration. According to the Experian Goad Centre Report (October 2005), Northampton had 62 vacant outlets, equating to 11.9% of the available stock. This is marginally above the UK average of 10.08%. From our site visit, we have updated the number of vacant units in the town centre. Our review identified the total number of vacancies to be 52 or 10.04% of the stock. This is comparable to the UK average vacancy level. However, given the size and role that Northampton is performing, it may have been expected for a slightly lower level of retail vacancy to be observed. On closer inspection, many of the units that were vacant were either very small, poorly maintained or in poor trading locations. For example, two vacant retail units in the Grosvenor Centre were almost entirely hidden from view and are extremely small. Another large unit in the Grosvenor Centre was currently undergoing alteration for a new occupier. A more detailed review of vacancies in the town centre is provided below.

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Location No. of Vacancies Gold Street/Marefair 8 Bridge Street 4 Mercers Row/George Row 3 Bradshaw Street/Sheep Street 5 The Drapery 1 Market Square 1 Peacock Place 6 Grosvenor Centre 5 St Peter’s Walk/St Peter’s Square 0 Abington Street 4 Abington Square/Kettering 4 Road/Wellingborough Road/York Road Fish Street/Ridings Arcade/St Giles Street/St 6 Giles Square Derngate/Castilian Street/Guildhall Road 5

1.31 There are no significant clusters of vacant units in Northampton. The only real concentrations of any note are on Gold Street/Marefair, around Bradshaw Street/Sheep Street and in the Ridings Arcade/St Giles Street area. These are all secondary locations and in areas where trading is likely to be far more marginal. Some concern can be drawn over the number of vacancies to the western end of Gold Street and Marefair, particularly given the leisure/retail units at ground floor level at Sol Central have remained unlet for a considerable time. This may reflect the fact that Northampton town centre is somewhat elongated running west to east, and a more compact retail offer may benefit the centre. As a general rule, more compact centres trend to be more vibrant and healthy.

Pedestrian Flows

1.32 Pedestrian flows provide a useful indicator of relative strengths of different parts of centres. From our site visit observations, the busiest pedestrian flows are in the Grosvenor Centre, along Abington Street, Market Square and The Drapery. Unsurprisingly, these locations also command the highest retail rents in Northampton. There are also the very strong pedestrian flows observed along linkages from the main town centre car parks at St Peter’s Square – and along St Peter’s Walk - and also in the Grosvenor Centre in the mall known as the Friary. Weak pedestrian flows were observed along Marefair, the western part of Gold Street and the southern end of Bridge Street. Of particular note, is the sudden reduction in pedestrian flow at the eastern end of Abington Street (the end of the pedestrianised area) and Abington Square. This may reflect the elongated nature of the town centre and the lack of any strong ‘anchor’ occupier at this location.

Accessibility

1.33 At a strategic level, Northampton benefits from a modern road network. The town centre is served by a fairly uncongested ring road and arterial roads provide good links with the .

1.34 Northampton’s railway station lies about 10 minutes walking time to the west of the town centre. The rail station offers frequent services – both local and national – to London, and other centres beyond. However, pedestrian links

C:\Documents and Settings\LSanders\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\Northampton Town Centre Health Check MH - 20 02 06.doc 9 between the railway station and the town centre, albeit direct, are fairly unappealing. In particular, pedestrians need to cross a number of main roads before entering the core of the town centre. Northampton’s main bus station, Greyfriars, lies immediately to the north of the Grosvenor Centre. The facility is however outdated and offers a very poor environment. Furthermore, pedestrian links from the bus station to the Grosvenor Centre are somewhat convoluted and poorly signposted. We understand that the bus station will be redeveloped as part of the Grosvenor Centre expansion proposals. Should this occur, then we understand that more buses will be re-routed along The Drapery/Sheep Street. This would improve public transport accessibility in the heart of the town centre.

1.35 Abington Street is the main pedestrianised thoroughfare within the Northampton town centre. Other streets such as St Giles Square and the Drapery, only permit buses or taxis. A similar ruling operates in Market Square between the hours of 10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. in order to accommodate the market. Generally, pedestrian access around the town centre is acceptable. Pedestrian crossings are appropriately located to allow for pedestrians to move fairly freely around the centre. However, pedestrianised areas and other walkways could be improved. The pedestrianised environment of Abington Street and Market Square is, at best, functional. Additionally, as referred to above pedestrians need to navigate the ring road if walking to the station, albeit at the fringe of the town centre. This ring road is also a barrier to movement to pedestrians coming to the centre from surrounding residential areas. The issue of severance is discussed further in the ‘Transportation Baseline’ later in this report. Environmental issues are discussed further below.

1.36 The Transportation Baseline Study also identifies that although public bus services are frequent during daytimes Monday to Saturday, services are much more limited during the evenings. This issue was also noted by the Town Centre Commission during recent consultation. To an extent, we would expect that taxi services to help meet evening demand.

1.37 A notable weakness in the accessibility of Northampton town centre relates to the paucity of cycle lanes and cycling facilities. Overall, Northampton does not appear to be a cyclist-friendly location.

1.38 Another key aspect of town centre accessibility is the availability and adequacy of car parks. Two multi-storey car parks are located at the northern periphery of the town centre and provide around 1,400 spaces. These car parks are extremely important in feeding shoppers into the northern part of the town centre and particularly into the Grosvenor Centre. In the south-western quadrant of the town centre, St Peter’s Square car park (with around 540 spaces) acts as the main parking area. Two (a surface and a multi storey) car parks at the eastern end of Abington Street provide just over 600 spaces, and ensure a steady flow of pedestrians from this part of town. There are a few car parks in the south eastern area of the town centre. However, where they exist, they tend to be more difficult to locate. In part, this is a result of the ongoing redevelopment of Derngate Theatre and surrounding area. Were car parking signage improved in this area, then possibly this would serve to strengthen this part of the town centre.

Customers and Residents Views and Behaviour

1.39 As part of the household shoppers survey, interviewees were asked about their likes and dislikes of Northampton town centre and suggested improvements. In

C:\Documents and Settings\LSanders\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\Northampton Town Centre Health Check MH - 20 02 06.doc 10 addition, those who chose not to visit Northampton town centre were asked for their reasons not to do so.

1.40 The table below sets out the key ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ for Northampton town centre, based on the survey responses.

Key ‘Likes’ Response Key ‘Dislikes’ Response Rate Rate Good non-food shops 19.1% Difficult to get to from 19.2% home/work Easy to get to/from 12.2% Nothing/very little 11.9% home/work Good food shops 8.9% Poor range/choice of 11.5% shops Good value for money 8.9% Poor quality of non-food 8.8% shops Nothing/very little 6.3% Poor quality of food 6.5% shops/supermarket Good market 5.4% Poor pubs and 4.0% bars/nightlife

1.41 Undoubtedly some shoppers like the range of food and non-food shops in Northampton, and the value for money that they represent, far more respondents felt that a key dislike was the general poor range and choice of shops, both for food and non-food. This suggests that there is scope for improving the retail offer, and probably at the luxury end of the market given that ‘value for money’ is already a key like of shoppers visiting the centre. Interestingly, Northampton’s market scores well in terms a key like and underpins the important role it performs, as well as adding to the vibrancy and vitality of the centre. Perhaps, most encouragingly is that far more respondents indicated that there is nothing/very little (11.9%) which they disliked as to those who did (6.3%). Relative ease (or difficulty) in getting to the centre is also an important factor.

1.42 The key responses to suggested improvements that could be made to the centre are discussed below.

Key Suggested Improvements Response Rate More/better car parking 12.1% Better prices/improved value for 9.6% money Bigger/improved covered shopping 8.9% centre Lower car park charges 7.3% More/better leisure, entertainment, 6.4% cultural facilities More/better shops 6.1% Cleaner streets 6.0%

1.43 As is the case with many town centres, increasing car parking provision and lower charges is an important consideration, and relates to improving accessibility. Other suggestions mirror key ‘dislikes’ raised, and particularly improving the range and quality of shops. It would be expected that the redevelopment of the

C:\Documents and Settings\LSanders\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKF\Northampton Town Centre Health Check MH - 20 02 06.doc 11 Grosvenor Centre may assist in this case. Interestingly, the need to improve leisure, entertainment and cultural facilities is suggested (in addition, other specific suggested improvements scoring lower responses include more/better pubs, clubs, museums, theatres, art galleries, restaurants and cinemas). This potentially indicates a wider need to improve the cultural attractiveness of the centre, through both the day and evening.

1.44 Those who do not visit Northampton were asked their reason for electing to shop elsewhere. The key reasons are shown below.

Key Reasons not to Visit Response Rate Poor cafes/restaurants 7.1% Poor quality food 6.4% shops/supermarkets Poor accessibility by car 6.4%

1.45 Other lesser responses include the centre being too busy, traffic congestion and public transport (each receiving a response rate of 5.7%) – all of which are accessibility related issues. Safety and security (5.7%) and dirty streets (5.7%) were other key reasons not to visit the centre.

Perception of Safety and Occurrence of Crime

1.46 We have been provided by Police recent crime statistics for West Northampton, which includes the town centre. The key figures are summarised in the table below.

Number of Residents Variance (March 2006) (April 2004-March 2006) Violent Crime 356 255-456 Robbery 48 32-81 Vehicle Crime 468 321-644 Burglary 155 270-101 Criminal Damage 542 388-637 All Crime 2,599 2,240-3,021 NB: The ‘All Crime’ figures include the key categories described above plus others not shown.

1.47 As would be expected for a major urban centre, a range of crimes are committed in Northampton, and these figures fluctuate on a monthly basis. Overall, the total levels of crime occurring in the area as at March 2006, are at broadly the same level as at April 2002. A more detailed review of the crime statistics indicates that there are no significant trends, and current figures for individual types of crime are within the typical parameters expected.

1.48 However, there is a continuing need to make Northampton town centre as safe as possible, through design, lighting and other initiatives. Indeed, while only a few respondents to the household survey considered the issue of crime and safety an issue, it does suggest that there is still scope for improvement.

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1.49 As an historic town centre Northampton has a high quality environmental asset. Much of the historic street pattern is still evident and the centrality of the market place and the legibility of the routes leading to the centre of the town is one of the positive attractions of the town. Moreover, there are a large number of attractive buildings in the town centre, reflected in the number of listed buildings and conservation areas covering significant portions of the central area.

1.50 In the immediate hinterland of the town centre there is also an attractive chain of open spaces associated with the various channels of the River Nene and the branch of the . This supports valuable ecological habitats as well as providing recreational opportunities.

1.51 However, there are a number of issues of concern, arising the quality of the public realm, in particular from the treatment of ground floor facades and the streetscape.

1.52 There are several environmental quality issues that need to be addressed:

· Overall the public realm lacks cohesion and is in need of improvement. Recent developments have used materials chosen for their low cost and ease of maintenance rather than their appropriateness and quality. Signs of an improved approach are evident in the most recent scheme, completed in front of All Saints Church.

· Although there is a relatively strong connection along the shopping streets, connections around the town and to key destinations are generally poor. Connections to the station and riverside in particular need to be strengthened.

· Vehicular penetration into the town centre, particularly by cars searching for parking spaces or through traffic, adversely affects the environmental quality of the town centre.

· The balance of pedestrian space to road space along key routes is a major barrier to movement and activity along several streets. Shared space or pedestrian priority should be promoted.

· The street furniture is a mix of styles from various eras. There are opportunities for bespoke furniture which responds to the local character and helps to build a sense of place and identity.

1.53 Northampton is a town with a rich legacy of townscape and architecture from the past. The urban morphology has developed slowly over time and much is intact. There is a real opportunity to reinforce this fine environmental quality and to capitalise on this by enhancing the setting of the town centre, providing high quality streets, spaces and squares and developing a stage for vibrant and active civic life. 1.54 The existing urban grain provides a good basis from which to improve the fortunes of the town. The areas of focus should be the historic core and key linkages into the town centre. The design approach should be bespoke to Northampton to ensure distinctiveness and cultural relevance.

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1.55 Overall, Northampton is a healthy and vibrant location. The level of demand from retailers to locate in the centre, the fairly diverse retail offer and the shop unit vacancy figures suggest this is the case. However, if Northampton is to compete efficiently with other centres – such as Milton Keynes and Bedford – then it must continue to evolve and improve. In that respect, the health check identifies a number of key aspects of the current town centre offer which initiated could serve to strengthen this destination:-

· An increased convenience retail offer;

· A greater representation of higher order/luxury goods retailers;

· A more compact centre;

· Improvement to the environmental quality of the centre;

· Improvements to the centre’s accessibility, and particularly relating to the quality of the bus station and evening bus services, cycle facilities and links to the train station. Wider pedestrian links to surrounding residential areas are considered to be poor, especially due to severance caused by the inner ring road;

· Provision of larger retail units to meet retailer requirements;

· Improvement to the attractiveness of Northampton’s cultural/entertainment offer.

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ADDENDUM A

Northampton – Retail Category Breakdown

Northampton – Retail Category Breakdown – Addendum A

Use Class Retail Outlets Floorspace (000’s) Category Number Sq M % %GB (000’s) Convenience 33 6.78 5.53 16.76 A1 Bakers 11 0.93 0.76 1.02 A1 Butchers 1 0.00 0.00 0.43 A1 Greengrocers 1 1.39 1.14 1.50 & fishmongers A1 Groceries & 8 3.44 2.80 11.98 frozen foods A1 Off licences & 0 0.00 0.00 0.46 home brew A1 CTN & 12 1.02 0.83 1.36 convenience Comparison 237 78.87 64.27 52.84 A1 Footwear & 20 2.88 2.35 1.65 repairs A1 Mens, boys 10 1.49 1.21 1.07 wear A1 Womens, girls 37 7.25 5.90 4.73 & childrens A1 Mixed & 20 10.03 8.18 5.16 general clothing A1 Furniture, 11 4.46 3.63 4.88 carpets, textiles A1 Books, 23 5.11 4.16 3.57 arts/crafts, stationers/copy A1 Electrical, 26 4.55 3.71 3.86 home entertainment, phones and video A1 DIY, hardware 7 3.81 3.10 5.10 & household goods A1 Gifts, china, 8 1.21 0.98 0.99 glass & leather goods A1 Cars, motor 3 1.30 1.06 2.15 cycles & accessories A1 Chemists, 11 6.32 5.15 4.02 toiletries & opticians A1 Variety, 9 23.69 19.30 9.07 department & catalogue A1 Florists & 3 0.28 0.23 0.47 gardens A1 Sports, toys, 15 2.69 2.20 2.70 cycles & hobbies

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A1 Jewellers, 20 1.30 1.06 1.04 clocks & repairs A1 Charity, pets & 14 2.51 2.04 2.41 other comparison Service 164 25.08 20.44 21.20 A3/A5 Restaurants, 71 19.13 8.25 8.71 cafes, fast food A1 Hairdressing, 33 4.55 3.71 3.24 beauty & health A1 Launderettes & 2 0.37 0.30 0.46 dry cleaners A1 Travel agents 7 1.21 0.98 1.07 A2 Banks & 23 5.20 4.24 5.00 financial services A2 Building 6 1.21 0.98 0.57 societies A2 Estate agents 22 2.42 1.97 2.06 & auctioneers Miscellaneous 84 11.98 9.77 9.30 - Employment, 22 2.60 2.12 1.20 careers & Pos and info - Vacant 62 9.38 7.65 8.10 Source: Experian Goad

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ADDENDUM B

Northampton Health Check

Northampton Health Check – Addendum B

Focus – Retailer Requirements, Northampton (February 2006)

Company Name 99p Stores Aldi Stores Ltd Base Menswear Best Cellars Boys Base Clothing Brighthouse Cash Generator Ltd Decathlon DTB Elvi Farmfoods Ltd Fragrance Shop Ltd Furniture Village plc Gamestation Ltd Golden Tulip (UK) Ltd Hair Express International Ltd HPJ Retailing Ltd KFC (GB) Ltd La Senza plc Linens Direct Ltd Livingstones Lush Retail Ltd Moben Kitchens Ltd Nandos Chickenland Ltd O’Briens Irish Sandwich Bars (UK) Ltd Pasty Presto Ltd Peacocks Stores Ltd Perfume Shop Ltd Poundland Presto Quiksilver R&B Leisure Ltd Robert Dyas Ltd Roosters Chicken Ltd Saks Hair (Holdings) Ltd Size Up Slater Menswear Sports Café International Starbucks Coffee Holdings (UK) Ltd Subway Supercuts

TJ Hughes plc TK Maxx Treds Ltd Watch Hospital (The) WWF Wholesale Wooden Floors Ltd Zara UK Ltd Art Bakers Oven Ltd Brownhills Leisure Group Carphone Warehouse Group plc (The) Costa Ltd Dolphin Bathrooms Ltd Ethel Austin Ltd Fat Face Ltd Formula One Auto Centres Ltd Frank Gambado Ltd Glyn Webb Ltd Gourmet Joes New York Prezel Co Greggs plc Hair Express International Ltd Hawkins Bazaar Machine Mart Ltd Millies Cookies (Retail) Ltd Moda in Pelle Original Stone co Ltd Papa John’s Perfect Pizza Pier Retail Group Ltd (The) Pizza Hut (UK) Ltd Regent Inns plc Scope Snow & Rock Sports Ltd Sports World International Ltd Stationery Box Strada Tuscany Restaurant Ltd (The) Whitbread Group plc

ADDENDUM C

Schedule of Retailers