Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base ARP-WAL-EVB Planning | 10 February 2014 This report takes into account the particular instructions and requirements of our client. It is not intended for and should not be relied upon by any third party and no responsibility is undertaken to any third party. Job number 232986 Ove Arup & Partners Ltd The Arup Campus Blythe Gate Blythe Valley Park Solihull B90 8AE United Kingdom www.arup.com Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base Contents Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of this report 1 1.2 Arup’s commission 1 2 Key considerations 2 3 Previously considered market locations 4 3.1 Overview 4 3.2 Location requirements 5 3.3 The preferred location 5 4 Review of existing market and preferred location 6 4.1 Economic context 6 4.2 Public realm 7 4.3 Accessibility 11 4.4 Recognising best practice 11 4.5 Exclusion Zone 22 4.6 Viability 23 4.7 Civil works and infrastructure 27 4.8 Planning and regeneration context 29 5 Revised market location criteria 33 6 Potential market locations 35 6.1 Identifying potential market locations 35 6.2 Updated locations 35 7 Assessment of potential market locations 38 7.1 Assessment of locations 38 7.2 Assessment summary table 41 7.3 Preferred options 45 7.4 Recommendation 45 Tables Table 1: Soft market discussions summary Table 2: Popup stall income and expenditure Table 3: Summary of relevant local planning policy Table 4: Location criteria ARP-WAL-EVB | Planning | 10 February 2014 J:\232000\232986-00\4 INTERNAL PROJECT DATA\4-05 REPORTS\PLANNING\SUPPORTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS\EVIDENCE BASE REPORT\LOCATION REVIEW AND EVIDENCE BASE FINAL.DOCX Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base Table 5: Potential locations assessment summary Figures Figure 1: Locations considered by GVA study. Figure 2: Paving styles around the public realm, varying from high quality, but damaged natural stones, to more pragmatic manufactured blocks. Figure 3: Building frontages throughout the public realm vary from high quality facades within The Bridge area, to lower quality and poorly integrated sites along High Street. Figure 4: Bromley market scenes. Figure 5: Islington market Figure 6: Worthing typical market say Figure 7: Newark market stall types Figure 8: Sheffield market works. Figure 9: Hereford street market Figure 10: Darlington market Figure 11: Locations reviewed for market ARP-WAL-EVB | Planning | 10 February 2014 J:\232000\232986-00\4 INTERNAL PROJECT DATA\4-05 REPORTS\PLANNING\SUPPORTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS\EVIDENCE BASE REPORT\LOCATION REVIEW AND EVIDENCE BASE FINAL.DOCX Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base 1 Introduction Established in 1219, Walsall Market has a good reputation throughout the West Midlands and forms part of the heritage of the town centre, a tradition that Walsall Council and the community wish to maintain. With a vast array and variety of stalls, the market also provides important leisure and retail opportunities for visitors to Walsall. 1.1 Purpose of this report This report provides a review of the potential locations for the new Walsall Market and provides an important evidence base to the preferred market location and design. The report is required to: 1. Reconsider the The Bridge, Bradford Place and Digbeth as the preferred location for the new Walsall Market in light of the current context; 2. Review again the potential locations for the new Walsall Market including those previously considered by GVA and The Retail Group; 3. Undertake a high level analysis of the importance of the market to the overall vitality and viability of Walsall town centre; and 4. Support a full planning application for the permanent location of Walsall Market and associated public realm improvements. 1.2 Arup’s commission We have been appointed by Walsall Council to prepare a feasible, viable and financially sound proposal for a new permanent location for Walsall Market. We have prepared this evidence base, as a starting point, from which we have prepared detailed design proposals. These proposals will be taken forward by a full planning application to Walsall Council. Structure of this report • Section 2 – a review of the previously considered market locations in the GVA studies; • Section 3 –a review of the current market and preferred location in order to identify objectives for the new market; • Section 4 – revised market location criteria based on the objectives identified in Section 3; • Section 5 – identifies potential market locations; • Section 6 – provides an assessment of the identified market locations based on the location criteria concluding in Section 4; and, • Section 7 – recommends a permanent location for the market. ARP-WAL-EVB | Planning | 10 February 2014 Page 1 J:\232000\232986-00\4 INTERNAL PROJECT DATA\4-05 REPORTS\PLANNING\SUPPORTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS\EVIDENCE BASE REPORT\LOCATION REVIEW AND EVIDENCE BASE FINAL.DOCX Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base 2 Key considerations The following are key considerations in our review of potential market locations: • Retail trends; • Major development proposals within Walsall Town Centre; • Planning history; • The emerging Area Action Plan (AAP) for Walsall Town Centre; • Previous studies; and • The need for further evidence. 2.1.1 Retail trends Previously Walsall Market had experienced a decline in income and a fall in the occupancy rates of its stalls. This was considered in part to be due to wider retailing trends and a reduced occupancy of retail units in the St Matthews Quarter- Market Square, High Street and Digbeth area of the town centre. The market is influenced by the major redevelopment plans for this area which will affect pedestrian numbers amongst wider regeneration trends. 2.1.2 Major development proposals within Walsall town centre There are two major retail redevelopment proposals in the town centre for part of Digbeth and The Old Square Shopping Centre (the former Tesco Metro Store proposal) and at Digbeth and the Lower Hall Lane area (Norton and Proffitt proposal). Both will affect parts of the preferred market locations and need to be considered in regard to the permanent relocation and its implementation. 2.1.3 Planning history Since 2007, Walsall Council has pursued the temporary relocation of Walsall Market to The Bridge, Park Street, Bradford Street and lower Digbeth. The temporary relocation was undertaken to curtail the decline of the market and its impact on the town centre visitor numbers and to make way for major retail proposals within the St Matthews Quarter. Two planning applications were submitted in 2008 (08/1084/FL and 08/1624/FL) for the temporary relocation of Walsall Market and were withdrawn due to the potential of judicial review from adjacent land owners and their tenants. In light of the surrounding major development proposals and the contention associated with the market location a detailed study was undertaken by the Council and GVA (the GVA 2009 Study). The GVA 2009 Study provided an analysis of the viability, vitality and economic impact of the market’s proposed temporary relocation. Subsequently a planning permission was granted in October 2009 for the temporary (12 months) relocation ARP-WAL-EVB | Planning | 10 February 2014 Page 2 J:\232000\232986-00\4 INTERNAL PROJECT DATA\4-05 REPORTS\PLANNING\SUPPORTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS\EVIDENCE BASE REPORT\LOCATION REVIEW AND EVIDENCE BASE FINAL.DOCX Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base of Walsall Market from Digbeth and Lower Hall Lane to The Bridge, Bradford Street, Park Street and lower Digbeth (09/1277/FL). The GVA 2009 Study was then updated in 2010, following which planning permission was granted to retain the market in its temporary location for a further 12 months (10/1181/FL). Subsequent planning permissions were granted in October 2011 and June 2013 which extended the time limit of the market location until April 2015. In June 2012, the Council’s Regeneration Scrutiny and Performance Panel formed the Markets Working Group. The group agreed that the creation of a new permanent market location is a priority. The Group appointed GVA and The Retail Group to undertake a study on the options for the permanent location of Walsall Market and to make recommendations for the preferred location (GVA 2012 Study). The GVA 2012 Study concluded that The Bridge and Bradford Street was the preferred location for the new permanent market. 2.1.4 Walsall Town Centre Area Action Plan (AAP) Walsall Council has commenced the preparation of an AAP, with ambitious regeneration aims for Walsall town centre. Public consultation was undertaken on an Issues and Options report in June 2013. This consultation raised the question of the market location. It presented two options, to pursue the preferred permanent location for the market on The Bridge and in Bradford Street or to consider other potential indoor and outdoor locations for the market. A limited number of responses were received to the AAP consultation, in relation to the market location, which proved inconclusive. 2.1.5 The need for further evidence In regard to the emerging policy framework, major retail development proposals and the wider changing context further consideration needs to be given to a permanent market location. Collecting an up-to-date evidence base for the preferred permanent location of Walsall Market is paramount. This Location Review and Evidence report is integral to the updated evidence base and will review the preferred location in light of the current context. ARP-WAL-EVB | Planning | 10 February 2014 Page 3 J:\232000\232986-00\4 INTERNAL PROJECT DATA\4-05 REPORTS\PLANNING\SUPPORTING PLANNING DOCUMENTS\EVIDENCE BASE REPORT\LOCATION REVIEW AND EVIDENCE BASE FINAL.DOCX Walsall Council Walsall Market Location review and evidence base 3 Previously considered market locations 3.1 Overview The GVA 2012 Study considered six alternative locations for the market.