Queensway/ Westbourne Grove District Centre Shopping Area Health Check January 2007 CONTENT PART 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 2: MAIN REPORT 1.0 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 The Study..................................................................................................................... 1 National and London Policy ......................................................................................... 1 The London Hierarchy .................................................................................................2 2.0 DIVERSITY OF USE AND REPRESENTATION......................................................... 5 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5 Total Retail Floorspace ................................................................................................ 5 Diversity of Use............................................................................................................ 6 NLP’s Attitudinal Assessment ...................................................................................... 7 Range of Shops and Services ..................................................................................... 8 Quality of Shops and Services..................................................................................... 9 Food Supermarkets ................................................................................................... 11 Places to Eat and Drink.............................................................................................. 12 Entertainment and Leisure Facilities.......................................................................... 13 Mix of Use Summary.................................................................................................. 15 3.0 QUEENSWAY/WESTBOURNE GROVE’S ROLE AND CATCHMENT AREA ........ 16 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 16 Catchment Area and Customer Profile ...................................................................... 16 Main Purpose of Visit to the Centre ........................................................................... 20 Duration and Frequency of Visit................................................................................. 24 4.0 BUSINESS PERFORMANCE.................................................................................... 26 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 26 Business Trading Performance in Queensway/Westbourne Grove........................... 26 Property Indicators..................................................................................................... 27 Availability of Premises and Vacancy Levels............................................................. 28 Property Requirements .............................................................................................. 28 Business Occupier’s Views on Rents and Rates ....................................................... 28 5.0 NLP’S AMENITY APPRAISAL.................................................................................. 30 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 30 Day-Time Amenity Appraisal...................................................................................... 30 Night-Time Amenity Appraisal.................................................................................... 30 6.0 ACCESSIBILITY AND MOVEMENT ......................................................................... 32 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 32 Layout of the Centre .................................................................................................. 32 Modal Split ................................................................................................................. 33 Public Transport......................................................................................................... 34 Car Parking ................................................................................................................ 36 Pedestrian Flow ......................................................................................................... 39 Traffic Congestion...................................................................................................... 40 Accessibility Summary ............................................................................................... 41 7.0 SAFETY AND CRIME................................................................................................ 43 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 43 Personal Safety.......................................................................................................... 43 Business Security ...................................................................................................... 45 Safety and Crime Summary....................................................................................... 45 8.0 THE CENTRE’S ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. 46 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 46 Shopping Environment............................................................................................... 46 Litter and Cleanliness ................................................................................................ 47 Environmental Summary............................................................................................ 48 9.0 CENTRE BOUNDARY AND FRONTAGE DESIGNATIONS .................................... 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 49 Defining Queensway/Westbourne Grove District Centre’s Boundary and Frontages 49 Shopping Frontages................................................................................................... 50 10.0 RETAIL CAPACITY ANALYSIS................................................................................ 52 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 52 Local Catchment Area ............................................................................................... 52 Population and Spending........................................................................................... 52 Existing Retail Floorspace ......................................................................................... 53 Existing Spending Patterns 2006............................................................................... 53 Operator Demand for Space...................................................................................... 56 The Whiteleys Centre ................................................................................................ 57 Development Opportunities........................................................................................ 57 11.0 SUMMARY OF THE DISTRICT CENTRE’S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ... 60 Strengths.................................................................................................................... 60 Weaknesses .............................................................................................................. 60 Opportunities.............................................................................................................. 61 Threats....................................................................................................................... 61 APPENDICES Appendix A -Methodology Appendix B - PPS6 Measures of Vitality and Viability Appendix C -NLP’s Attractions Appraisal Appendix D- NLP’s Day-Time Amenity Appraisal Appendix E- NLP’s Night-Time Amenity Appraisal Appendix F- PMRS Pedestrian Flowcounts Appendix G- In-street Visitor Survey Results Appendix H- Household Residents Survey Results Appendix I-Business Occupier Survey Results Appendix J- Land Use Map Appendix K - Centre Boundaries and Frontage – National and Local Policy Appendix L - Retail Capacity Assessment Methodology Appendix M - Operator Requirements PART 1 – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LON2007/R10820-013 (Queensway FINAL) The Study Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners has undertaken a vitality and viability study of the 7 designated District Shopping Centres in Westminster. This report provides an analysis of Queensway/Westbourne Grove. The Government (PPS6) advises local authorities to base their Development Plans on assessments of their retail centres, and are advised to monitor the health of their shopping centres. Queensway/Westbourne Grove’s Current Role and Structure Queensway/Westbourne Grove primarily serves residents in Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea and workers and tourist visitors in the Bayswater area. The centre is made up of two primary shopping streets (Westbourne Grove and Queensway), and the centre forms an ‘L’ shape. The main concentration of A1 retail uses is located on Queensway. The centre is in close proximity to Bayswater