Planning & Retail Statement Former Poundstretcher Unit, Penllergaer Lidl Great Britain Ltd January 2021 Prepared on Behalf of Tetra Tech Planning Tetra Tech Cardiff, 5th Floor, Longcross Court, 47 Newport Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF24 0AD Tetra Tech Environment Planning Transport Limited. Registered in England number: 03050297 Registered Office: 3 Sovereign Square, Sovereign Street, Leeds, United Kingdom, LS1 4ER Document control Document: Planning & Retail Statement Project: Lidl, Gorseinon Client: Lidl Great Britain Ltd Job Number: B024633 File Origin: W:\data\B024000-B024999\B024633 - Lidl Gorseinon\5. Retail Assessment Revision: - Status: Draft Date: January 2021 Prepared by: Oliver Hanney & Checked by: Ross Bowen Approved By: Ross Bowen Rob Mitchell Description of revision: Revision: Status: Final Date: January 2021 Prepared by: Oliver Hanney & Checked by: Ross Bowen Approved By: Ross Bowen Rob Mitchell Description of revision: Revision: Status: Date: Prepared by: Checked by: Approved By: Description of revision: Tetra Tech Cardiff, 5th Floor, Longcross Court, 47 Newport Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom, CF24 0AD Tetra Tech Environment Planning Transport Limited. Registered in England number: 03050297 Registered Office: 3 Sovereign Square, Sovereign Street, Leeds, United Kingdom, LS1 4ER Contents 1. Introduction & Background .................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Background ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Report Structure .............................................................................................................. 5 2. The Proposed Development ............................................................................................... 6 2.1 Site Description & Surroundings ...................................................................................... 6 2.2 Planning History ............................................................................................................... 6 2.3 The Proposed Development ............................................................................................ 8 3. Planning Policy Context ...................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Local Level Policy ............................................................................................................ 9 3.2 National Level Policy...................................................................................................... 12 3.3 Other Material Considerations ....................................................................................... 16 4. Assessment of Existing Retail Provision ........................................................................... 19 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Gorseinon Town Centre ................................................................................................. 19 4.3 Retailer Representation ................................................................................................. 19 4.4 Diversity of Uses ............................................................................................................ 20 4.5 Vacancies ...................................................................................................................... 20 4.6 Accessibility ................................................................................................................... 21 4.7 Pedestrian Flows ........................................................................................................... 21 4.8 Environmental Quality .................................................................................................... 21 4.9 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 21 5. Need For The Proposed Development .............................................................................. 22 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 22 5.2 Quantitative capacity...................................................................................................... 23 5.3 Qualitative Considerations ............................................................................................. 24 5.4 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 26 6. The Sequential Approach to Site Selection ....................................................................... 27 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 27 6.2 Status of the application site .......................................................................................... 27 6.3 Application of the Sequential Approach ......................................................................... 27 6.4 Sequential Site Search .................................................................................................. 29 Project Reference: B024633 Date: January 2021 tetratecheurope.com 3 .com 6.5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 30 7. Assessment of Impact ....................................................................................................... 32 7.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 32 7.2 Methodology and evidence base ................................................................................... 32 7.3 Impact on Existing, Committed or Planned In-centre Investment .................................. 33 7.4 Impact on allocated sites outside centres ...................................................................... 34 7.5 Cumulative effects of the development .......................................................................... 34 7.6 Impact on centre vitality and viability and in-centre turnover and trade ......................... 34 8. Non-retail Material Considerations .................................................................................... 39 8.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 39 8.2 Principle of Development ............................................................................................... 39 Appendices Appendix 1 – Gorseinon Goad Centre Plan Update (December 2021) Appendix 2 – Retail Assessment Tables Appendix 3 – Catchment Area Plan Project Reference: B024633 Date: January 2021 tetratecheurope.com 4 .com 1. Introduction & Background 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 This planning and retail statement has been prepared by Tetra Tech Planning on behalf of the applicant, Lidl Great Britain Ltd., in support of a full planning application to be submitted to Swansea Council for the demolition of an existing retail unit and erection of a supermarket, car parking, landscaping and all associated works at the former Poundstretcher unit, Gorseinon Road, Penllergaer, Swansea, SA4 9GE. 1.2 Background 1.2.1 This planning and retail statement has been prepared in support of the proposed relocation of the existing Lidl supermarket at Gorseinon Road, Penllergaer. In order to satisfy customer demand at Lidl’s existing retail store at Gorseinon Road, a larger format store is necessary. However, due to the constrained plot the existing store sits within, an extension to the existing unit is not possible. On this basis, the neighbouring former Poundstretcher unit (adjoining the existing Lidl store) is identified as possessing a suitable plot size to accommodate an expanded Lidl foodstore. As such, it is proposed to demolish the former Poundstretcher unit which currently occupies the site and erect a new Lidl foodstore with associated car park. 1.3 Report Structure 1.3.1 The report assesses the requirements of local and national retail planning policy relevant to this location and is structured as follows: • Section 2: describes the site, the relevant planning history and the proposed development; • Section 3: sets out the local and national planning policy context; • Section 4: considers the health of existing nearby designated centres; • Section 5: considers matters relating to retail need; • Section 6: considers the application of the sequential approach and the search for a sequentially preferable site that has been undertaken; • Section 7: addresses the retail impact of the proposed development; and • Section 8: considers non-retail material considerations; and • Section 9: provides conclusions Project Reference: B024633 Date: January 2021 tetratecheurope.com 5 .com 2. The Proposed Development 2.1 Site Description & Surroundings 2.1.1 The application site is located in the settlement of Penllergaer, a village in the City and County of Swansea, situated approximately 7km north west of Swansea city centre. The site lies adjacent to Gorseinon Road/A4240 which links to the residential areas of Penllergaer to the east and the small