Worthing Retail & Main Town Centre Uses Study Final Report, August 2017 gva.co.uk/planning Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 3 2 Planning policy context ................................................................................................. 5 3 Study Context ............................................................................................................... 12 4 The Sub-Regional Context ........................................................................................... 20 5 Worthing town centre audit ......................................................................................... 24 6 District and Local Centres ........................................................................................... 39 7 Quantitative need ......................................................................................................... 49 8 Commercial leisure assessment ................................................................................. 60 9 Boundaries, frontages & policy assessment .............................................................. 69 10 Conclusions & recommendations ............................................................................... 81 Plans Plan 1 – Telephone survey area Plan 2 – Worthing town centre policy boundaries/frontages Plan 3 – Worthing town centre comparison goods market share Plan 4 – Brighton comparison goods market share Plan 5 – Horsham comparison goods market share Plan 6 – Chichester comparison goods market share Plan 7 – Sub-regional cinema provision Plan 8 – Sub-regional theatre provision Plan 9 – Sub-regional family entertainment/ bowling provision Appendices Appendix 1 – Worthing town centre character areas Appendix 2 – Local Centres composition matrix Appendix 3 – Conveneince goods needs tables Appendix 4 – Comparison goods needs tables Appendix 5 – Household survey results Report status: Final Report Report date: Aug 2017 Contact: Adam Bunn, Associate DD: 020 7911 2209 / M: 07757 202 784 [email protected] Switchboard: 0844 902 0304 For and on behalf of GVA Grimley Ltd 2 | Worthing Retail & Main Town Centre Uses Study 2017 | Final Report, August 2017 | gva.co.uk 1 Introduction 1.1 In September 2016, GVA was instructed by Worthing Borough Council to undertake a borough-wide retail and commercial leisure study. The purpose of our study is to provide the Council with an up-to-date understanding of the current health and performance of the Borough’s retail and leisure offer within the existing network of town centres, set out current and future needs for additional floorspace for the Borough over to the period 2033, and provide the Council with recommendations regarding the suitability of their existing policy approach in respect of retail and town centres. This evidence based study will be used by the Council to inform the emerging Worthing Local Plan which will guide development in the Borough until 2033, and will remain at the Council’s disposal to assist in the determination of planning applications for new development in the Borough. 1.2 Our terms of reference are to: • Establish the extent to which the current retail and leisure provision in the borough satisfies the level and nature of consumer demand within the catchment; • Estimate the scale and nature of change in this position that may arise in the light of potential increase in population and forecast changes in retail expenditure; • Identify the scale and nature of additional convenience and comparison retail provision that may be appropriate across the borough to the period 2033 and intervening five year periods; • Assess the scope for new retail and leisure development and the potential to accommodate this within the borough through a recommended town centre strategy; and • Assess the appropriateness of the existing Core Strategy policy approach for retail and main town centre uses across the Borough in order to inform new emerging policies for the new Worthing Local Plan. 1.3 In addition to on-site and desk based evidence gathering, this report is informed by a new household telephone survey covering 500 households across five survey zones (Plan 1). GVA designed the survey questionnaire in consultation with Worthing Borough Council and NEMS Market Research who undertook the interviewing and data processing in September 2016. The findings of the household telephone survey are used to identify where residents in the Borough (and wider ‘survey area’) are undertaking their food and non-food shopping, which informs the assessments of future retail capacity which this study identifies. It also identifies where residents are undertaking their commercial leisure visits, and what residents like and dislike about the centres in the Borough which they use for shopping and leisure. 1.4 Alongside this main report are a series of plans, which show the household survey area mentioned above, and the ‘market shares’ of key shopping locations in the Borough. Supporting data is set out in the accompanying appendices. A glossary of key terms is appended to this report. Structure of report 1.5 This report is structured as follows: • Section 2 summarises the national, strategic and local planning policies relevant to retail and town centre uses in Worthing Borough; • Section 3 considers national trends in the retail sector, and in particular the implications of economic fluctuations and technological advances which are impacting on shopping habits; • Section 4 considers the wider sub-regional context and identifies key centres which compete directly with Worthing for market share. We also provide a review of each of the competing centres and set out a high level review of composition; • Section 5 reviews the composition, role and function of Worthing town centre through a ‘health check’ assessment, drawing on on-site surveys and the outputs from the Household Telephone Survey; • Section 6 outlines the composition, role and function of the three District centres in the borough (Goring, Broadwater and West Durrington) through ‘health check’ assessments, and again, draws on on-site surveys and the outputs from the Household Telephone Survey. We set out a high level overview of the medium and small local centres; • Section 7 considers the current provision of commercial leisure uses throughout the study area and identifies any gaps or deficiencies in provision that a future town centre strategy should seek to address; 3 | Worthing Retail & Main Town Centre Uses Study 2017 | Final Report, August 2017 | gva.co.uk • Section 8 sets out the quantitative ‘need’ for additional convenience and comparison goods retail floorspace in Worthing until 2033 (the Plan period); • Section 9 sets out our recommendations in respect of identification of town centre boundaries and frontages, and also reviews the robustness of the Council’s current approach in respect of its policies for retail development and town centres; and • Section 10 draws the analysis together and sets out our conclusions and recommendations in respect of the current health and composition of the Borough’s main town centres and the need and opportunities for further growth. 4 | Worthing Retail & Main Town Centre Uses Study 2017 | Final Report, August 2017 | gva.co.uk 2 Planning policy context 2.1 In this section we summarise the key features of national, and local planning policy guidance which provide the context and framework for the remainder of this study, and also identify the key opportunity areas in Worthing town centre which we refer to throughout the duration of this report. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), March 2012 2.2 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published on 27 March 2012, sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and replaces the suite of national Planning Policy Statements, Planning Policy Guidance and Circulars with a single document. 2.3 The NPPF continues to recognise that the planning system is plan-led and therefore Local Plans, incorporating neighbourhood plans where relevant, are the starting point for the determination of any planning application. In line with the Government’s aim to streamline the planning process, each Local Planning Authority (LPA) should produce a single Local Plan for its area with any additional documents to be used only where clearly justified. 2.4 The NPPF maintains the general thrust of previous policy set out in PPS4 – Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth (2009). It advocates a ‘town centres first’ approach, and requires planning policies to positively promote competitive town centre environments and manage the growth of centres over the plan period. In planning for town centres LPAs should: • Recognise town centres as the heart of their communities and pursue policies to support their viability and vitality; • Define a network and hierarchy of centres that are resilient to anticipated future economic changes; • Define the extent of town centres and primary shopping areas, based on a clear definition of primary and secondary shopping frontages in designated centres and set policies that make clear which uses will be permitted in such locations; • Promote competitive town centres that provide customer choice and a diverse retail offer which reflect the individuality of town centres; • Retain and enhance existing markets and, where appropriate, re-introduce or create new ones, ensuring that markets remain attractive and competitive; • Allocate