Final Report Norfolk House 7 Norfolk Street Manchester M2 1DW T: +44 (0)8449 02 03 04 F: +44 (0)1619 56 40 09 Doncaster Retail, Leisure and Town Centres Study Volume 1: Main Report July 2015 gva.co.uk Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Contents Contents Volume 1: Main Report Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................. i 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................1 2. Planning Policy and Sub-Regional Context ..........................................................................................3 3. Retail and Leisure Trends ....................................................................................................................... 15 4. Doncaster Town Centre ........................................................................................................................ 23 5. Mexborough and Thorne Town Centres ............................................................................................. 54 6. Current Patterns of Retail Spending .................................................................................................... 72 7. Assessment of Retail Expenditure Capacity ...................................................................................... 88 8. Leisure Needs Assessment ................................................................................................................... 100 9. Summary of Findings and Recommendations ................................................................................ 114 Glossary of Terms ............................................................................................................................................... 129 Volume 2: Appendices (Separately Bound) Appendix I Doncaster Core Strategy Key Diagram Appendix II Out-of-Centre Retail Provision and Main Foodstores in Doncaster Borough Appendix III Doncaster Health Check Data Appendix IV Doncaster and Mexborough Town centre Vacancy Maps Appendix V Household Survey Study Area Appendix VI Comparison Retail Shopping Patterns and Capacity Assessment Appendix VII Convenience Retail Shopping Patterns and Capacity Assessment Appendix VIII Leisure Assessment Appendix IX Cinemas and Family Entertainment Venues in Doncaster Volume 3: Household Survey Results (Separately Bound) Prepared By: Helen Mansley (Planner)/Adam Bunn (Principal Planner)/Caroline Marginson (Director) Status: Final Report Date: July 2015 For and on behalf of GVA Grimley Ltd July 2015 gva.co.uk Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Executive Summary Executive Summary Purpose of Study The overall aim of the Retail, Leisure and Town Centres Study (“the study”) is to provide an up-to-date and robust evidence base on retail and leisure needs within the borough to inform the preparation of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council’s (“the council”) emerging Doncaster Local Plan. Below, we summarise the principal findings from the various lines of research and analysis that informed the study, comprising the following main elements: a performance analysis of Doncaster town centre and the smaller town centres of Mexborough and Thorne each centre using a range of indicators of vitality and viability (commonly referred to as a ‘health check’); current shopping patterns in the convenience and comparison retail sectors, informed by a new telephone survey of households; retail expenditure capacity for new comparison and convenience floorspace in the borough; and key quantitative and qualitative retail needs and our main strategic recommendations for each centre. Town Centre Health Checks We undertook a detailed and up-to-date assessment of the vitality and viability of Doncaster town centre as well as Mexborough and Thorne town centres, the two largest centres in the borough after Doncaster. Our assessments use a range of indicators of vitality and viability and are informed by our own on-site surveys of each centre together with desk-based research that draws on published primary and secondary data. As well as providing the base position for the future monitoring of town centre vitality and viability, this exercise identifies the key strengths of the three town centres as well as deficiencies and areas that would benefit from improvement. Doncaster Doncaster town centre as a whole is a generally healthy town centre performing in accordance with its role as an important sub-regional shopping destionation. The Frenchgate Centre and adjacent primary shopping streets in the north west of the primary shopping area provide the focus of Doncaster’s retail offer and are performing well. The Frenchgate Centre has improved the quantity and quality of its comparison retail offer following an extension and refurbishment in 2006, and currently benefits from a concentration of mainstream fashion multiples, a relatively low vacancy rate July 2015 I gva.co.uk i Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Executive Summary and a middle market fashion offer. The wider town centre also benefits from the presence of several department stores (Debenhams, BHS, a House of Fraser outlet and a Marks & Spencer). However, there is a spatial imbalance in performance across the centre and the performance of secondary retail areas in the east and south of the primary shopping area is considerably weaker. Overall, Doncaster town centre has experienced a decline in the quantity of its comparison retail offer in recent years, partly driven by wider changes in the retail sector, with this decline concentrated in areas outside of the Frenchgate Centre. The location of the town’s transport interchange, which adjoins the Frenchgate Centre, has exacerbated the focus of activity on the Frenchgate Centre. Other key concerns for Doncaster are falling pedestrian footfall outside of the Frenchgate Centre and the high level of vacancy across secondary parts of the primary shopping area. Convenience provision in the centre is currently very limited, with no store functioning as a main-food shopping destination following the closure of Tesco. As well as representing a deficiency in the diversity of the town centre offer, larger supermarkets also act as important anchor stores in a centre, and the town centre is therefore missing out on the footfall and ‘linked trips’ generated by such provision. Doncaster’s leisure and food/drink offer is limited and appears to have reduced in recent years. There is an over-concentration of pub/bar uses, and conversely very limited representation from café/restaurant uses which become important in the ‘transition’ period between retail trading hours and the evening economy. The introduction of more family dining restaurants, as well as a cinema, are both considered to be vitally important in this respect. Mexborough The performance of Mexborough town centre in relation to a number of health check indicators was reasonable up until the recent closure of its Tesco Metro store. However, there are areas of concern that threaten the future vitality and viability of Mexborough town centre. With the closure of Tesco, the centre has lost its main convenience anchor store and national multiple foodstore provision in the centre is currently limited to two small frozen food specialists. The absence of a ‘mainstream’ supermarket represents a major weakness in the centre’s offer, particularly given the role of the centre as a local convenience shopping destination. This issue could potentially be addressed through: the reoccupation of the former Tesco Metro unit by a major national supermarket operator; and/or the provision of a new supermarket on the former United Carpets site on the edge of the town centre. July 2015 I gva.co.uk ii Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Executive Summary There is a declining number of comparison multiple retailers and the quality of comparison businesses is focused towards the discount end of the market. Around the outdoor market place on York Square there is evidence of a declining environment and a notable concentration of vacant units, although these issues will hopefully be addressed through the current works to upgrade and transform the market place. Thorne Thorne is performing reasonably well for a town centre of its size and provides an attractive market town environment, a monthly farmers market within the market square and a strong convenience offer. There is a reasonable mix of comparison retailers and range of everyday retail services, takeaways and public houses. There are some weaker health check indicators, which represent a concern. The number of vacant units in the centre is high and has increased considerably since 2009, with concentrations of vacant units at the junction of Silver Street/Market Place and on Finkle Court. The pedestrian environment on King Street is poor and footfall is low in this area, and there is limited representation of cafes and restaurants within the town centre. Investment to address prominent vacancies, provide a quality environment within Market Place and improve connectivity between Finkle Street and King Street/the Sainsbury’s store would enable the centre to harness its potential as a historic market town. In particular, it would provide an attractive focal point for visitors within the Market Place, drive footfall on King Street and support linked trips between the Sainsbury’s store (and potentially a Lidl store,