NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT Reference: P:/Planning/643/Projects/02A5B5104 Contact: Chris Goddard / Caroline Cusa Tel: (020) 7911 2202 / (020) 7911 2551 Email: [email protected] / [email protected] www.gvagrimley.co.uk +44 (0) 870 900 89 90 Signed For & On Behalf Of GVA GRIMLEY ……………………………… CHRIS GODDARD Date……………………………… NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT CONTENTS PAGE NO. 1. Introduction 1 2. Policy Framework 4 3. Current Market Context 16 4. Regional Context 28 5. The North Essex Centres 41 6. Scope for New Development 52 7. Recommended Strategy 74 NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT PLANS Plan 1: North Essex Study Area Plan Plan 2: Household Telephone Survey Area Plan 3: Comparison Goods Expenditure Leakage to Competing Centres Plan 4: Cambridge Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 5: Basildon Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 6: Ipswich Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 7: Chelmsford Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 8: Sudbury Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 9: Haverhill Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 10: Bury St Edmonds Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 11: London Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 12: Lakeside Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 13: Bluewater Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 14: Existing Retail Provision Plan 15: Dominant Foodstore Plan Plan 16: Colchester Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 17: Braintree Comparison Goods Market Share (including Factory Outlet Village) Plan 18: Maldon Comparison Goods Market Share Plan 19: Clacton-on-Sea Comparison Goods Market Share (including Factory Outlet Village) Plan 20: Existing Leisure Provision Plan 21: Proposed Retail Hierarchy NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT APPENDICES Appendix 1: Trading Influence of Key Competing Centres Appendix 2: PPS6 Definitions: Types of Centre and their main characteristics Appendix 3: Hierarchy of Centres: Benchmarking Appendix 4: Capacity Projections: Convenience Goods Appendix 5: Capacity Projections: Comparison Goods NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 GVA Grimley was instructed by the North Essex Authorities (NEAS) (Braintree, Colchester, Maldon and Tendring) in August 2005 to undertake the North Essex Retail Study. The joint study is driven by a recognition of significant cross border and sub-regional issues, and consequently aims to address the interrelationship between the centres and the dynamics of the changing network of centres within the sub-region. The North Essex Study Area is illustrated on Plan 1. 1.2 The purpose of this study is to inform and guide town centre/retail planning in North Essex, and in particular, to input into the preparation of each authority’s forthcoming Local Development Framework (LDF). Based on our research, analysis and overall findings, the study identifies a strategy for the future scale and form of new development and the distribution of growth, advising on the role of each centre within the retail hierarchy and any potential for change. TERMS OF REFERENCE 1.3 Our terms of reference are to: Examine the retail hierarchy in North Essex and the wider sub-region, and advise on the role of each centre and their relationship to each other in the retail hierarchy; Establish the extent to which current retail and leisure provision within North Essex satisfies the level and nature of consumer demand within each catchment; Estimate the scale and nature of any changes in this position that may arrive in the light of: Potential increases in population; Forecast changes in retail expenditure; Changing forms of retail provision; Possible increases or decreases in the trade draw from competing centres. Identify the scale and nature of additional retail provision that may be appropriate in North Essex to the period 2011 and 2016; Assess the scope for new retail and leisure development and the potential to accommodate this within the sub-region. 1 NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT TWO STAGE APPROACH 1.4 In accordance with our proposal for consultancy, we have formulated a two stage report structure. Stage 1 is a strategic report focusing on the full study area and sets out the common elements to each NEA, the baseline position and recommended strategy for growth and change in North Essex. It has been produced as a consistent source of reference for each of the NEAS to enable informed development control decisions and policy formulation, guiding change and growth across the sub- region. It focuses on the network of centres, current market conditions, qualitative health checks, global capacity forecasting, local development opportunity sites throughout the centres, strategic growth opportunities, and advice on any changes to the network of centres. 1.5 Stage 2 comprises an individual report for each local authority, developing the findings in Stage 1 further. Each report (four in total) focuses on localised issues and sets out the detailed technical analysis and recommendations for each authority. Work elements include a review of the local policy framework, an analysis of in-centre and household telephone surveys, detailed qualitative health checks, a review of the performance of existing retail/leisure floorspace, and quantitative capacity projections for each local authority. Each element of work draws on extensive in-centre and household telephone surveys. 1.6 This report forms Stage 1 of the overall study. STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT 1.7 This report draws together the results of this process, incorporating the findings of details survey based analysis technical analysis, and ongoing discussions with the steering group. The report is structured as follows: In Section 2 we summarise the national policy framework which provides the policy context for the study. We review the Regional Spatial Strategy, and summarise the key components of each authorities local policy framework, including the current retail hierarchy definitions. In Section 3, we consider the current market context, and in particular the economic and social trends which are likely to influence the evolution of the North Essex sub-region. In Section 4, we set out the regional context; the factors which we have taken into account in determining the wider study area, and the context created by the role of other competing centres beyond the study area. In Section 5, we discuss the North Essex retail hierarchy in more detail, setting out the role of each centre within each authority and summarising their retail/leisure composition and the function they play. 2 NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT In Section 6, we set out our baseline economic capacity projections for the North Essex study area, focusing in particular on the capacity for further retail and commercial leisure provision within the study area, having regard to trendline population/expenditure growth assumptions. In Section 7, we set out our recommended strategy. We also highlight what we consider to be appropriate and consistent centre definitions based on PPS6. 1.8 This report is supported by a series of plans and appendices. 3 NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT 2. POLICY FRAMEWORK NATIONAL POLICY CONTEXT 2.1 The Government has made it clear that the policies in PPS6 apply to the full range of town centre uses including retail, leisure, commercial and public offices, arts and tourism facilities, community facilities and housing as part of mixed-use multi-storey developments. The policies should be interpreted in the context of the Government’s wider policy aims of promoting social inclusion, regenerating deprived areas, promoting economic growth, delivering more sustainable patterns of development and promoting good design, all of which are set out in PPS1. 2.2 PPS6 confirms that the Government’s key objective is to promote vital and viable town centres by planning for their growth and focussing new development and a wide range of services within them. The Government’s other objectives are to enhance consumer choice, support efficient, competitive and innovative retail and leisure sectors and to improve accessibility by a choice of means of transport. 2.3 The key points of relevance to the North Essex Study, are:- The need to take a more proactive approach to accommodating town centre uses in central locations, including where appropriate promotion of the expansion of town centres; and, conversely a realistic approach to the management of decline where justified; and The need to establish a hierarchy of centres in each region and sub-region, with any change in the role and function of centres to be secured as part of the preparation of regional spatial strategies (RSS) and through preparation of the development plans, rather than through individual applications. 2.4 Other more detailed points which are likely to be relevant to the North Essex study are: The need to assemble edge-of-centre sites for larger stores where need is identified, and to promote higher density, mixed-use multi-storey development; The need to encourage a wider range of services and land uses for centres in decline; the need to avoid over-concentration of growth in the highest level centres, and for regional spatial strategies to make clear strategic choices as to where growth is to be encouraged and decline managed; 4 NORTH ESSEX AUTHORITIES RETAIL STUDY 2006 STAGE 1 REPORT The need to assess the quantitative need for additional floorspace for retail, leisure