Ministerial guidelines
Retail Planning: Guidelines for Planning Authorities
The retail hierarchy, the sequential approach that puts town centres first, and caps on the size of shops and retail warehouses.
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government · April 2012 · 73 pages
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- 55 A 1.6 Types of Location Retail Area That part of a town centre which is primarily devoted to shopping. Centre For the purposes of these guidelines, a centre refers to a city or town centre and can also, refer to the centre of a district or neighbourhood centre which has been identified in the settlement hierarchy of a development plan Edge-of-Centre A location within easy walking distance of the primary retail area of a city town centre or district centre. Out-of-Centre A location that is clearly separate from a town centre but within the town development boundary, as indicated in a development plan or local area plan. A 1.7 Other Terms Settlement Hierarchy A ranking given by the planning authority to a city or town in the areas of its development plan. Retail Hierarchy A ranking given by the planning authority to the range and quantity of retailing appropriate to a settlement as dictated by its role in the settlement hierarchy. Urban Grain Pattern (morphology) of streets, buildings and other features within an urban area.
- 56 A 2.1 Introduction This appendix outlines some information that may be of use in assessing the viability and vitality of city and town centres in preparing retail strategies, in planning for the retail sector, and in assessing development applications. A 2.2 What Viability and Vitality Means The concept of vitality and viability is central to maintaining and enhancing town centres. It will depend on many factors, including the range and quality of activities in a centre, its mix of uses, its accessibility to people living and working in the area, and its general amenity, appearance and safety. A healthy town centre which is vital and viable balances a number of qualities: Attractions• these underpin a town and comprise the range and diversity of shopping and other activities which draw in customers and visitors. Accessibility• successful centres need both to be accessible to the surrounding catchment area via a good road network and public transport facilities, and to encompass good local linkages between car parks, public transport stops and the various attractions within the centre. Amenity• a healthy town centre should be a pleasant place to be in. It should be attractive in terms of environmental quality and urban design, it should be safe, and it should have a distinct identity or image. Action• to function effectively as a viable commercial centre, actions need to follow: Development and improvement projects should be implemented efficiently; there should be regular and effective cleaning and maintenance and there should be co-ordinated town centre management initiatives to promote the continued improvement of the centre. Although no single indicator on its own can measure the performance of a town in relation to these four elements of all round “health”, it is possible to gain a good appreciation by undertaking a vitality and viability health check assessment using a variety of indicators. This provides a consistent framework for assessing vitality and viability. In this way the strengths and weaknesses of town centres can be analysed systematically and planning authorities will be able to ascertain how well centres are performing in terms of their attraction, accessibility, amenity, and action programmes. Such health checks should both inform and be undertaken within the framework provided by the development plan or undertaken in the form of a city/town/urban centre strategy (detailed below) which is supplementary to, but which informs the Annex 2 Assessing the Vitality and Viability of Town Centres
- 57 development plan’s key retail policies and objectives. Local authorities, in keeping their area under review, should collect information on key town centre uses, and key sites which may be suitable and may become available for retail and other non-retail uses, with or without rehabilitation or redevelopment A 2.3 Vitality and Viability Health Check Indicators Some particularly appropriate health check indicators are summarised below:Diversity of uses:IV. how much space is in use for different functions – such as offices, shopping, other commercial, leisure, cultural and entertainment activities, pubs, cafes and restaurants, hotels, educational uses, housing – and how has that balance been changing? A detailed land use survey will generally be required which should clearly distinguish between retail uses, commercial activities (such as hotel, leisure, cafes) offices uses, residential uses, and vacant uses, etc. Specifically the footprint of retail uses is very helpful in identifying the core retail areas of a city or town, the primary and secondary shopping streets, and useful in distinguishing between city/town centre and edge-of-centre. . Consideration could be given to an upper floor survey of uses to inform possible future re-development opportunities, e.g. Living Over The Shops schemes (LOTS schemes). CompetitivenessV. : is the current mix of retail stores offering choice to consumers? Is there a need for more innovative retail offerings and services for the benefit of consumers? Retailer representation and intentions to change representations:VI. it may be helpful to look at the existence and changes in representation, including street markets, over the past few years, and at the demand from retailers wanting to come into the centre, or to contract or close their representation. Shopping rents:VII. monitoring the pattern of movement in retail rents within primary shopping areas is useful and available from commercial property information sources. Proportion of vacant street level property:VIII. vacancies can arise even in the strongest town centres, and this indicator must be used with care. Vacancies in secondary frontages and changes to other uses will also be useful indicators. Details on vacant property can be captured through the land use survey. Accessibility:IX. the ease and convenience of access by a choice of means of travel, including the quality, quantity and type of car parking, the frequency and quality of public transport services, the range of customer origins served and the quality of provision for pedestrians and cyclists. In certain circumstances car parking surveys should be considered as the circulation and car parking management strategy of a city/town/urban area can play a pro-active role in contributing to the vitality of a centre.
- 58 Environmental quality: this indicator should assess the physical condition of a townX. (clutter, litter and graffiti) and the environmental attributes (quality of shopfronts, landscaping and open spaces). Public realm: the public realm must be an integrated element in the design of theXI. overall development of a street/area, using quality hard and soft landscaping, street furniture, public signage etc. Concerns of maintenance costs and risk management need not preclude varied and interesting design if the issues are considered and adequate measures put in place at planning stage. Customer views and behaviour:XII. regular surveys of customer views will help authorities in monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of town centre improvement and in setting further priorities. Interviews in the town centre and at home should be used to establish views of both users and non-users of the centre. This could establish the degree of linked trips. Perception of safety and occurrence of crimeXIII. : this should include views and information on safety and security. Commercial yields on non-domestic property (i.e. the capital value in relation toXIV.the expected market rental): this demonstrates the confidence of investors in the long term profitability of the centre for retail, office and other commercial developments. This indicator will normally only be available for the larger town centres and should be used with care as investor confidence can be influenced by a number of extraneous factors unrelated to a particular centre and for many smaller centres there are in any event only a limited number of investment attractions from which conclusions can be drawn. Pedestrian flows:XV. the numbers and movement of people on the streets, in different parts of the centre at different times of the day and evening, who are available for businesses to attract into shops, restaurants, or other facilities. To be effective this indicator should be monitored regularly as it is the relative values (rather than absolutes) which are important together with clear evidence of changes over time. This can be done as a comprehensive survey during a typical shopping day or it can be carried out as a sample survey of people on the streets, in different parts of the city/town/urban area. The counts measure footfall, which can contribute to the identification of the street hierarchy. These indicators should be collected and monitored regularly for the main centres in the retail hierarchy in order to provide baseline and time-series information on the health of centres and allow comparison between centres. The private sector should cooperate with the planning authorities in collecting data. The indicators will also provide the necessary context for considering the implications of retail impact assessments. In many instances it may be difficult to obtain all the vitality and viability health check indicators, especially for local authorities with limited staff resources. Where priorities on data collection have to be established, emphasis should be given to indicators (i)- (viii), especially in the smaller town centres. The analysis of these health check indicators can also be used directly or to inform the preparation of a city or town centre strategy.
- 59 A 2.4 City/Town Centre Strategies A city or town strategy provides a detailed framework which enables the co-ordination of ongoing programmes, projects, and initiatives within the central area. Positive action to promote change may include the identification of development opportunities, site assembly, better access for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians, and environmental improvements, including improving the attractiveness of townscape and public realm. Such strategies will often incorporate the outcome of the health check appraisal of the relevant areas, indicating both areas of weakness and opportunity. The following matters should form part of a strategy: availing of development opportunities and the need to promote land and siteassembly. Renewal opportunities may also arise where underused property and land might be brought back into more productive use through joint action, using Section 212 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended or through other initiatives. Improved town centre management could also help in the co-ordination and implementation of a range of activities in support of the strategy; encouraging a diversity of uses in the town centre throughout the day andevening; ensuring accessibility by a range of transport types, including reviewing the carparking strategy; creating an attractive and safe town centre for pedestrians; andundertaking effective management and promotion of the town centre.- Such a strategy will generally contain: a profile of the city or town centre, which will identify the essential qualitiesof the centre and seek to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the community it serves by consolidating and building on its existing strengths; a ‘visioning’ statement, where a shared vision is drawn up and a strategy andaction plan for the centre are then prepared to implement the statement; implementation proposals, which can range from the strategic to the specific,- indicating responsibilities and delivery timetables; and provisions for monitoring and review, to ensure that the appropriate actions arebeing progressed and that changing circumstances are considered. The city/town centre strategy will generally be prepared by the planning authority in liaison with stakeholders such as retailers, customers, chambers of commerce, and community groups. This liaison should continue through the various stages of the implementation of the centre strategy. While the strategy can be done at any time it is probably best done either in parallel with the development plan process or just before the process begins so that it can inform the policies and objectives of the development plan, if resources permit. A 2.5 Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) Planning authorities may wish to consider using BIDs. Originating in Toronto, BIDs are now in operation in many cities and towns throughout Canada, the US and the EU. Legislation10 was introduced in Ireland in 2006 to allow for the operation of BIDs. 10 Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Act 2006 (No. 42 of 2006) and Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Act 2006 (Commencement) Order 2007 (S.I. 165 of 2007)
- 60 A BID scheme is an organisational and financing mechanism through which businesses can develop and implement initiatives in defined areas to improve those areas for the betterment of the trading environment. A group of businesses in a particular area come together and decide firstly that they want enhanced services or a wider range of services or new facilities or activities in their particular area, the businesses then decide that they are willing to pay for such services, facilities or activities and form a BID company with the local authority. The benefits of the BID process are that the planning authority and the businesses of the BID area work together, with clear objectives of delivering significant positive impacts on the economic vitality and viability of the city or towns. 11Examples of what can be achieved are rapid response cleaning services12, or retail and marketing initiatives13. The planning authority has the ultimate say in whether a BID proposal will go ahead and, in particular, it must ensure that the interests of the local community are protected. The commercial property owners/tenants who are ratepayers elect through a local plebiscite to make a collective financial contribution for the provision of additional services used for the maintenance, development and promotion of their business or retail district. Once approved by the Council, following a successful plebiscite, a specially established BID company will have responsibility for implementing the provisions of the BID scheme, with the local authority playing a key role in any such company. Currently, there are two BID schemes operating in Ireland, one in Dublin14 and one in Dundalk15. Although there is a difference in the range and scope of the work of the two BIDS, they give a practical and focused approach to developing the BID area. 11 See Chambers Ireland Business Improvement District Tool Kit 2007 as a helpful step by step guide. 12 Dublin City BID has a rapid response cleaning service to ensure that any dangerous or unsanitary waste is removed from the BID area within one hour of it being reported. 13 Dundalk BID has launched the Nice One Brand- Dundalk Nice One Gift Card which can be used in the shops of Dundalk 14 www.dublincitybid.ie 15 www.dundalktccm.ie
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- 62 A 3.1 Introduction This Annex provides guidance on the way in which relevant planning authorities, and in some cases regional authorities, as useful partners, should work together in preparing joint or multiauthority retail strategies, including assessment of retail market demand and the need for additional retail development: A 3.2 Purpose of Joint or Multi-Authority Retail Strategies The previous guidelines improved the way in which local authority development plans addressed retail planning issues through their incorporation of retail strategies and sometimes on a joint basis. In some cases, planning authorities collaborated in developing regional retail strategies, for example in the case of the Greater Dublin Area. However, outside of some of the larger metropolitan areas, retail strategies have been mainly developed for the administrative area of individual planning authorities. The focus on city or county council area-based estimates of future retail floorspace provision has tended to work against more joined-up assessments of retail development and activity based on the retail catchments around the main centres of population. Accordingly, these guidelines recommend that retail strategies be prepared on a joint authority or multi-authority basis for the gateway cities (and their catchments) identified in Table 1. The approach is advised for other urban areas as well where retail catchments and administrative boundaries do not match. The purpose of such joint or multi-authority retail strategies is to encourage a more holistic approach to planning for the retail sector based on the dynamics of the retail catchments around cities and large towns and to plan on that basis rather than a piecemeal planning authority by planning authority basis. A 3.3 Content of Joint or Multi-Authority Retail Strategies The policy and objectives of the above strategies will be incorporated into the development plans by way of variation or as part of the development plan review process of the relevant planning authorities and should contain: Details of the retail catchment covered by the strategy, including the basis upon which1. it was decided (which will be informed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the catchments for both convenience and comparison goods, travel patterns, and other relevant data); An overall analysis of the retail sector in the relevant area, including the retail hierarchy,2. level of retail floorspace, extant but undeveloped permissions, vacant premises, vitality of retail centres and related planning and other policy objectives relevant to the retail sector; High level objectives for the retail sector; and3. A quantification of the broad extent of future retail floorspace requirements in relation to4. both convenience and comparison retailing both for the overall area of the strategy and the retail hierarchy, as set out earlier. Once the joint or multi-authority retail strategy is in place, this strategy will enable relevant planning authorities to properly inform their development plan review processes about the overall quantum and type of development that the market is likely to bring forward in response to changing demographic and consumer spending factors. Annex 3 Preparation of Joint or Multi- Authority Retail Strategies
- 63 Provision should also be made for consultation with the elected members, wider public, relevant stakeholders, and retailers and business interests in developing joint or multi-authority retail strategies. Strategies developed in this way will deliver better certainty and clarity and assist the development of a dynamic retail sector in tandem with achievement of long-term planning objectives such as the implementation of the NSS and sustainable urban development patterns. A 3.4 Timing of Preparation The joint or multi-authority retail strategies for urban areas identified in the guidelines must be prepared or reviewed as appropriate to inform each relevant development plan review process. A 3.5 Incorporation of Retail Strategies into Development Plans and Local Area Plans The preparation of joint or multi-authority retail strategies is a requirement for relevant planning authorities of these guidelines. In order to ensure that such strategies shape development planning policy and development management practice, the conclusions and key recommendations of such strategies must be incorporated into the relevant statutory development plans. Given the cyclical review process that development plans follow every six years, it is best practice that an up to date strategy has been prepared to inform the development plan review process. In turn, this may require some co-ordination between different planning authorities in the areas to be covered by a joint or multi-authority retail strategy to identify the best opportunity to prepare the strategy in order to inform development plan reviews of different authorities happening at different times.
- 64 A 4.1 Introduction This Annex provides guidance on the way in which planning authorities involved in preparing joint or multi-authority retail strategies should: Assess the level of existing retail floorspace;1. Determine future demand; and2. Carry out projections of needs for additional retail floorspace.3. Addressing the matters above through joint or multi-authority retail strategies is very important to enable the plan preparation process to be properly informed about the quantum and type of development. The Department intends to conduct and conclude further research on essential information to determine the parameters above and building into a simplified and robust methodology for estimating future retail floorspace requirements. The simplified approach being developed by the Department envisages retail strategies estimating floorspace requirements on the basis of applying certain nationally determined ratios of existing or known floorspace provision per head of population to expected population change identified in the various regional planning guidelines and development plan core strategies. The resultant calculations would indicate the broad quantum of required additional floorspace and for subsequent breakdown into the various convenience, comparison and bulky goods sectors. However, until that methodology is finalised, this annex should be consulted and followed. A 4.2 Existing Retail Floorspace The starting point for any assessment of additional requirements is to measure both the health of retail centres in accordance with the principles set out in Annex 2, and to measure the existing quantum of floorspace. While the last comprehensive survey of shopping floorspace in Ireland was the 1988 Census of Services, a repeat of the Census of Services is not anticipated. It is therefore necessary for joint or multi-authority retail strategies to update the information on retail floorspace using local information. This can be obtained either by checking the planning register to estimate the extent of new development and changes of use and demolitions or given the significant changes which have occurred in retailing a special retail floorspace survey may be required in order to provide the proper evidence base to underpin the strategy. Annex 4 Assessment of Retail Floorspace Requirements
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