Retail Planning. Planning Guidelines

Transcription

1 22 Draft Guidelines for Planning Authorities Retail Planning DRAFT FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION November 2011

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3 Contents Minister s Foreword Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Introduction Aim of the Guidelines Status of the Guidelines Importance of Retailing Trends in Retail Development The Retail Hierarchy Importance of Strong City and Town Centres National Policy on Retail Caps National Policy Context Introduction The National Spatial Strategy Development Plan Guidelines The National Climate Change Strategy Smarter Travel A New Transport Policy for Ireland Spatial Planning and National Roads A Plan-Led Retail Policy Framework Introduction Policy Objectives Plan-Led Development Securing City and Town Centre Vitality Planning and Delivering a Competitive Retail Sector Encouraging Sustainable Travel Retail Development and Urban Design

4 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Annexes Annex I Annex II Annex III Annex IV Annex V Retailing and Forward Planning Introduction Regional and Retailing Joint or Multi-Authority Retail Strategies Retail Floorspace Assessment Development Plans and Retailing Retailing and Development Management Introduction Pre-Application Consultations Design Issues Sequential Approach for the Location of Retail Development Edge-of-Centre Retailing Out-of-Centre Retailing Impact on Vitality and Viability of City and Town Centres Retail Impact Assessment Historic Centres Traffic and Transport Assessment Assessing New Developments Types of Retail Development Design Quality Introduction Best Practice Manual Forward Planning and Quality Design Development Management and Quality Design Glossary of Terms Assessing the Vitality and Viability of City and Town Centres Preparation of Joint or Multi-Authority Retail Strategies Assessment of Additional Retail and Commercial Leisure Floorspace Requirements Assessment of Retail Impact

5 Minister s Foreword The retail sector is an essential part of the Irish economy and a strong retail sector is a key element of the vitality and competitiveness of cities, towns and villages throughout the country as well as the country as a whole. It is very important that the planning process provides a clear framework for the continued development of the retail sector in a way that provides certainty for retailers and communities in the relevant policy framework, in the assessment of development proposals, in ensuring good vitality of the places retailing activity takes place within and ultimately in ensuring competitiveness, nationally, regionally and locally. Ireland has undergone profound changes in recent years and faces continued challenges in the years ahead as we rebuild our economy and society. While many of our cities and towns witnessed major investment in and upgrading of key central retail areas, there has also been a proliferation of retailing in some locations where there has been poor demand, unaligned with existing transport links and/ or adverse impacts on the vitality of nearby city and town centres. Experience also indicates that a strong and competitive retail sector demands a proactive approach in planning, listening carefully to the messages from both the retail sector and communities and responding appropriately in managing and reshaping our cities and towns in response. How we approach the retail sector into the future from a planning perspective must learn from this context. Therefore, planning for the retail sector must now be more focused on: the creation of vibrant, quality places, accessible by sustainable transport including for pedestrians and cyclists and within which retailing is an important activity; demonstrating clear evidence of need in identifying strategic requirements; planning for retail catchments that invariably straddle and transcend administrative boundaries; usage of clear and concise definitions and methodologies; and

6 general presumption against large retail centres located adjacent or close to existing, new or planned national roads / motorways. That is why I have developed these draft planning guidelines for public consultation and I am seeking the views of the public on the approaches contained within the document including: 1) the revised retail floorspace caps and their implementation; 2) the requirement for joint or multi-authority retail strategies and the methodologies for their delivery; 3) the proposed methodology for estimating retail floorspace requirements; and 4) the various revised definitions and guidance on more specific aspects of retailing contained within this document. After the public consultation period, the submissions received will be closely analysed by my Department and any changes necessary will be made before a finalised version of the guidelines issue in early Phil Hogan, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

7 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Aim of the Guidelines These draft Retail provide a comprehensive policy and practice framework to guide: a) b) c) d) regional authorities in preparing retail policy objectives in regional planning guidelines; planning authorities in preparing and implementing development plans; planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála in assessing planning applications or planning appeals; and retailers and developers in preparing development proposals. The draft Retail have a number of fundamental objectives: to protect, support and promote the continuing role of city and town centres; facilitating a competitive and healthy environment for the retail industry sector; preparing joint or multi-authority retail strategies; ensuring that all development plans incorporate clear policies and proposals for retail development; and promoting forms of development which are easily accessible particularly by public transport and located in such a manner as to encourage multi-purpose shopping, business and leisure trips. These draft Guidelines replace those issued in 2005, and take into account the recommendations of the Forfás Study 1 (April 2011) on the economic impact of eliminating the cap on the size of retail premises; this Study was required under the terms of the EU-IMF programme for Financial Support for Ireland in The draft Guidelines also benefit from the submissions received in response to a retail planning Issues Paper published by the Department in Review of the Economic Impact of the Retail Cap Forás (April 2011), Report prepared for the Departments of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, and Environment, Community and Local Government.

8 2 The finalised statutory Guidelines will be accompanied by a non-statutory Best Practice Manual which is intended to assist both planning authorities and prospective applicants in relation to design issues and retailing. 1.2 Status of the Guidelines The Guidelines are being issued as a consultation draft in the first instance. Following a review of submissions received during the public consultation, they will be finalised and issued as Ministerial Guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). Pending finalisation of the draft Guidelines, planning authorities should take account of the principles and practices outlined herein both, in their forward planning and development management policies and practice, and in particular should begin to apply the revised retail caps. It should also be noted that Section 28 has been amended by the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 whereby a planning authority must demonstrate how it has implemented the policies and objectives of the Minister contained in Section 28 Guidelines in their development plans; and where a planning authority forms the opinion that it is not possible to implement these policies and objectives, it must give reasons for the forming of the opinion and why these have not been implemented. Where the Minister is not satisfied with the position adopted by a planning authority, e.g. where a planning authority fails to participate in the preparation of joint or multi-authority retail strategies as advocated in these draft Guidelines or fails to apply the principles and policies outlined herein, the Minister will consider further steps to ensure implementation, including the issuing of a Ministerial Policy Directive under Section 29 of the Planning Acts to require, inter alia, the mandatory preparation of those multi-authority retail strategies cited in Table 4.1. In this regard, the implementation of these Guidelines will be closely monitored and the emerging evidence-base will determine subsequent actions to be taken, where necessary, to ensure full implementation of the policies and objective in these Guidelines.

9 3 1.3 Importance of Retailing Employment in the combined retail and wholesale sector in 2010 was estimated by the Central Statistics Office at almost 270,000, or 14.7% of people employed in the State. Apart from the direct and indirect employment generated by the retail sector, it plays a major role in attracting people to the centre of cities, towns and villages, thus contributing to the overall economic vitality of those centres and supporting their role as centres of social and business interaction in the community. It is important therefore that urban centres, which also tend to be at the hub of public transport services, retain retailing as a core function. Smaller towns and villages serve their surrounding rural areas by providing a range of facilities and services. Retailing also supports the considerable investment by the public and private sectors in urban renewal, by providing shopping facilities to residents and by adding to the vitality and attractiveness of inner areas of cities and towns. 1.4 Trends in Retail Development The decade since Retail Guidelines were first issued in 2001 has witnessed major changes in the nature and scale of retailing in Ireland, mainly driven by economic developments but also by changes within the industry itself. Among these trends: The domestic economy grew strongly till 2007, fuelling a similar growth in consumer spending. This in turn led to a rapid increase in the amount of retail floorspace, especially in shopping centres and retail parks. The number of grocery units increased by 798 stores between 2004 and All categories of grocery units including hypermarkets, supermarkets and local convenience stores increased during this period. The number of non-grocery stores in the key retail categories (clothing and footwear, furniture and furnishings, DIY, Forecourts and electronics) declined by 13.6 per cent between 2004 and 2009 to 8,236 stores. Between 2001 and 2011, there was a total increase of 86 per cent in the number of outlets operated by largest grocery firms in Ireland. This amounted to an increase of 300 outlets since 2001 to 649 outlets in 2011.

10 4 Store Size The most recent published data for average store size by grocery retail is from the Competition Authority 2. Over the period 2001 to 2007, floorspace devoted to the retailing of groceries increased from 471,508 square metres to 835,647 square metres. 7,000 Figure 1: Average Grocery Store Size in Ireland by Format, 2009 Average Size in Square Meters 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Hypermarkets Supermarkets Grocery Discounters Source: Euromonitor, 2010 The above chart, taken from the Forfás Study (April 2011), shows the average size of grocery units by format in Ireland. The average size of grocery units (including hypermarkets, supermarkets and discount stores) in Ireland was 1,515 square metres in 2009, a decrease of 2.2 per cent since The average size of supermarkets in 2009 was 1,701 square metres; this is an increase of 3.7 per cent since The average size of discount stores in 2009 was 718 square metres, a decrease of 8.4 per cent since According to Euromonitor, between 2004 and 2009, the number of hypermarkets (units in excess of 5,000 square metres) increased from one to 10. The average size of hypermarkets in 2009 was 5,600 square metres (a decrease of 6.7 per cent since 2004). 2 Review of the Economic Impact of the Retail Cap Forás (April 2011), Report prepared for the Departments of Enterprise, Jobs and Innovation, and Environment, Community and Local Government.

11 5 Many of the grocery outlets belonging to independent retailers which closed were relatively small, whereas some of the major operators expanded both the number and size of their outlets. Entrants to the Irish market, over this period, showed the greatest growth rates in terms of the number of new outlets. Figure 2: Market Share of Grocery Retailers in Ireland, 2011 Other Multiples, 1.8% Aldi, 3.6% Lidl, 5.5% Superquinn, 6.4% Other Symbols, 5.1% Supervalu, 20.2% Others, 5.0% Source: Kantar World Panel, 2011 Asda and Sainsburys, 1.7% Tesco, 27.3% Dunnes, 23.3% Tesco has the largest share of the Irish retail market followed by Dunnes Stores and Supervalu. These three retailers account for 70.8 per cent of the Irish retail market. Superquinn, Lidl and Aldi have a combined share of 15.5 per cent of the grocery market. This is 4.7 per cent less than Supervalu, the third largest retailer s share of the market. A number of new entrants have entered the Irish grocery retail market in recent years and continue to grown their market share (Lidl 5.5 per cent and Aldi 3.6 per cent). ASDA and Sainsbury s have a combined share of 1.7 per cent of the Irish market, benefiting from cross-border shopping trade, although neither retailer have a physical presence in the State.

12 6 Internet Shopping Although there is a lack of robust ecommerce data in relation to Ireland, it is clear that the proportion of sales made over the internet and mobile phones is increasing. While this trend has impacted on certain retail sectors particularly music shops more than others, the experience in other countries would suggest that for most retailers, a combination of traditional and online outlets works best. In Ireland, evidence of this is to be found in both larger grocery stores and in catalogue-based shops, where customers can order online and have the goods delivered to their home or collected at a specific location. 1.5 The Retail Hierarchy The retail hierarchy reflects the settlement pattern of the State, including the various Gateway and Hub town locations identified in the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) Generally speaking, retail functions reflect four broad tiers of urban development; these are Metropolitan, Regional, Sub- Regional, and Small Towns and Rural Areas. The classification is indicative and the specific retail functions provided by each tier overlap in many respects; below Dublin, there are no clearly defined cut-off points between levels of the hierarchy. Metropolitan Metropolitan Dublin, Ireland s largest Gateway, supplies retail functions of a specialist nature not found elsewhere in the State, as well as providing the broadest range of comparison goods shopping. The other large Gateway cities of Cork, Limerick/Shannon, Galway and Waterford provide a range of high-order comparison shopping which is largely unmatched in smaller cities and towns. Regional Beyond Ireland s five main cities, a tier of other Gateway, Hub Town and other town locations perform important regional retailing functions including: The Midlands Gateway towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar; The Border Region Gateways of Sligo, Dundalk and Letterkenny;

13 7 The Hub towns of Ballina/Castlebar, Cavan, Ennis, Kilkenny, Mallow, Monaghan, Tralee/Killarney, Tuam and Wexford; and Other large towns such as Clonmel, Drogheda, Newbridge and Portlaoise. Sub-Regional Beyond the Dublin and regional retailing destinations other important towns such as Arklow, Athy, Carlow, Dungarvan, Enniscorthy, Longford, Midleton, Naas, Navan, Nenagh, New Ross, Swords and Thurles perform important sub-regional retailing functions including the major national retailing chains. Small Towns and Rural Areas The fourth tier of the hierarchy comprises a large number of small towns in the 1,500 to 5,000 population category. There are about 75 in all, most of which provide basic convenience shopping, either in small supermarkets or convenience shops and in some cases, also provide comparison shopping e.g. small scale hardware, retail pharmacies and clothes shops. Shopping at the most local level is provided by a mixture of neighbourhood shops in suburban areas and village stores/ post-offices in rural areas. In addition, another sector in the Irish retail market is the casual trading sector, including farmers markets. They are located throughout Ireland in both small and large towns and are a tourist attraction and an alternative to normal retail formats and also present an opportunity for farmers to sell their produce at good value and directly to customers, thus providing access to fresh locally grown, often organic, produce. 1.6 Importance of Strong City and Town Centres City and town centres provide a broad range of facilities and services and act as a focus for regions and areas alike, including rural areas. Given the importance of the need to strengthen the role of city / town centres, these draft Guidelines, and the forthcoming companion Best Practice Manual, offer practical advice not only in relation to retailing but also on improving their vitality and viability. In particular,

14 8 the vitality and viability of NSS Gateway and Hub centres is critically important in supporting the economy and attractiveness of their surrounding regions and sub-regions. City and town centres have evolved over a considerable period of time as the focus for a range of commercial and community activities, resulting in a mix of often interdependent land uses which contribute to a sense of place and identity. City and town centres derive their strength from a combination of natural and other features: historic buildings, cultural, civic and governmental buildings, as well as public spaces. This physical form and mix of functions makes a city or town centre different from a shopping centre and provides much of its character. This character can be further enhanced by introducing appropriate new uses into historic buildings. The city and town centres also have a high level of accessibility to employment, services, and facilities for all the community as such centres are key destinations for public transport systems. The development of major shopping centres within city and town centre areas has contributed very positively to the vitality of these areas and has been a major success of previous planning policy. Shopping centres developed within the environs of major cities and towns can perform important functions as district centres, serving the retailing needs of local catchments for example, but should not be promoted to a scale of development that would act as urban centre destinations in their own right or where this would undermine the vitality of the central area of the city or town in which it is located. Similarly there should be a presumption against out-of-town retail centres which have the potential to impact negatively on the vitality and viability of the core areas of cities and towns and which could generate significant additional traffic with potential to impact on the national road network and the performance of junctions and interchanges. See the draft Guidelines on Spatial Planning and National Roads Policy 3 (Chapter 2) for further guidance in regard to retail development in the context of policy on national roads. 3 Available from

15 9 1.7 National Policy on Retail Caps Retail Floorspace Caps under the 2005 Guidelines Under the Retail (2005), a number of retail floorspace caps are in place as follows: Convenience or grocery retail has a two-tier floorspace cap of: 3,500 square metres within the Greater Dublin Area (i.e. the four Dublin local authorities as well as counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow); and 3,000 square metres in the remainder of the State; Retail warehouse has a floorspace cap of 6,000 square metres which applies in all areas except those locations within the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) gateway cities/ towns covered by Integrated Area Plans under the Urban Renewal Act 1998; and Petrol filling station shops have a floorspace cap of 100 square metres irrespective of location. Forfás Economic Impact Study on Retail Caps One of the requirements of the EU-IMF Programme for Financial Support for Ireland in 2010 was that the Government would: agree with European Commission Services a time-bound action plan to implement the recommendations of the study on the economic impact of eliminating the cap on the size of retail premises with a view to enhancing competition and lowering prices for consumers The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation commissioned Forfás to undertake an evidencebased and focused study to analyse the potential economic impacts of eliminating the cap on the size of retail premises. Forfás presented its report on the Review of the Economic Impact of the Retail Cap (April 2011) to both Departments. The report is being published along with these draft Guidelines.

16 10 Arising from consideration of this analysis, in consultation with the Commission Services, the main changes proposed to the caps are as follows: The regional differentiation in the convenience goods cap has been expanded because the market can accommodate a more diverse range of store sizes in the five main NSS Gateway cities (Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick/ Shannon and Galway). This will ensure that potential economies of scale can be realised by retailers without limiting competition (see New Retail Floorspace Caps below). 4 As Integrated Area Plans no longer exist, qualitative planning criteria will determine how exemptions to the cap on large retail warehouses in those five Gateway cities will be implemented (see Section 5.15 concerning the exception provision for certain types of large-scale retail warehouses). Other policy changes relating to retail competitiveness included in these draft Guidelines are: When the issue of trade diversion is being considered in the assessment of a proposed retail development, planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála should assess the likelihood of any adverse impacts on the vitality and viability of the city or town centre as a whole, and not on existing traders. Planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála should balance quantitative estimates of future demand for retail floorspace, when assessing applications for new or expanded retail development with considerations in regard to vibrancy, choice, vitality and other qualitative issues. No distinction is being made in the draft Retail Guidelines between retailers based on their pricing policies. The distinction therefore between discount stores and other convenience goods stores will no longer apply. 4 IAPs were provided for under the Urban Renewal Scheme 1999 and represented a targeted approach to the awarding of urban renewal tax incentives.

17 11 New Retail Floorspace Caps Taking account of the Forfás study s analysis and findings, having regard to the changed circumstances and market conditions over the past ten years since the last retail economic study 5 and within the context of the broader retail planning policies set out herein, these draft Guidelines amend, rather than eliminate, the current cap restrictions as follows: Convenience retail floorspace cap is now set across three tiers of: 4,000 square metres in the four Dublin local authority areas (i.e. Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils and Dublin City Council); 3,500 square metres in the four other main cities of Cork, Limerick/Shannon, Galway and Waterford; 3,000 square metres in the remainder of the State (i.e. those areas outside of the four Dublin local authority areas, and the cities of Cork, Limerick/ Shannon, Galway and Waterford; Retail warehouse floorspace cap is maintained at 6,000 square metres and with specific criteria to allow for an exemption from this floorspace cap in city and town centre areas in the five main National Spatial Strategy gateway cities; and Petrol filling station shops floorspace cap is maintained at 100 square metres irrespective of location. 5 Goodbody Economic Consultants, The Impact of the Draft Retail on the Retail Sector Report submitted to the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government (December, 2000)

18 12 Chapter 2 National Policy Context Key Messages The National Policy context, in particular the NSS, should be taken into account when preparing retail strategies and / or assessing retail development. Retail development, when planned effectively and integrated with other considerations such as transport, can make a substantial contribution to the implementation of other relevant Government policies in relation to sustainable travel and climate change. 2.1 Introduction This chapter summarises a range of overarching national policies which are relevant in framing and implementing retail planning policies at regional and local level. The overall aim of the planning system is to secure, in the interests of the common good, the proper planning and sustainable development of areas, whether urban or rural. 2.2 The National Spatial Strategy The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is Ireland s overarching spatial planning framework and through its focus on economic, social and environmental issues and on the interlinkages between them, is a key policy instrument in the pursuit of proper planning and sustainable development. The NSS is focused on enabling strategic locations, such as the Gateways and Hub towns, to develop and act as drivers for their catchment areas and wider regions. Co-ordinated development within and around these locations is an essential step in enabling the Gateways and Hubs to perform their national and regional development roles. Retail development can play a key role in supporting the sustainable growth of these strategic locations. 2.3 Development Plan Guidelines Guidelines on Development Plan preparation were published

19 13 by DEHLG in The making and implementation of the development plan is the opportunity for planning authorities to ensure that new development is promoted and structured in a way that achieves high standards, in terms of architectural quality and urban design and in the development of a high quality public realm and compact towns and cities. Regard should be had to the advice in the Guidelines when preparing policies and objectives in regard to retailing in the development plan. 2.4 The National Climate Change Strategy The National Climate Change Strategy sets out the measures required to enable Ireland to meet its share of the EU s commitments under the Kyoto Protocol in stabilising and reducing man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The Strategy contends that it is imperative to decouple the growth in emissions from economic growth, particularly in the transport sector. In this regard, it recommends a broad mix of measures aimed at achieving a modal shift to public transport, walking and cycling, as well as increased efficiency in both personal and freight transport. These policy aims correlate closely with the retail policy objective of promoting greater vitality in city and town centres through the sequential approach to retail development. 2.5 Smarter Travel A New Transport Policy for Ireland Smarter Travel, A Sustainable Transport Future, is the transport policy for Ireland for the period The policy recognises the vital importance of continued investment in transport to ensure an efficient economy and continued social development, but it also sets out the necessary steps to ensure that people choose more sustainable transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport. The policy is a response to the fact that continued growth in demand for road transport is not sustainable as it will lead to further congestion, further 6 Regard should also be had to the forthcoming draft Guidelines on Local Area Plans which will be published shortly for public consultation.

20 14 local air pollution, contribute to global warming, and result in negative impacts to health through promoting increasingly sedentary lifestyles. The aim of the Smarter Travel document is that by 2020, future population and economic growth will have to take place predominantly in sustainable, compact urban and rural areas which discourage dispersed development and long commuting. Key targets for the transport sector by 2020 include: maintaining total vehicle kilometres at current levels; reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector to 2005 levels; reduction of work trips by car from 65% to 55%; and 10% of all trips to be by bicycle. Planning for and assessment of retail proposals has a key role to play in meeting the targets above by favouring sites in city and town centres, the redevelopment of existing retailing centres, and promotion of locations that will contribute to the development of compact urban areas and optimal accessibility by sustainable travel modes, including public transport, walking and cycling. In particular, planning authorities should, as part of their wider retail policies: Integrate the needs of the retail sector into their traffic management strategies in a way that will facilitate the development of strong retailing functions in city and town centres; Work with public transport operators to improve accessibility of city and town centres; Meet the access and mobility needs of disabled people; and Improve access and safety for cyclists and pedestrian visitors through the introduction of cycle routes, pedestrianised streets and park and walk schemes as well as careful appraisal of the safety aspects of new development proposals for vulnerable road users. Smarter Travel also recommended a general restriction of the future development of out-of-town retail centres, except in exceptional circumstances. Further information on Smarter Travel can be found at

21 Spatial Planning and National Roads Draft Guidelines on Spatial Planning and National Roads were published in 2010 for consultation. A final version of these draft Guidelines will be published later in 2011, taking account of the consideration of issues raised by the public consultation. The draft Guidelines are aimed at ensuring the careful management of development in and around national roads in a manner that supports the proper planning and sustainable development of those areas and the protection of the capacity and the State s investment in the national road network. The focus of the draft Guidelines is not to prevent investment and development at locations on or in the vicinity of national roads rather that development is guided to the most appropriate locations, and that early dialogue and collaborative engagement between planning authorities and the NRA takes place at the plan making stage. The draft Guidelines broadly outline that, outside areas defined by the relevant development plans and local area plans as city and town centre areas, there should be a general presumption against large retail centres located adjacent or close to existing, new or planned national roads/ motorways. Such centres can lead to an inefficient use of costly and valuable infrastructure and may have the potential to undermine the strategic traffic and transport role of the roads concerned. The draft Guidelines also focus on planning issues in and around major interchanges on the national road network. Interchanges are especially important elements of national road infrastructure that development plans and local area plans must take account of and carefully manage. The draft Guidelines on Spatial Planning and National Roads require planning authorities to exercise particular care in preparing development plans and local area plans and in assessing development proposals where such development could generate significant additional traffic with potential to impact on the national road network and the performance of junctions and interchanges. Planning authorities must ensure that such development can be catered for by the design assumptions, underpinning such junctions and interchanges

22 16 and avoid compromising the capacity and efficiency of the national road / associated interchanges, which could lead to a premature and unacceptable reduction in the level of service available to road users. It should also be noted that the Roads Act 1993, as amended, prohibits the granting of planning permission for any development of land entailing direct access to / from motorways.

23 17 Chapter 3 A Plan-led Retail Policy Framework Key Messages Retail development should be plan-led, including the identification of retail requirements and appropriate planning policies and objectives, and the implementation of city and town centre management strategies aimed at securing development plan objectives. The planning system should focus on promoting and supporting the vitality and viability of city and town centres in facilitating the requirements of the retail sector. The planning system should play a key role in ensuring competitiveness in the retail sector, particularly through city / town centre management strategies and active land management approaches aimed at new market entrants, encouraging necessary development in suitable locations, and advancing choice of retail outlets for the consumer. The planning system should promote forms of retail development that in themselves will encourage greater use of sustainable transport modes including public transport, cycling and walking in accordance with the Smarter Travel strategy. Retail development has a key role in delivering quality 3.1 Introduction in the built environment by contributing to a high standard of urban design. Taking account of the national policy context for retail planning, this chapter identifies a number of strategic retail policy objectives that planning authorities should utilise in guiding their development planning and development management functions. 3.2 Policy Objectives There are five key policy objectives to be progressed by planning authorities in planning for and addressing the

24 18 development requirements of the retail sector. These objectives are: Ensuring that development is plan-led; Promoting and securing the vitality of city and town centres; Securing competitiveness in the retail sector by enabling development to come forward in suitable locations; Facilitating a shift towards sustainable travel through care in the location of retail development; and Delivering quality urban design outcomes. 3.3 Plan-led Development The first national policy objective is for the planning system to secure plan-led development in addressing the needs of the retail sector. Locations that have strong retail functions and a high quality shopping environment in Ireland and abroad are the outcomes of plans and strategies that have: anticipated the requirement for retail development in line with regional and other metropolitan strategies; and facilitated the development required in suitable locations, sometimes enabling the development of those locations through acquisition, assembly and resale of key sites, facilitating infrastructure and bringing the key infrastructure providers together. Therefore, all future retail development should be planled, including the identification of retail requirements and appropriate planning policies and objectives, and the implementation of city and town centre management strategies aimed at securing development plan objectives. Furthermore, a plan-led approach will also be underpinned and delivered through the co-operation by planning authorities in the preparation of joint or multi-planning authority retail strategies. Consequently, these draft Guidelines require the preparation of strategies, by relevant planning authorities, for the gateway cities identified in Chapter 4 (namely Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford, Limerick/Shannon and the Midlands).

25 19 Beyond these locations, it is a matter for the relevant planning authorities to consider, in addition to inclusion of policies and objectives in their development plans, the preparation of such retail strategies for towns and their environs particularly where they straddle planning authority areas. 3.4 Securing City and Town Centre Vitality The second national policy objective is to promote greater vitality in city and town centres, reinforcing public and private investment in these prime locations, countering the trend in recent years towards extensive suburban development and diminution of the role of central areas. The focus should be on supporting the role of city and town centres as focal points for social and business interaction in the community generally. In order to achieve this objective, these draft Guidelines endorse the messages of previous guidelines in promoting a sequential approach to retail development. In line with national policy guidance, this means that the preferred location for new retail development is within city and town centres. Following the sequential approach, if there are no development sites available within a city or town centre, then the next preference should be a location on the edge of the city or town centre. Only where the applicant can demonstrate, and the planning authority is satisfied, that there are no sites or potential sites within a city or town centre or on its edge, should out-of-centre development be considered. Typically in most city and town centres, there will be a number of options for re-use and regeneration and therefore scope to accommodate ongoing retailing requirements within the existing built fabric. However, potential areas for redevelopment may be in fragmented ownership or may require urban design or infrastructural interventions. There may also be other planning issues, including flood risk assessment and built heritage considerations. Addressing all of the above and other relevant planning considerations requires active management and intervention by planning authorities, working in partnership with the private and retail sectors.

26 20 Therefore, in order for city / town centres to achieve their full potential and continually improve as retail destinations, it will be appropriate and necessary for planning authorities to adopt a pro-active role in enhancing the vitality and viability of their centre(s). The concepts of vitality and viability are central to sustaining and enhancing town centres. Vitality is a measure of how active and buoyant an urban centre is, whilst viability refers to the commercial well-being of the city or town centre. In combination, they highlight the relative strength and success of the retail hierarchy. Vitality depends 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. Although no single indicator on its own can effectively measure the health of a town centre, the use of a series of them, described in Annex II, can provide a measure of performance and so offer a framework for assessing vitality and viability. Planning authorities, especially in areas with a well-developed hierarchy of retail centres, should assess objectively the relative strength of the main cities / towns in their area by carrying out a vitality and viability health check assessment of the performance of their retail areas. The outcomes of such health checks will inform planning authorities as to the steps necessary in relation to encouraging redevelopment or the emergence of new development options in city and town centres in line with the sequential approach. As part of this proactive approach to promoting city and town centres, the planning authority should also identify potential edge of town and out of town sites which may be considered if more suitable sites in city / town centre do not become available for whatever reason following application of the sequential approach. In this way the planning authority can guide development toward the most sequentially preferable of the edge / out of town sites. 3.5 Planning and Delivering a Competitive Retail Sector The third national policy objective is to ensure that the planning system plays its part in ensuring an effective range

27 21 of choice for the consumer, thereby promoting a competitive market place. Strong competition is essential to drive down retail costs and ensure that costs savings are passed on to retail customers in the form of lower prices. Competition also promotes innovation and productivity. The planning system should not be used to inhibit competition, preserve existing commercial interests or prevent innovation. In interpreting and implementing these draft Guidelines, planning authorities and the Board should avoid taking actions which would adversely affect competition in the retail market. In particular, when the issue of trade diversion is being considered in the assessment of a proposed retail development, planning authorities and the Board should assess the likelihood of any adverse impacts on the vitality and viability of the city or town centre as a whole, and not on existing traders. 3.6 Encouraging Sustainable Travel The fourth national policy objective relates to securing a general shift towards sustainable travel modes through careful location and design of new retail development relative to the catchment area being served. In particular, access to large retailing centres needs to be made as or more attractive to public transport, cycling and walking, as they are by private car by favouring locations that are more easily accessible by sustainable transport. In turn, as outlined further in Chapter 4, such city and town centre locations will require active land management interventions by local authorities to enable them to be available for (re)development. Maximising accessibility of retail developments with a particular emphasis on accessibility on foot, by bicycle and public transport as well as by private car will encourage multipurpose shopping, business and leisure trips on the same journey in line with the Government s Smarter Travel strategy. 3.7 Retail Development and Urban Design The fifth and final national policy objective is to ensure that retail development plays its part in realising quality outcomes

28 22 in relation to urban design. Quality design aims to create attractive, inclusive, durable, adaptable places for people to work in, to live in, to shop in, or pass through. Planning authorities should promote quality design in their development plan and/or retail strategies and then implement this through the development management process. This is of particular importance for retail development because of the dominant visual and use role it plays in a city, town or village streetscape. More detailed advice in relation to design issues is provided in Chapter 6, and will also be addressed in the forthcoming Best Practice Manual.

29 23 Chapter 4 Key Messages 4.1 Introduction Retailing and Forward Planning Joint or multi-authority retail strategies required by these guidelines will broadly identify the level and spatial distribution of future retail floorspace requirements for the National Spatial Strategy Gateways and their catchments. This will help to guide the preparation of the relevant city and county development plans and local area plans. Such joint or multi-authority retail strategies may also be prepared by other planning authorities for other towns and their environs where they straddle and transcend administrative boundaries. Such retail strategies will ensure a strategic context for development plans and local area plans, reflecting retail market realities rather than the constraints of local authority boundaries. Outside of the areas covered by joint or multi authority retail strategies, development plans should set out more general retail development objectives for other areas including rural areas. This chapter outlines the general approach to be adopted by planning authorities in their development planning functions as regards retail development. 4.2 Regional and Retailing The regional planning guidelines which support the implementation of the NSS should provide the strategic retail context for planning authorities. Through their policies and objectives they should give guidance to the planning authorities on the role and function of the retail sector within the different levels of the regional settlement hierarchy and also on other strategic matters including the importance of good design, connectivity, use of public transport etc. While it is not considered necessary that a retail strategy be prepared at the regional level, the regional authorities may be

30 24 useful partners in supporting the delivery of the joint or multiauthority retail strategies to be prepared by relevant planning authorities in accordance with the requirements and advice of these draft guidelines. 4.3 Joint or Multi-Authority Retail Strategies Retailing is a key issue for city and county development plans and some local area plans. Furthermore, Core Strategies provided for in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 demand new strategic thinking in identifying and integrating development needs in relation to housing, employment, retailing, community infrastructure and transport within a spatial framework that will deliver compact and sustainable development, in line with infrastructure availability and planned investment. The nature of the retail sector is such that, regardless of whether retailing is for convenience and comparison goods, the catchments for such activity transcend local authority boundaries (and in some cases the boundary with Northern Ireland). Accordingly, development plans and local area plans need to be informed by assessments of retail activity and demand needs which transcend such boundaries (see Annex III for further guidance on the preparation of joint or multi-authority retail strategies). Table 4.1 below identifies locations where these retail strategies should be prepared. Beyond the list of locations in the table below, it is a matter for the relevant planning authorities to consider the preparation of such retail strategies for other towns and their environs, particularly where they straddle planning authority areas.

31 25 Table 4.1 Locations where joint or multi-authority retail strategies should be prepared Area Planning Authorities Dublin City Council and Counties Fingal, Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown Greater Dublin Area and South Dublin, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow County Cork and Cork City Cork Council County Waterford, Waterford City Waterford Council, County Wexford and County Kilkenny County Galway and Galway City Galway Council County Limerick, County Clare Limerick/Shannon and Limerick City Council Athlone Town Council, Midlands Westmeath, Offaly and Roscommon County Councils In order to plan for future development, the central objectives of a joint or multi-authority retail strategy are to identify: 1) the broad requirement for additional development over the plan period in the relevant area; 2) the requirement by constituent planning authorities ; and 3) the appropriate retail hierarchy; and 4) the broad guidance as to location, taking account of the policy objectives outlined in Chapter Retail Floorspace Assessment The assessment of retail floorspace requirements should take account of both emerging trends in the retail market and general estimates of future demand, based on projected changes in the local population and consumer spending. Estimates of future retail requirements are only intended to provide broad guidance as to the additional quantum of convenience and comparison floorspace provision; they should not be treated in an overly prescriptive manner, nor should they serve to inhibit competition (see Annex IV).

32 26 Annex 3 of the 2005 Guidelines sets out current requirements in relation to assessment of additional floorspace requirements for retail planning purposes. These requirements are to continue during the consultation phase of these draft Guidelines. However, taking account of the observations received by the Department on foot of the public consultation of the Issues Paper (June 2010), a simplified methodology is proposed to ensure a strategic and resource efficient approach in estimating future retail floorspace requirements. In this regard, an outline framework for such an approach is set out in Annex IV. During the consultation phase, the Department will conduct additional research into the data availability to support a simplified approach for the locations to be covered by joint or multiauthority retail strategies, and the Department would welcome observations to assist finalisation of the approach. 4.5 Development Plans and Retailing Development plans should include the relevant objectives of any relevant joint or multi-authority retail strategies. The incorporation of the retail strategy into the relevant development plan will primarily relate to any relevant objectives concerning the quantum of development required in the area of the development plan and supplementary policies and objectives regarding the general location (name of city, town, district or major village centre) of new development. Where necessary and in order to achieve greater certainty, it will be necessary in such cases for the development plan to provide a broad indication of the general scale of development envisaged at various locations within the area of the planning authority as well as the precise boundaries of the core retail area of relevant city and town centres. Outside of the area of any such joint or multi-authority retail strategy, development plans should include more general statements of policy and objectives with regard to retail development. While there is no requirement to estimate detailed floorspace requirements for additional development, a broad assessment of requirements for additional development, reflecting the local evidence of market interest and the need to provide good opportunities for retail provision to serve the main population centres in the county, ought to be sufficient in order to formulate appropriate policies and criteria for dealing with new development proposals.