Spelthorne Borough Council


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8	Town Centres and Retail Development

	STRATEGY

	Summary

8.1	The strategy for town centres and retailing is to provide for the continued development of Staines as Spelthorne’s principal town centre, and maintaining the role of Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross as local centres and also maintaining the role of smaller centres and parades in serving their local neighbourhood.

	Relevant Objectives
	8.	To ensure provision is made for the needs of all sections of the community.
	9.	To ensure necessary infrastructure and services are provided.
	15.	To ensure development contributes to sustainable transport choices and reduces the need to travel.
	17.	To support the retention of sufficient well located employment land to enable the maintenance of the local economy and to support redevelopment of well located land to meet business needs.
	19.	To provide for the continued development of Staines as a focus for a mix of town centre uses including retail, leisure and employment and to improve access to the town centre.
	20.	To maintain the role of the centres of Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross in providing local services.
	21.	To encourage development of a sustainable transport system that supports the spatial strategy and provides for the needs of all sections of the community in an environmentally acceptable way and further improve Staines’ role as a public transport interchange.

	Explanation
8.2	Spelthorne’s town and local centres are the focus for a mix of activity, including retail, leisure, employment uses and housing. They are also a focus for public transport services and are thus relatively accessible locations for new development. Staines is the Borough’s main centre. Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross are smaller centres offering a range of shopping and related facilities to their communities but without the range of large stores in Staines. Spelthorne also has a series of smaller shopping parades providing local shopping facilities for the neighbourhoods they serve. The four largest of these are Clare Road, Stanwell, Stainash Parade, Kingston Road, Staines, The Avenue, Lower Sunbury and Staines Road West, Ashford.
8.3	Figure 2 summarises the hierarchy of town and local centres in Spelthorne.

	Figure 2 - Hierarchy of town centres in Spelthorne

	Note: Large freestanding stores are not included in the hierarchy of centres

8.4	The strategy aims to maintain the role of town and local centres as the focus for shopping. It particularly supports the further development of Staines town centre for retail and related facilities and also for employment development, to maintain and safeguard its role as the principal town centre serving north Surrey. It aims to maintain Staines’ position in relation to nearby centres such as Hounslow and Woking, without seeking to compete with larger regional centres like Guildford and Kingston.
8.5	The strategy seeks to maintain the role of Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross as local shopping centres and seeks opportunities for their improvement. This would include environmental enhancements and improving the quality of existing floorspace by supporting refurbishment and extensions. The role of smaller centres and parades will be maintained to serve their neighbourhood.
8.6	The strategy does not promote out of centre retailing. Government guidance states that town centres should be the focus for retail development. It sets out a sequential approach for promoting development for which a need is identified, with preference given to town centre, then edge of centre before out of centre locations. No need is seen to promote out of centre sites in Spelthorne.

	Strategic Policy SP4: Town Centres and Retail Development
	The Council will ensure that town centres and local centres remain the focus for retailing in the Borough.
	It will seek the continued improvement of Staines as the principal town centre serving north Surrey. It will make provision for further retailing and related services, and support employment development. Improvements in access to the town centre, particularly by non car-based modes will be encouraged.
	It will maintain the role of Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross as local shopping centres and seek opportunities for their improvement. It will also maintain the role of smaller parades in serving their local neighbourhood.

	DETAILED POLICIES

	Staines Town Centre
8.7	The Spelthorne Retail Study, 2004, showed there was scope for a further 17,000m2 of non food retail floorspace in Staines up to 2011, and a further 15,000m2 up to 2016, subject to further monitoring and provided the initial 17,000m2 development takes the form of a major scheme that enhances the overall attractiveness of Staines. The 2007 update to the study shows there is likely to be less scope for growth up to 2016 than shown in the previous study but with increasing capacity to 2026. Specifically it suggests there would be capacity for about 18,000m2 up to 2016, and scope to 2026 for further development up to and possibly beyond the 32,000m2 figure in Policy TC1, which is based on the 2004 Retail Study. Caution is required, however, in the use of very long term projections of retail floorspace and the figure in Policy TC1 is considered to be a robust indication of what the Council needs to plan for. There is no identified need to extend retail provision in the other centres in the Borough.
8.8	Development proposed in Staines is initially a partial redevelopment and extension of the Elmsleigh Centre to the south of 2,500m2 of additional retail floorspace (Phase 3). Earlier phases have also involved only a limited increase in floorspace. A site specific proposal is set out in the Allocations DPD but is also described in this document because of its strategic significance.
8.9	Phase 3 will be followed by a larger extension to the west (Phase 4) in the form of a comprehensive development including 18,000m2 of retailing. The westward extension offers a number of benefits:
	a)	it creates the opportunity for a further increase in shopping provision adding to choice for people in the catchment area,
	b)	it enables the Elmsleigh Centre to grow, consolidating and enhancing its attractiveness and helping maintain a balance between shopping provision north and south of the High Street,
	c)	it creates the opportunity for a link between the Elmsleigh Centre and the western end of the High Street (including Debenhams). Together with the completed Tilly’s Lane scheme it consolidates the position of this end of the High Street as part of the core shopping area and creates a circulation route linking to the north side of the High Street,
	d)	it makes effective use of a relatively under-used and unattractive site immediately adjoining the main part of the shopping centre.
8.10	Following the completion of these two schemes there is scope for further growth beyond 2016. Estimating growth beyond 2016 is particularly uncertain and needs to be assessed in a future retail study and the plan reviewed if additional provision is identified. Whilst no specific proposals for additional floorspace are being brought forward at this stage in an Allocations DPD, the Council recognises there is scope within Two Rivers for extensions or partial redevelopment to provide for extra floorspace.
8.11	Employment provision in existing town and other centres and any residential development is dealt with in the employment and housing sections of this plan.
8.12	To tackle problems of congestion in Staines town centre measures to improve traffic management will be encouraged and improvements in access by public transport and other alternatives to the car will be supported. The traffic effects of new development proposals in the town centre will be assessed and developments that may otherwise lead to traffic growth will be expected to contribute to improvements.
8.13	The Council has assessed the town centre car parking requirements. Its approach is to give priority to ensuring adequate provision for shoppers to support the town centre economy, while making more limited provision for long stay parking, where there is greater scope for a switch to other means of travel. Control of on-street parking in and around the town centre is necessary to ensure the policy is effective and to safeguard the environment for residents living in these areas.
8.14	Policy TC1 is supported by the Council’s joint working with partners to ensure effective town centre management.

	Policy TC1: Staines Town Centre
	The Council will maintain the role of Staines as the principal town centre serving north Surrey by encouraging developments that contribute to the vitality and viability of the centre and are of a scale and character appropriate to its role. In particular it will:
	a)	make provision for a further 32,000m2 of retail development to meet the needs of its catchment area,
	b)	encourage measures to improve traffic management in the town centre and to further improve accessibility by public transport and other non car-based modes, and if necessary will require such improvements in connection with major developments in the town centre,
	c)	manage its public car parks to give priority to meeting demand from shoppers and make more limited provision for long stay parking to support strategies to encourage other modes. It will also support measures to control on-street parking in the vicinity of the town centre,
	d)	continue to work with its partners to ensure the effective management of the town centre and will look for opportunities for further improvements to the town centre environment.

8.15	Policy TC2 seeks to manage changes of use in the Staines retail frontage. It relates to primary and secondary areas. In the primary area, which includes the pedestrianised High Street, the Elmsleigh Centre and Two Rivers the dominance of retailing in the shopping frontage will be maintained to support the town’s primary retail role.
8.16	In the secondary areas, to the east and west of the pedestrianised High Street, a wider range of uses that provide services to shoppers will be allowed. Secondary areas also provide potential opportunities for small independent retailers that widen the choice available to shoppers but which may not be able to compete for prime locations. The policy therefore aims to strike a balance by ensuring that a proportion of units remain in retail use. This is achieved through sub-point (b) of Policy TC2, which takes account of the balance between retail and non retail uses either side of the unit where a change of use is proposed. It allows for the impact of a change of use to be assessed over a reasonable length of frontage centred on the application site. Where a unit is towards the edge of a secondary area, the assessment will only consider units within the secondary area and will be based on the run of units most nearly centred on the application site.
8.17	The boundary for the primary and secondary areas is shown on the Proposals Map. A general guide to use classes A1-A5 based on the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) is set out in the glossary under ‘Use Class’.

	Policy TC2: Staines Town Centre Shopping Frontage
	Within the primary shopping area of Staines town centre uses other than retail, within Class A1, will not be permitted where this would lead to a net loss of retail floorspace.
	Within the secondary shopping areas of Staines town centre the loss of Class A1 retail units will be permitted where:
	a)	the proposed use is within use class A2, A3, A4 or A5 or for a launderette,
	b)	no more than five out of nine consecutive units within the secondary frontage are in non-retail uses as a result of the proposal,
	c)	the proposal would not harm the predominantly retail character of the town centre, either individually or cumulatively with other non retail developments,
	Exceptionally a non-retail use may be accepted where it is demonstrated that it will contribute to the long term vitality and viability of the centre.

	Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross Centres
8.18	Policy TC3 relates to development in the employment and retail areas of the three centres. It seeks to maintain their current role and give support to proposals that enhance their vitality and viability. The policy needs to be read in conjunction with Strategic Policy SP3 and Policy EM1 which seek to maintain the current level of employment floorspace within the defined Employment Areas. Subject to this, Policy TC3 also encourages in principle a mix of uses which may contribute positively to the centres. The boundaries of employment and retail areas are shown on the Proposals Map.
8.19	Ashford is the second largest shopping centre in the Borough and is the nearest centre for a substantial residential area. While the Retail Study shows it is well-used by local people, it is primarily a local centre with no scope for significant expansion although some sites may have limited scope for intensification. Redevelopment that improves the centre will be supported. Policy TC3 seeks to maintain a balance between retail and non retail uses in the shopping frontage, in which the majority of units remain in retail use.
8.20	Shepperton is a significant centre serving its local community. It is smaller than Ashford but the Retail Study shows that it is well-used by local people, although as with Ashford there is no scope for expansion. The same approach is applied towards non retail uses in the centre.
8.21	Sunbury Cross is the main shopping centre for Sunbury. It includes a parade on the north side of Staines Road West, and the ‘Park N Shop’ shopping centre on the south side. A Tesco superstore is linked to the centre by a pedestrian route. The centre would benefit from widening the range of shops and services available but it is physically constrained with no scope for expansion or additional capacity in terms of retail expenditure. Opportunities to improve the centre and the environment of the area will be sought.
8.22	In applying sub-point (b) of Policy TC3 the assessment will be based on the nine units centred or most nearly centred on the unit being considered.

	Policy TC3: Development in Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross Centres
	Within the defined Employment Areas of Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross the Council will encourage mixed use development combining offices with residential and other uses that contribute positively to the centre, where development can take place in an acceptable manner and where the existing amount of employment floorspace is retained.
	Within the defined shopping areas of Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury Cross as shown on the proposals map the loss of A1 retail units will be permitted where:
	a)	the proposed use is within use class A2, A3, A4 or A5 or for a launderette,
	b)	no more than two out of nine consecutive units are in non retail use as a result of the proposal,
	c)	the proposal would not harm the predominantly retail character of the centre, either individually or cumulatively with other non retail developments,
	d)	the proposal would not result in the loss of a retail unit that is prominent in the centre either by reason of its size or position.
	Exceptionally a non-retail use may be accepted where it is demonstrated that it will contribute to the long term vitality and viability of the centre.
	The Council will continue to work with its partners to ensure the effective management of the centres and will look for opportunities for further improvements to their environment.

	Smaller Centres and Local Shopping Parades
8.23	Smaller centres and parades play an important role in providing shopping and related facilities for their local communities. The largest of these centres is at Clare Road, which serves the Stanwell area. The Avenue is also a significant centre serving Lower Sunbury. Policy TC4 seeks to maintain a balance between retail and non retail uses and supports development that improves vitality and viability. Isolated shops can also be important in providing local shopping for the residential areas they serve. The policy seeks to retain such shops where they meet a local need.

	Policy TC4: Local Shopping Centres and Parades
	Within other centres and small parades proposals for the change of use or redevelopment of existing premises within Class A1 will be permitted where:
	a)	the proposal is for a use within Class A2 A3 A4 or A5 or for a launderette,
	b)	no more than four out of nine consecutive units are in non-retail use as a result of the proposal or exceptionally where it can be demonstrated that the loss of the retail unit would not cause any long term harm to the viability or vitality of the centre or parade. In parades of fewer than nine shops the requirement shall be for not more than two units in total to be in non-retail use.
	In redevelopment schemes the total amount of retail floorspace and length of frontage should be maintained.
	There will be a presumption against the loss of isolated shops that meet a local need.

	Proposals for Retail Development outside of existing centres
	Proposals for new retail development including extensions should be consistent with the strategy that seeks to focus development on existing centres. Any such proposals outside existing centres will be assessed in the light of the guidance in PPS6. It will also be necessary to show that retail development outside of existing centres will not conflict with other policies and proposals in this DPD.

	Policy TC5: Proposals for Retail Development
	The Council will expect new retail development serving the Spelthorne area to be located in Staines town centre, or in the centres of Ashford, Shepperton or Sunbury Cross if it is of a scale and character appropriate to those town centres.


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