APPENDIX 8a – Planning Application reference 12/0194

A second letter of objection has been received from Janet Dixon Town Planners Ltd requesting that an assessment of the relevant Planning Policies be made available to Planning Committee Members to ensure that the application has been thoroughly and accurately assessed. A summary of the initial letter is as follows:

  • Janet Dixon Town Planners Ltd act on behalf of Mr & Mrs Evans who own SPAR (317 Dickson Road) and their supplier, James Hall & Co Ltd.
  • They highlight that a similar sized proposal at 197 Dickson Road(which was located well outside the Local Centre) was refused by Blackpool Council and the subsequent appeal was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate. This decision is relevant to this proposal.
  • This proposal may be located next to the Local Centre but the requirements and policies of the Local Plan still need to be met.
  • Policy BH12 states that new retail uses will be focussed in existing centres appropriate to their scale and catchment and only permitted elsewhere where there is a demonstrated need.
  • Policy BH16 states that development of new shopping outside existing frontages will only be permitted when there is a demonstrable need with no convenient existing local shopping provision.

The concerns that have been outlined are:

  • Although it is next to the Local Centre the site is outside the shopping frontage. Therefore Policy BH16 applies.
  • No retail assessment has been provided demonstrating either the need or how the proposal complies with the relevant policies.
  • Existing building was not included within the Local Centre boundary and forms part of the hotel block

Assessment ofPlanningPolicies relating to the principle of the use

BH11 Shopping and Supporting Uses - Overall Approach

The Council will maintain and enhance a hierarchy of centres shown on the Proposals Map in order to provide access to a wide range of shops, services and other activities accessible to all sections of the community, with the town centre the focus for major new development.

New retail, cultural and community development and other key town centre uses will be permitted in BlackpoolTown Centre, the district centres and local centres appropriate to the scale, role and character of each centre.

The site abuts the Dickson Road Local Centre on two sides and has previously been used for commercial purposes (both as a bank and an advertising agency), thus it has historically formed part of the shopping frontage on this section of Dickson Road. In contrast to previous developments that have been resisted due to their remote location relative to the existing centres (e.g. Imperial Service Station, 197 Dickson Road) this site is acceptable in terms of a sequential approach.

BH12 Retail Development and Supporting Town Centre Uses

Proposals for the development of retail, cultural, community and other key town centre community uses which attract a lot of people, including extensions and changes of use, will be focussed on Blackpool Town Centre, and in other existing centres appropriate to their scale and catchment. Such uses will only be permitted elsewhere where all the following criteria are met:

(a) There is a demonstrated need for the development.

(b) The proposal either by itself, or cumulatively with other recent and committed developments, would not cause material harm to the vitality and viability of Blackpool Town Centre, district and local centres, or any other nearby town centre.

(c) The development would not undermine the Council’s strategies and proposals forregenerating such centres.

(d) The proposal is located in accordance with the sequential test, having regard to the need for flexibility of format, design and scale. First preference is for locations in appropriate existing centres, followed by edge of centre sites, and only then out ofcentre sites.

(e) More local facilities in accordance with their scale and catchment and consistent with the above hierarchy will be appropriately located within other smaller local centres.

(f) The site is readily accessible by a choice of means of transport, and is well served by public transport.

BH14 Local Centres

Local Centres provide for day-to-day convenience shopping needs and other supportive uses readily accessible by a walk-in local catchment.

The Plan will seek to safeguard and enhance the role of the local shopping centres shown on the Proposals Map:

(a) Proposals for retail and other active frontage uses which reinforce the role of the local centres will be permitted.

(b) The expansion of shopping and other commercial uses into adjoining residential streets by the piecemeal conversion of individual properties will not be permitted. Proposals to extend the shopping frontages of these centres will only be allowed ifthey involve frontages that are contiguous with an existing shopping frontage, are in scale with the existing centre and can be achieved without harming residential amenity.

(c) Proposals for new development and changes of use from shopping to other uses (including residential) will be permitted where they would not undermine the retail function, role and character of the centre.

The impact of a proposal on the retail function of a centre will be determined having regard to:

• the type of use proposed and its compatibility with nearby uses

• the site’s location and prominence within the centre

• the number and proximity of nearby units not occupied by retail or allied uses

• the level of vacancies in the centre and whether there is an over-supply of shop premises in the area

• the need to maintain a retail core within the centre

• the suitability of the premises for use as a viable shop.

The proposal has been sequentially located. In the first instance the existing vacant units within the centre are too small for the proposal (ranging from 60 – 100 sqm) and secondly that this site is edge of centre, abutting the existing centre (in contrast to more remotely located developments that have previously been resisted e.g. Imperial Service Station, 197 Dickson Road). Given the sequential location of the proposal it is not considered that the proposal will cause harm to the vitality or viability of the established centres (in the way that a more remotely located site potentially could) and does not undermine the Council strategies for the regeneration of such centres.

From a recent survey carried out, the centre appears to have a vacancy rate of around 15% which, taking into account the current economic climate is performing roughly in line with the national average. Furthermore, the addition of a new building, bringing a vacant site back into use and the creation of new jobs is seen as aiding the regeneration of the area and reinforcing the retail character of the existing centre. It is also anticipated that the proposal will increase footfall in the area and bring additional custom to the existing retail outlets (e.g. Choice Butchers, Polish Deli etc) and businesses in the area, further supporting the role of the centre.

The site fronts Dickson Road and is designed to serve local needs. As the site already forms part of the commercial offering of the area and forms a continuous frontage with the existing centre, the proposal is not considered to be a piecemeal conversion and nor does it involve the expansion into a residential area.

The site has a car park for 12 vehicles and is well served by several bus routes (with bus stops nearby on the Promenade, Dickson Road and Warley Road) and the tramway.

As such the proposal is in accordance with the criteria outlined in Policies BH12 and BH14.

The demonstration of need is addressed later in this appendix.

BH15 Change of Use of Premise Outside the Defined Centres

Outside the defined town, district and local centres proposals for the changeof use from shops to commercial, residential or other appropriate uses will be permitted providing proposals are compatible with nearby uses and would have no adverse impact on residential amenities.

The site has historically been used commercially and given that the site abuts the Dickson Road Local Centre on two sides, and other commercial uses (mostly holiday accommodation) on the other two sides, the proposal is considered to be compatible with nearby uses.

Environmental Protection have confirmed that they have no objections to the principle of the development subject to agreeing the details of any plant and associated noise attenuation measures (which will be dealt with via condition). As such the use is not considered to unduly impact on residential amenity.

BH16 Proposed Shopping Development Outside Existing Frontages

The development of new local shopping facilities outside existing shopping

frontages will only be permitted where:

(a) there is a demonstrable need for the development with no convenient existing localshopping provision

(b) the proposed development is appropriate in scale and function to the immediate walk-in local catchment.

It should be noted that this policy was drafted when national guidance (PPG6) placed a greater emphasis on demonstrating the need for new retail developments that might impact on Town, District or Local Centres. This national guidance has since been superseded by PPS6 and PPS4 and more recently by the NPPF. Current national guidance does not require a demonstration of need and only requires an impact assessment where a development is not in accordance and, where there is no locally set threshold, is greater than 2,500 sqm.

Furthermore, the policy is clearly referring to ‘out of centre’ proposals and not edge of centre sites like as is the case in this instance (the policy specifically makes reference to ‘existing shopping frontages’ not ‘existing centre boundaries’).

However, for the sake of robustness the agent has subsequently submitted a planning statement demonstrating the quantitative need for the proposal.