Shopping Centre Environment

7.11 Non-retail uses in defined shopping centres: The shopping centres will remain the primary locations for shopping trips and most new retailing use will take place in these locations. The Borough Council acknowledges that there is a complementary role to be played by non-shopping activities and many other uses, such as professional and financial services, restaurants and public houses, leisure uses and medical services. These are recognised as essential to the vitality and viability of town shopping centres and, in many instances, help to extend the hours during which a centre is active. Unfortunately, such uses can also dilute the shopping core and have a detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of a centre as well as the historic and residential environment. In the town centres of Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill, the Primary Shopping Areas are defined on the proposals map and development will be controlled to manage the shopping character of these streets and, in particular, resisting large numbers of “dead frontages”.

7.12 The Borough Council will try to protect urban local centres in order to provide an adequate mix of facilities to meet day-to-day needs. Proposals for the loss of shops (Use Class A1) will generally be resisted unless it can be shown that suitable alternative provision is available which will meet the needs of the local area. The Borough Council seeks to maintain and improve the attractiveness of local shopping centres by encouraging new shopping development.

POLICY TCR2: PROTECTION OF PRIMARY SHOPPING AREAS AND SHOPPING CENTRES

Proposals for development within defined shopping centres will be permitted only where they would not:

• i) undermine the vitality or shopping character of the street; or
  ii) detract from the appearance of the immediate environment, especially within Conservation Areas;
  iii) adversely affect the amenity of the surrounding area by virtue of noise, congestion on pavements or disturbance arising from late opening hours;
  iv) result in an over-concentration of non-retail uses in a Primary Shopping Area

Concentrations of non-retail uses which would undermine the economic and social role of shops in such centres will be resisted.

Applications for the change of use from retail Class A1 to other uses within a Local Centre, will be approved only if it can be demonstrated:

• a) that the local need for the existing use no longer exists; and
• b) that, the proposal will not have a detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of the local shopping centre.

Note: For the purposes of the policy non-retail uses are those which are not defined within the A1 use of the Town & Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended).

Primary Shopping Areas for Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill are defined on the proposals map.

7.13 The environment of a shopping centre can affect the choice of destination for both economic investment and shopping or leisure trips. The Borough Council has invested significant resources over a number of years in improving its centres through making the pedestrian environment better, additional street furniture and facilities and helping street cafes set up where appropriate. When considering proposals for new development, redevelopment or new shop fronts, the Borough Council has an important role to play in ensuring that good overall design is achieved.

7.14 Shopfronts, advertisements, sunblinds, canopies, hoardings and poster panels can all have a significant impact on the environment of a centre, especially where they are located in conservation areas. It is important to ensure that these make a positive contribution to the building on which they are located and to the surrounding area. The quality and detail of shop design are of significance in improving the attractiveness and maintaining the prosperity of shopping centres in the borough. In Bury St Edmunds, Haverhill, Clare, Ixworth and Stanton the main shopping areas contain listed buildings and are located either partly or wholly within conservation areas. The Borough Council will require well designed shop fronts which will enhance an area and add to its local distinctiveness. All too often the attractiveness of a shopping street can be undermined by unsympathetic designs and a clutter of garish signs. Planning Guidance on shopfronts has been adopted and this will be reviewed and replaced by a Supplementary Planning Document. Developers will also be required to have close regard to the content of ‘Shopfronts and Advertisements in Historic Towns’ published by the English Historic Towns Forum in 1991.

POLICY TCR3: SHOPFRONTS AND ADVERTISEMENTS

Proposals to alter an existing shop front or create a new shop front, including the installation of external security measures, advertisements or canopies, must preserve or enhance the character of the building of which it forms a part of and the street scene in which the proposal is located.

Within conservation areas and on listed buildings the following criteria will apply:

• i) the size, format, materials and design of advertisements should not exceed the minimum necessary to identify the function of the building;
  ii) well designed, high quality hanging signs will be permitted where they are complementary to the street scene and the building upon which they are to be sited;
  iii) illuminated signs and projecting box signs will not be permitted.

Proposals should have regard to the detailed advice provided in the local planning authority’s Planning Guidance “Shopfronts and Advertisement Design Guide” and any subsequent replacement Supplementary Planning Document.

The removal of shop fronts and advertisements of historic or architectural interest will not be permitted.

7.15 Amusement arcades, while adding to the vitality of shopping centres, can have a significant environmental impact and result in anti-social behaviour nearby. Such uses will need to be carefully sited to minimise impact and cont5ributions to the operation of the Borough Council’s Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system will be sought where appropriate to maintain security.

POLICY TCR4: AMUSEMENT ARCADES

Proposals for Amusement Arcades will not be permitted in Conservation Areas in shopping centres.

7.16 Increasing the area available for pedestrians in shopping centres has led to an increased demand for onstreet trading and street cafés. These uses can add considerably to the vitality and viability of a centre, but at the same time can increase clutter and obstruct the flow of pedestrians and other users of the centres. Most uses will require a street trading licence from the Borough Council and permission from the highways authority and local byelaws exist which restrict trading in certain streets. The regulatory procedure will be the primary means of restricting the hours and days of street trading and specifying the operator of that use.

POLICY TCR5: STREET TRADING AND STREET CAFÉS

Proposals for street trading and street cafés in defined shopping centres will not be permitted where there would be an adverse impact on amenity and the movement and safety of pedestrians, prams, wheelchairs, and emergency vehicles would be obstructed.