There is no "do nothing" option - the town centre of Bury St Edmunds must grow or it will decline as trade is attracted away to other shopping centres says a report taking a close look at the proposed Cattle Market redevelopment scheme.
The retail assessment report, by consultants Scott Wilson (Chesterton), will be considered by the Cattle Market Redevelopment Working Party on Tuesday 19 October, when revised designs for the scheme will also be unveiled. The company was employed by St Edmundsbury to assess the impact of developer Centros Miller's proposals upon the existing town centre.
Any decline would be likely to hit smaller independent traders harder, the report states, because their success usually depends on a buoyant town centre, although the national chains would be more likely to survive because they are currently trading above average for their size. The report does warn that the town centre - the historic centre and new development - will need to be managed as a whole to protect existing traders as far as possible, although "change is inevitable and unavoidable in any town centre".
Cattle Market Redevelopment Working Party Chairman, Cllr Andrew Varley, said:
"This report confirms what we realised from the previous studies that the development will hugely add to the overall prosperity of the entire borough and without it we would be set for a decline."
The report also looks at planning policy, regional planning guidance, St Edmundsbury's Replacement Local Plan and the original retail appraisal carried out by Chesterton in 2001. While protecting and improving a centre's vitality and viability is a prime aim, the report notes: "It must be stressed that planning policy is concerned with the vitality and overall viability of the centre rather than the protection of individual businesses as such."
A lack of development in recent years will almost certainly have led to businesses going to competing town centres. The level of impact the new development will have is "very limited and would be unlikely to have any significant of lasting effect on the centre as a whole" although it must be recognised, the report says, that the impact will be greater on some businesses than others. It adds: "There may be a risk of some traders relocating in or towards the new centre and some businesses may fail as a result of the development, but they can be replaced by new businesses of similar or better calibre, meaning the overall centre will not suffer."
The benefits of attracting quality retailers to Bury St Edmunds, including a new department store, reducing the numbers of people going to other major centres, would safeguard the long-term viability and vitality of Bury St Edmunds and outweigh any short-term risks due to an over-supply of floorspace in the early stages of the development.
Bury St Edmunds Town Centre Manager Nick Martin said:
"The Town Centre Management group - those who have a real stake in the prosperity of Bury St Edmunds - has always considered there are great advantages for both independents and multiples in improving the attraction of the town as a shopping destination. The group will need to be consistently on their guard to ensure that we protect the existing balance of shopping, which is such an outstanding feature of Bury St Edmunds, and I am confident that everyone will benefit from this development."
ENDS
ISSUED BY MARIANNE HULLAND, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757034. marianne.hulland@stedsbc.gov.uk
