News Archive 2004
June 2004
Shopping in the City is a one-day conference exploring issues of design, planning and the future of urban retail, tackling the key questions in this crucial and expanding sector. Unrivalled representation of the parties involved in this key area and an exciting line-up of case studies will help you get to grips with the future, positioning you at the forefront of in-town retail planning and design.
Taking place on June 30th at the RSA, London WC2 you can find full details on the Shopping and City site.
April 2004
The latest edition of the NRPF newsletter is now online, you can find it here.
The website is currently under going a revamp to add new monthly articles and a discussion forum. Our new look will come on stream in the next couple of months, in the mean time if you would like to comment or suggest any ideas for articles or features please email andy@plannet.co.uk
Finally, an updated version of the Bibilography is also in progress this will go live with the new site.
March 2004
Introduction to the Scoping Paper by Templeton College Oxford on Linked Trips and the Vitality and Viability of Centres of Retail Activity.
The NRPF's Research Committee seeks to encourage research into retailing and has focused on 5 areas:
- Accessibility
- Bibliography of Retail Research
- Secondary Shopping
- Retailing/Leisure
- Retail Statistics.
Now the NRPF wishes to promote research to determine the extent of "linked" or multi-purpose trips when people travel to a shop in a particular type location and whether such additional activities undertaken during that visit have an effect on the vitality and viability of town centres.
The term "linked trips" is referred to in a number of UK government documents, most notably in Planning Policy Guidance note 6 (PPG6), and is often an issue at public inquiries into retail developments in edge of centre locations. However, whilst there is an acceptance that "linked trips" are 'good' for the vitality and viability of a centre, the NRPF are concerned that not only does the term seem to have a number of different interpretations but also that the research to support the view is not well known, even if it does exist.
We have found it useful to commence the research process by commissioning a Scoping Paper setting out what is known - both in theory and in practice - and advising on what now needs to be researched and/or disseminated. The paper from Templeton College Oxford, together with the original briefing document, is intended to stimulate research. A key section in the Scoping Paper reveals there are a variety of definitions of "linked trips" which means that care has to be taken in interpreting research. Then following an overview of work by researchers and practitioners the paper sets out a Gap Analysis with recommendations for an approach to further research.
It is hoped that visitors to the web site who know of other work in this field not covered by the Scoping Paper will notify NRPF, through our own secretary George Nicholson or by emailing Martin Pope, chair of the steering group.We wish to encourage interaction on this and other topics between researchers and practitioners in academic, commercial and government spheres.
You can download the scoping paper from here (559k PDF file)
January 2004
Invite to a Discussion with Katrin Sporle MSc. Chief Executive, Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency.
Planning for Retail - The Role of the Inspectorate.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors,
Parliament Square, London
Friday 5th March from 9.30am to 1pm
We are to inviting participants to a session on the role the Planning Inspectorate plays in the delivery of planning decisions in respect of retail policy. Discussion will range over issues related to development control and local plan inquiries as well as look forward to the emerging new planning framework currently going through Parliament.
This is an opportunity to have a frank exchange of views under Chatham House rules on the working of the Inspectorate in its role of delivering public policy, in the context of a highly competitive sector of the UK economy. There have been a number of recent high profile planning inquiry decisions that have raised issues with respect to interpretation of national policy. Recent experience too, with new style local plan inquiries points to the need for further discussion.
Numbers are limited in order that a high quality debate can be held, please fill out our simple Fax Back form if you would like to attend (11k PDF file).
Yours sincerely,
GEORGE NICHOLSON,
Secretary,
18th January 2004.
|
