News Archive 2005
Retail Planning Policy: The next 10 years
We celebrated our tenth anniversary with a major conference on November 8th 2005. Delegates came from retailing and property industries, local & national government, NGOs and academia.
The event took a forward look at the issues facing retail planning including papers from Andrew Smith (Arlington Properties), Professor Cliff Guy (Cardiff University), Andy Lowe (Tesco), Tony Thompson (ODPM) and more.
Click here to see the day's programme and download selected presentations.
News September 15th 2005
August 30th 2005 - ODPM Technical Report on Retail Trends Released
A technical note “Town centres statistics indicating the broad location of retail development” was published by ODPM in July. Using ODPM Areas of Town Centre Activity combined with VOA Floorspace Data, it provides an initial analysis of the broad location of newly built retail property for England since 1971.
The report is available on the ODPM website in .pdf format.
Latest NRPF Newsletter Available to Download.
The September Newsletter is now available. As well as some provocative articles on the current state of retail planning, this expanded 10th anniversary edition also takes a look back at what’s changed since the creation of the NRPF. You can download the latest issue here (177k .pdf)
August 5th 2005 - Planning For Town Centres, Planning Policy Statement 6 issued by ODPM.
Published as a draft in December 2003, the new guidance released in April 2005 puts in place a crucial piece of the planning jigsaw. The 3 supporting "daughter documents" on; The Sequential Test, Need and Impact, and Smaller Centres are to follow later this year.
The new guidance is available at
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/planningpolicystatements
the guidance applies to England only.
News - 30th May 2005
Unique resource on retail planning matters – 2005 update now on line
The latest Bibliography update, undertaken for NRPF by the Institute of Retail Studies at Stirling University, is now on line. You can download it from here. (420K, PDF Format). Started in 1999, the Bibliography – the brainchild of the late Russell Schiller – is a unique and free resource offering a comprehensive coverage of the main literature and research of substance in the field of retail planning. The Bibliography was specifically designed to bolster the information base on which retail planners – particularly those in the local authority world – could draw. There are 9 sections in the Bibliography covering amongst others; retail format, retail locations, retail planning practice as well as consumer culture and theoretical texts.
The yearly update of the bibliography also contains a “Commentary” looking at the main current issues in the field of retail planning policy. It also reviews academic and practitioner research and explores the relationships amongst retailers, planners and customers. The consistent problem of resource constraints and the ongoing lack of a research repository on which planners can draw is again highlighted in the review.
The final part of the update contains a listing of useful websites and an index of key words with which to access the Bibliography.
News - 2nd April 2005
A New Chairman of the NRPF
Chris Brearley CB was appointed at the AGM in February 2005. He replaces Paul Mcquail who has stood down after chairing NRPF for the previous 10 years. Chris Brearley retired in 2000 from DETR where he was Director General of Planning, Roads, and Local Transport. He had a long and distinguished career principally in the DoE and Cabinet Office.
News - 28th March 2005
Joint NRPF/CASA Research Appointment
A research appointment on the joint NRPF/CASA project entitled 'Dynamics of Town Centre Retailing 1971-2003' has been made.The project is aimed at updating the 1971 census of distribution coupled with an analysis of retail statistics to date, is designed to draw out retail trends over the past 30 years. It has just appointed Miles Davis a PhD student to the three year post funded by the ESRC. He is due to take up his position in April. In addition to working on the research project will be also working with the NRPF research group. The proposal is available to download in .pdf format (44K)
News - 18th March 2005
A Case Study Analysis Report on The Role and Vitality of Secondary Shopping is now available for download along with a full appendices:
Case Study Report (900K)
Appendices:
News - 01 November 2004
Secondary Shopping – time for the Cinderella image to go?
A report: The Role and Vitality of Secondary Shopping – A new Direction, published by the National Retail Planning Forum was launched today at the BCSC conference in Manchester. The report by CB Richard Ellis for NRPF is based on extensive case study and survey work, and calls for a radical re-think of current policy and practice. It sets out why secondary shopping areas are a vital part of the urban fabric, and remain important to the millions who choose to use them. The report points out that secondary shopping areas have been neglected by researchers and other analysts and policy makers; are not well understood; and have suffered as a result in their treatment by planners and other decision makers.
Paul McQuail, Chairman of NRPF said today; “Some of the retail and service businesses are in secondary areas simply because they cannot afford prime rents. Others are there because the location and the rent levels suit the niche business they are in; or because their business is essentially a local one. For any of these reasons, the secondary areas meet real business and community needs”.
Jonathan Baldock, author of the report said today; “the report highlights a real gap in the current policy framework, something that the draft PPS 6 should address if secondary shopping areas are to get the attention they deserve”.
Andrew Smith, Managing Director of Research & Strategic Services at Arlington who chaired the steering group said today; “This report is the first comprehensive attempt to understand the issues and dynamics from a planners perspective and to identify practical measures”.
Specific findings on secondary shopping areas include;
- lack of specific planning for their need; often the unidentified or uncoordinated residual effect of planning and investment in the central business district;
- concentration of marginal activity leading to lack of investment by owners and occupiers and thus to a spiral of decline;
- public realm improvements stopping at the edge of the central business district, thus forming a barrier.
The report's case studies demonstrate that secondary shopping is not dying out; but that it is vulnerable to change in character, retail mix and ownership. But these are inevitable and must be recognised as such by planners, investors and occupiers if they are to be managed effectively. Sometimes, regeneration will mean reduction of traditional retail activities, and substitution of other uses. This will require sensitive management.
By commissioning this work, the National Retail Planning Forum and the research sponsors have sought to improve the understanding of all concerned about secondary shopping areas; and to make practical proposals for action to realise their potential - to the benefit of businesses, customers, and towns as a whole.
The report was made possible with financial support from the British Council of Shopping Centres Educational Trust, Marks and Spencer, and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Further copies of the report can be obtained from; George Nicholson, NRPF, 6 Copperfield Street, London SE1, Tel/Fax: 020 7633 0903 email; Gnicho6499@aol.com
Price including p&p £25.00
A Summary of the study and main recommendations can be viewed in Acrobat PDF format.
Further comment and queries on the report study;
Jonathan Baldock,
Elizabeth Mason,
Planning,
CBRE,
Kingsley House,
Wimpole Street,
London W1G 0RE
Tel: 020 7182 2125
News - 15th October 2004
As you may of noticed, we have a new look. The new website is now live along with a number of new and regular features. This months Hot Topic is entitled Planner Where art Thou?, providing a number of discussion points such as -
"The retail planning system is at something of a crossroads. Retail planning has often been perceived to be slow, reactive and only interested in saying no through development control. Much ‘policy’ is developed through one-off case battles and subsequent ‘clarifications’. Does the practice of retail planning live up to what might be expected or is needed? "
If you have any thoughts or comments on our Hot Topic, or any other matter relating to the world of retail then join us in the Discussion Forum for a lively discussion on the latest issues.
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