Policy DM25
Use and removal of restrictive conditions on retail warehousing and other retail premises
- Proposals for the removal or variation of conditions restricting retail warehousing and other A1 retail floorspace to the sale of specified categories of goods will be permitted where
- the sequential and impact test requirements of policy DM18 are satisfied; and
- the proposal would not conflict with the general criteria for sustainable development set out in policy DM1, in particular by minimising the overall need to travel and minimising dependency on the private car and high-emission vehicles.
Proposals will be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking account of the nature and bulk of the goods to be sold and the extent to which those goods once purchased could reasonably be transported by means other than the car.
Supplementary text
25.1 The NPPF makes clear that proposals for new main town centre uses, including retail, should be located for preference within or on the edge of town centres but also advises local authorities to set policies for the consideration of proposals which cannot be accommodated there. The majority of retail development in Norwich which is not in a defined centre is located in retail warehouse parks and various freestanding retail warehouse premises predominantly in employment areas.
25.2 There are two main out of centre retail warehouse parks in Norwich. These are at Hall Road/Barrett Road (south of the City) and Sweet Briar Road (west of the City and straddling the boundary with Broadland). There are two additional retail warehouse parks in the Norwich urban area, Sprowston Retail Park just to the north-east of the city, in Broadland District and Longwater Retail Park at the western end of the Norwich Southern Bypass, in South Norfolk. The two fringe of centre retail parks (Riverside Retail Park and Cathedral Retail Park) have separate policy designations, the former regarded as a Large District Centre in its own right, the latter part of the secondary shopping area of St. Benedicts. Proposals in these areas would be assessed in relation to policies DM18 and DM20 of this plan, which apply within the city centre.
25.3 Many freestanding out of centre retail destinations in Norwich do not relate well to existing defined centres and are not considered to be well-located to ensure satisfactory access by public transport or by modes other than the private car. However, it is acknowledged that the relative accessibility of retail parks and other retail warehousing varies across the city. The suitability of an individual site to accommodate new development or other forms of retailing may thus depend on how accessible it is currently and the scope to enhance its accessibility or improve its connectivity with nearby centres. In accordance with advice in the NPPF, when considering proposals on these (and other) out of centre sites which could not be accommodated in centres, preference will normally be given to accessible sites that are well connected to defined centres within the hierarchy set out in JCS policy 19.
25.4 Some of these retail destinations currently operate under conditions which restrict them to the sale of bulky goods or other specified categories of goods which are justified by the requirements of a specific operator. They are often not appropriately located to allow the relaxation of planning conditions to accept a wider range of goods or to intensify or diversify into general comparison or convenience retailing. To allow entirely unregulated retailing from retail warehouse parks could result in a significant impact on the city centre and district and local centres and may also increase reliance on the private car. Both of these outcomes would be contrary to the objectives of the JCS in relation to protection and enhancement of the city centre and its requirement to promote sustainable transport, and would not be in the overall interests of securing sustainable development.
25.5 The Norwich sub region retail and town centres study, 2007 concluded that there is no need for further retail warehouse development in Norwich, although it is considered that there is potential to expand the existing retail warehouse park at Hall Road as part of a wider redevelopment. Any new floorspace proposed within the Hall Road and Sweet Briar retail parks would need to be justified under policy DM18 in terms of its impact on existing centres and to show that alternative locations had been considered in accordance with the sequential approach. Where accepted, new floorspace would be subject to appropriate conditions on the type of goods sold to protect the vitality and viability of Norwich city centre and local and district centres.
25.6 It is acknowledged that following the implementation of the Hall Road District Centre proposal the retail park would be an edge of centre location. Proposals for new floorspace or the relaxation of conditions within it would, however, still need to be assessed in accordance with the criteria in policy DM18 including the requirement for sequential and impact assessments, on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that their impact on the city centre and on relevant local and district centres can be properly assessed and quantified.
25.7 A number of other freestanding retail warehouses within Norwich operate in accordance with permissions restricting the range of goods that can be sold from them to specified goods only. Freestanding retail warehouses (or small groups of them) in locations such as Barker Street, Fifers Lane and Whiffler Road, have often been established for many years and were approved from the 1980s onwards – sometimes on appeal – at a time when planning policy for out-of-town retailing was more permissive. By and large, they are also located away from defined centres, do not offer any particularly strong locational advantages over the purpose-built retail parks and are also largely car-based destinations with very poor access by alternative modes of transport.
25.8 Consequently, to relax restrictions on the range of goods permitted to be sold would tend to attract new unregulated retail development to destinations which are demonstrably unsuitable in terms of sustainable accessibility, could have unforeseen and undesirable impacts on the vitality and viability of centres and would increase reliance on the private car and lead to an overall increase in the need to travel.
References
- NPPF: CLG, 2012: Section 2: Supporting the vitality of town centres; prioritise main town centre uses in centres according to the sequential approach, Section 4: Promoting sustainable transport: Support reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and congestion: accommodate the efficient delivery of goods and supplies; consider whether safe and suitable access to the site can be achieved for all people; ensure developments that generate significant movement located where the need to travel will be minimised and the use of sustainable transport modes maximised; give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements and have access to high quality public transport facilities.
- National Planning Practice Guidance, CLG 2014: Ensuring the vitality of town centres.
- Norwich sub region retail and town centres study, GVA Grimley, 2007.
- •Retail and leisure topic paper, April 2013.
