Government proposals to abolish the ‘need test’ for town centre planning [1] are a serious threat to local retail diversity and choice.  This is the initial view of the Campaign to Protect Rural England [2] on the Government’s announcement today (Thursday).

Graeme Willis, supermarket campaigner at CPRE said:

‘These plans could take away the rights of local authorities to resist large supermarkets on the grounds of need. [3] The replacement – a new impact test – could shift power from planners who could say “no”, to developers to say “why not”.’

CPRE welcomes the retention of the sequential test [4] and general support for local authorities planning their town centres.  But CPRE remains deeply concerned that ending the ‘need test’ will be damaging to local decision making and diversity. It could lead to yet more superstores outside town centres and further fuel the dramatic decline of greengrocers, butchers, bakers and fishmongers and other small shops. [5]

Graeme Willis concluded:

‘If Government wants to better protect the character and special qualities of our town centres and local stores, taking away the “need test” is a strange way to do it.  We will work with Government to make sure the new impact test isn’t a developer’s charter.  If it is, we will fight to change it at every turn.’ 

- ENDS -

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. Communities and Local Government, Proposed Changes to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres Consultation, July 2008 http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pp6consultation

2. CPRE, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, is a charity which promotes the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of rural England. We advocate positive solutions for the long-term future of the countryside. Founded in 1926, we have 60,000 supporters and a branch in every county. President: Bill Bryson. Patron: Her Majesty The Queen.  www.cpre.org.uk

3. Communities and Local Government, Proposed Changes to Planning Policy  Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres Consultation, July 2008, p5: ‘The proposals remove the requirement for an applicant to demonstrate ‘need’ for a proposal which is an the edge of centre or out of centre location and which is not in accordance with an up to date development plan strategy’.

4. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres, 2005.  The guidance aims to deliver Government’s objective of ‘promoting vital and viable town centres’ and do this by focusing development ‘in existing centres in order to strengthen, and where appropriate regenerate them’. It incorporates two key tests to deliver these aims.  The first – the need test – assesses ‘likely future demand for retail and leisure floor space’ and uses that assessment to decide where growth should go to best ‘strengthen or regenerate existing centres’ (2.34).  The second – sequential test – gives preference to developments in order of location with town centre first, then edge of centre locations and finally out-of-centre sites.’  (para 2.44).

5. Figures given by the Competition Commission (April 2008) chart the rapid decline of specialist stores (greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers and bakeries) from 22,190 in 2003 to 18, 465 in 2007 (-17%).  On these trends – 931 p.a. – such stores would disappear within 20 years.  While the number of independent or cooperative convenience stores has increased, there is still a net loss of a store per day (source: Competition Commission, The supply of groceries in the UK market investigation, final report, April 2008, Appendix 5.1 paras. 11 & 21. )

6. CPRE’s report, The Real Choice, on the potential impact of a new supermarket on the local retail economy in a market town and its surrounding villages in Suffolk was published in 2006.  CPRE has previously observed that a narrow obsession with fostering competition between a few giant retailers who offer a very similar quality of product and service will do little for the quality of life (http://www.cpre.org.uk/library/results/local-foods).