Shopping Objectives
1. To maintain and enhance the existing hierarchy of shopping centres in the County as the most appropriate locations for retailing and functions complementary to them.
2. To maintain and enhance the vitality, viability and diversity of the existing town centres, neighbourhood centres and village shops.
3. To provide a safe and accessible shopping environment that protects and enhances the historic character of Monmouthshire’s retail centres.
4. To maintain services available to communities, therefore reducing the need to travel.
8.1 INTRODUCTION
8.1.1 Retailing is a major service industry that is constantly adapting to new social and economic influences. Prosperous retailing centres are vital if the shopping requirements of the local inhabitants are to be met. Retailing also contributes significantly towards employment and is a means by which historic buildings in the town centres can be used and maintained. Furthermore, locally available retail facilities reduce the distance people have to travel, while the facilities themselves often provide a social focus for the community.
8.1.2 The future size and scale of shopping facilities are critical to the maintenance of the present character and functions of the County's settlements. The Council recognises the need to maintain the role of the major settlements as shopping centres in competition with other centres such as Hereford, Newport and Cwmbran.
8.2 RETAIL HIERARCHY
8.2.1 Within Monmouthshire the existing retail hierarchy will be maintained and enhanced as follows:
(a) COUNTY TOWNS:
Abergavenny
Caldicot
Chepstow
Monmouth
(b) LOCAL CENTRES:
Magor
Raglan
Usk
(c) NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES:
As listed in Policy S3.
8.2.2 It is the objective of the Plan to continue to have the main shopping activities focused upon existing town centres, where further investment will be encouraged. Local and neighbourhood centres also play an important role in the shopping hierarchy, and their viability and attractiveness should be maintained. As no significant redistribution of population is anticipated over the Plan period, the existing balance between centres will be maintained.
8.3 CENTRAL SHOPPING AREAS
S1 Central Shopping Areas (CSAs) are designated for Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow, Magor, Monmouth, Raglan and Usk. Within CSAs, subject to detailed planning considerations:
(a) proposals which will safeguard the continued vitality and viability of the defined CSAs will be permitted;
(b) the development of new, or the improvement of existing retail and service facilities (Classes A1, A2 and A3 of the Town And Country Planning Use Classes Order 1987) with street frontage will be permitted;
(c) a change of use from Classes A1, A2 or A3 on the ground floor with street frontage to uses other than Classes A1, A2 or A3 will not be permitted; and
(d) residential, office and other personal service uses for vacant upper floors will be permitted.
8.3.1 Town centres need to maintain their diversity if they are to retain their vitality and viability, but the range and variety of shops and services will change, as they always have done, in response to changing conditions. Policy S1 follows Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) advice in that it emphasises the role of the town centre in the promotion of development patterns that minimise the need to travel and encourage the use of public transport. It also sets new retail development clearly in the context of town centre vitality and viability. The WAG believes that town centres can offer the range, quality and convenience of services and activities that are attractive to the local population, to visitors and investors. Town centres also provide a location for cultural activity, they can serve as meeting places and as a focus for tourists, all of which can help promote the image of an area. The scale and mix of town centre functions should therefore sustain or enhance the vitality and viability of town centres.
8.4 PRIMARY SHOPPING FRONTAGES
S2 Within Primary Shopping Frontages development or redevelopment proposals for Classes A2 or A3 (Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order 1987) on ground floors, or a change of use on ground floors from Class A1 to Classes A2 or A3, will be permitted unless they would either:
(a) create (or further extend) a continuous frontage exceeding two or more non A1-units; or
(b) exceed the identified proportion of units in non-A1 use for streets/properties within Primary Shopping Frontages.
Where a proposal fails to meet the above criteria, an exception may be considered provided:
(i) the proposed use can be justified by a compensating increase in the vitality of the street frontage; or
(ii) the premises have been vacant for at least 1 year and genuine attempts at marketing the existing use have been unsuccessful.
8.4.1 Prime shopping frontages are defined by almost continuous ground floor shopping uses. These areas can contribute significantly to a town’s vitality, viability and attractiveness, but can be weakened by the establishment of service retail uses such as Building Societies, Estate Agents, Amusement Centres, etc. On the one hand it can be said that the introduction of such units into the towns has resulted in investment in units that might otherwise remain vacant; on the other hand, the proliferation of such uses can cause a weakening in the attractiveness and the vitality of parts of the shopping centre. The following table has been drawn up on the basis of an analysis of town centre uses in order to inform development control decisions made under Policy S2 criterion (b):
| Abergavenny | Cross Street (nos. 1-15 & The Angel Hotel) | 35% |
| Cross Street (nos. 51-60 & Town Hall) | 27% | |
| High Street (nos. 16-24) | 30% | |
| High Street (nos. 1-15) & Frogmore Street (nos. 1-5) | 17% | |
| Frogmore Street (nos. 6-27) | 23% | |
| Frogmore Street (nos. 43-70) & Nevill Street (no. 1) | 31% | |
| Cibi Walk (nos. 1-18) | 6% | |
| Caldicot | Newport Road (nos. 14-Wesley Building) | 33% |
| Newport Road (nos. 7-43 & Methodist Church) | 33% | |
| Chepstow | St. Mary Street (Conrad House -nos. 1-15) | 38% |
| St Mary Street (nos. 16-25) & corner Beaufort Square | 36% | |
| High Street (nos. 2-23) | 30% | |
| High Street (nos. 24-29) | 50% | |
| Monmouth | Monnow Street (nos. 12-126) | 30% |
| Monnow Street (nos. 13-125) | 28% | |
| Agincourt Square (no 11) to Post Office | 33% | |
| Church Street (nos. 1-21) | 45% | |
| Church Street (nos. 2-24) & Agincourt Square (nos. 26-28) to Priory Street (nos. 1-4) |
30% | |
| Agincourt Square (nos. 1-5) | 60% |
8.4.2 The success of any town centre depends upon an effective mix of uses being retained. Thus, any policy restricting non-shop uses must allow such uses to integrate into the retail centre, but not permit them to dominate and thereby reduce the attractiveness of parts of the town centre to shoppers. Therefore, the Council has defined primary shopping frontages that comprise part of the Central Shopping Area and within which Policy S2 will apply.
8.4.3 Within primary frontages the Council considers that three or more adjoining non-A1 uses would lead to the creation of a ‘dead frontage’, which would be detrimental to the vitality of the frontage. The proportions of non-A1 uses permitted under criterion (b) of Policy S2 are based upon an analysis of town centre uses. They are considered to be responsive to the needs of individual town centres for different but complementary uses, whilst also providing protection to the vitality and viability of each individual centre.
8.4.4 Where a proposed non-A1 use does not meet the requirements of either criteria (a) or (b) such a proposal will not normally be permitted. Exceptions to these criteria will be considered where the proposed use is considered to introduce vitality to the primary frontage through a positive contribution towards diversity of uses. The Council will also favourably consider the occupation of a vacant unit that has been empty for several years. Each individual proposal will be considered upon its merits taking into account issues such as size and location and other specific circumstances relating to relevant periods of time. However, emphasis will be placed on evidence that genuine attempts at marketing widely for the existing use have been undertaken, both locally and, where appropriate, nationally. The Council will need to be convinced that the retail premises is unlikely to be reused for that purpose.
8.4.5 Although not specifically designated as extensions to the shopping frontages, certain 'back' streets immediately adjacent to the main primary shopping frontages may offer retail opportunities. Small specialist outlets could add greatly to the attractiveness of the towns as shopping and tourist centres; applications for such proposals will be favourably considered on their merits.
8.5 NEIGHBOURHOOD SHOPS AND CENTRES
S3 Development proposals for convenience shopping facilities serving local communities in designated neighbourhood centres or in new locations of residential growth will be permitted, providing that:
(a) the size of the proposal is in scale with the centre it intends to serve and does not exceed a net floor area of 300m2 either individually or cumulatively with other recent or proposed developments; and
(b) the vitality and viability of town centres are not undermined.
The following locations are allocated as Neighbourhood Shops and Centres:
Hillcrest Road, Abergavenny
Rother Avenue, Abergavenny
The Mardy, Abergavenny
West End, Caldicot
Bulwark, Chepstow
Thornwell, Chepstow
The Albion, Monmouth
Overmonnow, Monmouth
Rockfield Road, Monmouth
Wyesham, Monmouth
Change of use from Classes A1, A2 and A3 will not be permitted on the ground floor within neighbourhood centres.
8.5.1 Despite the trend towards larger stores, there continues to be a strong demand for the services provided by smaller shops. These can cater for the daily, more casual shopping needs that are not so conveniently met by the larger stores, or they can also provide more specialist goods and services. Such needs are often met by neighbourhood shops, or a group of shops which form a centre usually comprising a newsagent, a general grocery store, a sub-post office and, occasionally, a pharmacy, a hairdresser and other small shops of a local nature. Subject to market considerations the provision of neighbourhood shops on large housing developments will be encouraged.
8.6 NEW SHOPPING PROPOSALS
S4 The preferred location for new retail developments which exceed a net floor area of 300m2, including extensions to existing retail premises, will be in the designated Central Shopping Areas (CSAs). Where it can be demonstrated that no suitable development sites exist in the CSA, then sites on the edge of the CSA should be considered before finally considering out-of-town sites. Where development outside the CSA is considered the proposal will be assessed against the following criteria:
(a) a demonstrable need exists for the proposed development;
(b) the development, either individually or cumulatively with other recent or proposed developments, does not undermine the vitality and viability of the town or neighbourhood centre as a whole; and
(c) the proposal is not on land allocated for other uses. This applies especially to land designated for industry, employment and housing where retail development can be shown to limit the range and quality of sites for such uses.
8.6.1 The Council supports the WAG's ‘sequential approach’ to locating new shopping developments where the first preference is for town centre sites, followed by edge-of-centre sites, and neighbourhood centres and only then out-of-centre sites in locations accessible by a choice of means of transport. The Council’s aim is to channel future retail development to existing shopping centres, thereby reinforcing their focus and their attractiveness as centres of local communities and maintaining their vitality and viability. Proposals for out-of-centre or edge-of-centre retail developments will, in the first instance, be required to demonstrate that there is a ‘need’ for the additional provision. Such proposals will also be assessed in terms of their impact on existing centres, their accessibility via a variety of modes of travel and their impact on overall travel patterns.
8.6.2 In accordance with paragraph 10.3.10 of Planning Policy Wales (2002), the Council recognises that the sale of some major household goods (such as bulky white goods or some DIY items) can present different location requirements which are not so readily accommodated in town centres. Applications for such retail outlets within Town Development Boundaries (excluding sites designated for other uses) and close to Central Shopping Areas will be considered on their merits.
8.7 EXISTING RETAIL OUTLETS OUTSIDE CENTRAL SHOPPING AREAS
S5 Outside the Central Shopping Areas and Neighbourhood Centres small-scale development for the improvement or extension of existing Class A1, A2 and A3 (Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order 1987) commercial use premises, or the establishment of new Class A2(a), A2(b) financial or professional service businesses will be permitted.
8.7.1 There are many existing Class A1, A2 and A3 commercial premises outside the various Central Shopping Areas and Neighbourhood Centres. Proposals to improve premises will be supported in principle, provided they are of a size and scale that is related to the needs of the local community. Extensions to Class A1 retail outlets must not be so large that they are tantamount to the creation of a new retail development, or threaten the vitality and viability of the CSA and, thus, undermine the retail hierarchy listed in paragraph 8.2.1.
8.7.2 A petrol filling station (PFS) is a sui generis use (in a use of its own) and many modern PFSs are located outside central shopping areas and include significant floorspace for retail sales. Recent years have seen the trend in the retail function of PFSs evolve to include shopping outlets intended for the general sale of groceries and other convenience and comparison goods, rather than goods solely relevant to the travelling public. Although the Council recognises that there may be benefits from such shops to the local community, care should be taken to ensure that they do not adversely affect the retail function of town and neighbourhood centres. Where such proposals are allowed, conditions will be attached limiting the hours of operation, the nature of goods to be sold, and the content of forecourt displays in order to mitigate the above concerns and protect residential amenity.
8.7.3 Outside CSAs proposals for new, or the conversion of existing buildings to Class A2 financial or professional services will be supported, in principle, where they do not conflict with other Plan policies. A Section 106 Obligation may be sought as a condition of planning permission, to ensure that Class A2(c) uses, such as betting shops, are not introduced. These A2(c) uses are only appropriate in central or neighbourhood shopping areas.
8.8 RETAIL REDEVELOPMENT SITES
S6 The following Central Shopping Area sites are identified for redevelopment and/or conversion for a mix of A1, A2 and A3 uses (Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order 1987):
(a) the Frogmore Street end of Lewis’ Lane and Seven Corner’s Lane, Abergavenny;
(b) St. Johns Square Post Office and the area to the rear of Boots, Abergavenny;
(c) numbers 22 - 23 High Street, Chepstow; and
(d) the area to the rear of numbers 9 - 12 St. Mary’s Street, Chepstow.
8.8.1 Consumers who use the County's towns for shopping expect high quality retail outlets located in a pleasant environment. The Council supports improvements in the shopping environment, including increasing the choice of retail outlets. Improvements to the CSA sites outlined in Policy S6, will hopefully make the town centres more comfortable, pleasant and attractive places for local residents and tourists to visit and experience. Improving the image of the high street environment encourages shopping as a family event and raises it to the status of a leisure activity. Such improvements also allow the County’s towns to compete with other nearby retail centres such as Cwmbran, Hereford and Ross-on-Wye. The list in Policy S6 is not exhaustive and the Council will continue to encourage positive improvements to the environment and amenity of Monmouthshire’s town centres and CSAs.
8.9 MARKETS
S7 New indoor and outdoor markets will be permitted in the Chepstow, Magor, Usk and Raglan Central Shopping Areas.
8.9.1 Additional retail turnover in Abergavenny, Monmouth and Caldicot is generated by their general produce and household goods markets. The general markets generate considerable turnover and it is apparent that they also produce considerable spin-off benefits to retailers and businesses in the town. The existence of the general markets is central to the continued viability and attractiveness of the towns, despite the considerable traffic congestion generated on market days. For these reasons the Council supports the retention of these markets and the development of further provision throughout the County. It is hoped that markets can also be established in Chepstow, Usk, Raglan and Magor in appropriate locations.
8.9.2 Abergavenny and Monmouth cattle markets have been the subject of some debate over recent years regarding their commercial viability and development potential. Proposals have been put forward to relocate the cattle markets either to out-of-town locations or to a combined site within the County. In April 2003, Monmouth livestock market closed as result of the construction of the new Monnow Bridge and associated flood alleviation works. A proposed tourist information centre, with associated uses, is planned for the remaining space between the old medieval bridge and the new crossing. In April 2004 a resolution to grant planning permission was made at the Cattle Market site in Abergavenny for a 25,000 square feet sales area store, a library, 31 residential units and a mixed use development to strengthen the town’s retail and tourism offer between the Cattle Market and High Street. However, the Council remains committed to supporting the provision of a replacement livestock market in Monmouthshire.
8.9.3 The Council is also aware of some of the environmental problems at the Shire Hall Market in Monmouth. Currently, this area of Monmouth town is reported to be suffering from overcrowding and the market is considered to be poorly presented for such a prestige location. An initial appraisal has indicated that the Shire Hall Market has the potential to be developed into a quality arrival point for visitors. Such a scheme could incorporate retail units, together with a quality public open space area to serve as a market venue.
8.10 VILLAGE SHOPS AND SERVICES
S8 Within Village Development Boundaries, proposals for new, or the expansion or improvement of existing A1, A2 and A3 uses (Town and Country Planning Use Classes Order 1987) to serve the needs of the village will be permitted provided they are at a scale appropriate to the local area, and subject to detailed planning considerations.
Proposals for the replacement or redevelopment for other purposes of existing village shops and public houses will only be permitted as provided for by Policy CF2.
8.10.1 Throughout the County, individual local shops within villages and settlements provide an essential service to local residents. Many shops, whether standing alone or ancillary to other uses (e.g. pubs, petrol stations or farms), are vital to local residents, especially those without access to transport. Village shops, post offices and public houses are often at the heart of balanced communities and can provide important focal points for local residents by providing valuable local information and services. Unfortunately, the closures of village shops, rural post offices and public houses are all too apparent. Through the application of policies CF1, CF2 and S8, the Council will encourage and support measures to preserve and extend the network of village shops and rural post offices, especially in those key settlements well served by public transport.