Regulation 19 Rutland Local Plan
Town Centres and Retailing Comment
What will this policy do?
The NPPF directs the development of retail and other town centre uses towards town centres in the first instance, and for development outside town centres compliance with the sequential and impact 'tests' needs to be demonstrated. The main town centre uses considered suitable for Oakham and Uppingham town centres based on the NPPF definition include retail and leisure development.
The policy sets out the retail hierarchy in line with government guidance in order to promote the town centres' long-term vitality and viability and develop vibrant and prosperous market towns and villages and support sustainable communities with locally accessible services. The policy also sets out the criteria which will be used to determine planning applications for town centre and retail uses.
Policy E10 – Town Centres and Retailing Comment
Main Town Centre uses* will be supported where they are located in accordance the following retail hierarchy:
- Oakham: Main Town Centre – serving the whole of Rutland
- Uppingham: Town centre – serving Uppingham and the surrounding rural catchment and tourists
The Town centres are defined on the policies map. Where proposals for main town centre use developments are not located within the defined town centres a sequential approach will be followed with preference given first to sites on the edge of the defined town centres prior to the consideration of out-of-centre sites.
Proposals for all town centre and retail uses should:
- support the vitality and viability of the defined town centres;
- support the 'evening economy' and complementary leisure uses outside the primary shopping frontage;
- demonstrate they will not have an adverse impact on the town centre through an Impact Assessment (for retail and leisure proposals of 500m2 gross or more and for town centre uses outside of the defined town centres). Where the Council requires an independent review of this work the cost will be borne by the applicant;
- consider the use of upper floors above shops and commercial premises for residential or office purposes where appropriate; and
- demonstrate good shop front design in accordance with the Council's adopted Shop Front Design SPD
* main town centre uses are defined in Annex 2 of the NPPF
Why is this policy needed?
The NPPF includes the principles of retail and town centre development set out in the 'Ensuring the vitality of town centres' section. Paragraph 86 continues the 'town centre first' principle which recognises centres as being at the heart of communities. It requires planning policies to positively promote competitive town centre environment. The main town centre uses considered suitable for Oakham and Uppingham town centres based on the NPPF definition include retail and leisure development.
The NPPF directs the development of retail and other town centre uses towards town centres in the first instance, and for development outside town centres compliance with the sequential and impact 'tests' needs to be demonstrated. Any new applications for retail or other town centre uses on the edge of, or outside of, the defined town centres in the County should therefore demonstrate that there are no sequentially preferable sites available, and that no 'significant adverse' impacts will arise on existing defined centres.
The NPPF requires local planning authorities to identify a range of suitable sites to meet the scale and type of retail (and leisure, commercial, office, tourism, cultural, community and residential development) needed in town centres. Where town centre sites are not available, then appropriate edge of centre sites should be identified for main town centre uses.
The Economic Strategy (2023) recognises the importance of vibrant town centres and high streets in supporting the retail and visitor economy and as an important part of the character and sense of place of the County.
A Retail, Leisure and Town Centres Study was undertaken for Rutland in 2023. The report updated the previous retail capacity evidence base undertaken in in 2016 and provides an updated assessment of the vitality and viability of the two main centres of Oakham and Uppingham and the quantitative and qualitative 'need' for additional floorspace in the County over the period to 2041.
Convenience Goods Floorspace Requirement
There is very limited quantitative 'need' for new convenience goods floorspace, with a requirement up to 2041 of 1000sqm net additional convenience floorspace over the new Local Plan period. There is only one supermarket in Uppingham, as such, there is scope to improve choice in the town with need directed towards improving convenience shopping provision in Uppingham, to reduce the amount of convenience goods expenditure which is spent outside the town and facilitate more sustainable patterns of shopping.
Any applications for new convenience goods provision would need to demonstrate compliance with the sequential and retail impact policy tests. As part of the impact assessment, consideration should be given to the impact on any loss of spend/turnover of the Co-Op store on the overall vitality and viability of the town centre in Uppingham and consider the impact on linked shopping trips between this store and other uses in the town centre.
Town Centre Strategy for Rutland
The town centre strategy for Rutland aims to provide a high-quality shopping 'experience', maximising the benefits of tourist trade, and improving the mix of retail and non-retail outlets to increase length of stay and spend.
The towns of Oakham and Uppingham should promote unique attractions such as their heritage assets, historic buildings and cultural features which can differentiate a centre and improve its attractiveness. To ensure that the town centres have a viable function moving forward they must provide an attractive shopping and leisure experience.
Both Oakham and Uppingham town centres are well-positioned to take advantage of this trend (particularly Oakham with its proximity to Rutland Water). The growth of the café/restaurant sector is important to the future vitality and viability of the town centre, but this should not come at the expense of its core shopping function.
A wider strategy must deliver a mix of town centre uses to enhance the attraction of a centre and increase frequency of visit and dwell time. A vital component of this will be making town centres as accessible as possible, with sufficient and affordable car parking, as well as investment in public realm and place marketing initiatives.
This strategy allows for the retail needs to be met on sites in or close to the edge of the existing retail centre of Oakham town centre, through the identification of sites on the edge of the town centre to accommodate additional comparison goods development of an appropriate scale along with a bulky goods-format allocation in an out-of-centre location.
The strategy does not preclude development opportunities from coming forward in Uppingham, but any schemes will be expected to be relatively small-scale appropriate to the role and function of the town and should not detract from the focus of the strategy being on Oakham as the higher-order centre.
Ensuring that the market towns remain vibrant and attractive to both residents and visitors is a Council priority. Oakham is, for the most part, an attractive town centre and the historic quality of the centre should be preserved and enhanced where possible.
Commercial leisure uses, particularly cafes and restaurants, are making an increasingly important contribution to the vitality and viability of Oakham and Uppingham town centres, and applications which seek to further enhance provision should be supported in principle.
Support will be given for suitable planning applications for residential or office purposes above ground floor retail level and for the development of an 'evening economy' including complementary leisure uses such as cafés and restaurants in order to diversify the offer of the centres and support the vitality and viability outside of retail trading hours.
In assessing development that will impact on the shop fronts in Rutland, the Council will have regard to the Council's SPD (March 2015) on shops fronts including signs and shop security, the Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan and any subsequent updated guidance on this issue.
Policy E10 will ensure new retail development will be directed to the Oakham town centre area allowing it to develop and strengthen its role as the principal comparison-shopping destination in the County. A variety of town centre uses will be encouraged, including food and drink, leisure, and cultural uses that add to the liveliness, attractiveness, and economic resilience of the centre.
Given the relatively small size of the town centres in the County and their more limited role and function compared to larger/higher order centres, they are more vulnerable to potential impacts of new development outside their town centres. On this basis the threshold of 500 sq. (gross) is retained. This threshold is applicable to applications for all types of main town centre uses which are proposed to come forward outside of a policy-defined town centre. The assessment will be in accordance with the NPPF and examine the impacts of the proposal on the existing town centre.
The policy will ensure all applications for development of main town centre uses outside a defined town centre are required to demonstrate compliance with the sequential test, irrespective of the quantum of floorspace proposed.
The policy should, in principle, support proposals which introduce residential uses or appropriate 'main town centre uses' on upper floors, in other to support additional town centre residential populations or diversify the range of uses in a centre.
Supporting Evidence
Rutland Retail, Leisure and Town Centres Study 2023
Shop Fronts SPD 2015
