Repositioning the High StreetDr Steve Millington Prof Cathy Parkers.millington@mmu.ac.uk

Presentation Structure

• Introduction

• Repositioning

• Collecting data

• Conclusions– examples

Source: http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49738000/jpg/_49738810_3368412.jpg

REPOSITIONING

Anticipating and adapting to change

But how does a place reposition itself?

What are the practical steps it can take?

WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT REPOSITIONING?

What is repositioning: academic view

• A strategy to:– counteract decline

(Smith, 2004)– enable places to

identify distinct capabilities and develop competitive advantages (Kavaratzis & Ashworth, 2008; Edensor, 1998)

• Accommodating future trends

– ageing population– growth of e-commerce

What is your current position?

• Traditional metrics:– Vacancy rates and pedestrian flow perceived to be

most useful (easiest to collect)

• These do not always reflect actual performance: – retail turnover (sales)

• Cannot help planning and adapting for change:– catchment / demographic change

MISMATCH

Academic/policy view on strategic repositioning not reflected by the type of data collected on high streets in practice

1 IN 18

Number of local authorities surveyed by NRPF who thought demographic information should be collected as part of any ‘health check’

Repositioning in practice• Local Authorities lack sufficient resources to fulfil

the data requirements of repositioning, ‘Health Checks’, or even what they themselves want/need to monitor (NRPF, 2000)

• Lack of evidence / data undermines ability to challenge OOT development etc. and to ensure Local Plans are updated in line with structural changes in retail/catchment (NRPF, 2000)

Repositioning in practice for HSUK2020 (NPPF, 2012)• Where is your high street now?

• Are conditions are improving, static or declining?

• Where are you in “a network and hierarchy of centres that is resilient to anticipated future economic changes”?

• Where town centres are in decline are local planning authorities planning positively for their future to encourage economic activity?

SUSTAINABLE HIGH STREETS NEED TO GATHER OWN DATA

The guidance recommends you do this, but provides little direction on how: therefore;

COLLECTING DATA

Vital and Viable Town Centres (URBED, PPG6 etc)• Pedestrian footfall • Diversity of uses and change • Quality of built environment • Recent and proposed

investment • Accessibility • Attitudes and perceptions • Retailer representation and

demand

• Commercial yields and retail rents

• Vacancy rates • Cultural and social events • Leisure and cultural facilities • Town centre residential

population • Employment in the town centre • Street safety • Sense of place

Collecting data: audit

• What data have you got?

• Who has got data?

• What data should you have?

• Where do you access data?

• Do you have the skills to access the data

• What do you do with data?

In-house

In partnership

Freely available

Commercially available

Not worth it! Get on with it!

Forget it! Live with it!

Consultation: vitality and viability factors• ACTIVITY HOURS• APPEARANCE• RETAILERS• VISION&STRATEGY• EXPERIENCE• MANAGEMENT• MERCHANDISE• NECESSITIES• NETWORKS &

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COUNCIL

• DIVERSITY• WALKING• ENTERTAINMENT AND

LEISURE• ATTRACTIVENESS• PLACE ASSURANCE• ACCESSIBLE• PLACE MARKETING• RECREATIONAL SPACE• LIVEABLE• ADAPTABILITY

Consultation: repositioning factors

• ACTIVITY HOURS• APPEARANCE• RETAILERS• VISION&STRATEGY• EXPERIENCE• MANAGEMENT• MERCHANDISE• NECESSITIES• NETWORKS &

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COUNCIL

• DIVERSITY• WALKING• ENTERTAINMENT AND

LEISURE• ATTRACTIVENESS• PLACE ASSURANCE• ACCESSIBLE• PLACE MARKETING• RECREATIONAL SPACE• LIVEABLE• ADAPTABILITY

• Opening hours

• Shopping hours

• Evening / Morning economy

• Market Rasen servicing needs of commuters

Consultation: repositioning factors

• ACTIVITY HOURS• APPEARANCE• RETAILERS• VISION&STRATEGY• EXPERIENCE• MANAGEMENT• MERCHANDISE• NECESSITIES• NETWORKS &

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COUNCIL

• DIVERSITY• WALKING• ENTERTAINMENT AND

LEISURE• ATTRACTIVENESS• PLACE ASSURANCE• ACCESSIBLE• PLACE MARKETING• RECREATIONAL SPACE• LIVEABLE• ADAPTABILITY

• Retailer offer

• Retailer representation

• Holmfirth trying to attract younger people to work in the centre

Consultation: repositioning factors

• ACTIVITY HOURS• APPEARANCE• RETAILERS• VISION&STRATEGY• EXPERIENCE• MANAGEMENT• MERCHANDISE• NECESSITIES• NETWORKS &

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COUNCIL

• DIVERSITY• WALKING• ENTERTAINMENT AND

LEISURE• ATTRACTIVENESS• PLACE ASSURANCE• ACCESSIBLE• PLACE MARKETING• RECREATIONAL SPACE• LIVEABLE• ADAPTABILITY

• Range and quality of goods or assortments

• Ballymena moving to a visitor economy – existing retailers providing merchandise to service tourist demand

Consultation: repositioning factors

• ACTIVITY HOURS• APPEARANCE• RETAILERS• VISION&STRATEGY• EXPERIENCE• MANAGEMENT• MERCHANDISE• NECESSITIES• NETWORKS &

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COUNCIL

• DIVERSITY• WALKING• ENTERTAINMENT AND

LEISURE• ATTRACTIVENESS• PLACE ASSURANCE• ACCESSIBLE• PLACE MARKETING• RECREATIONAL SPACE• LIVEABLE• ADAPTABILITY

• Multi/mono-functional high streets

• Connectivity• Liveability• Walkability

• Altrincham repurposing historic built environment

Repositioning: evidence and data

• Merchandise– Working with existing

business to adapt

• Activity hours– Business owners– Deliveries

• Retailers:– Attract new entrants– Removing barriers to entry

• Liveability– Planning, property owners– Conservation– Vision/leadership

Conclusion: places need to…

• Understanding their customers

• Understand their catchment more effectively

• Understand how demographic and other trends will impact on their centre

• And so ….

EXAMPLE: KEY CATCHMENT STATS

IncomeAgeEducationCar ownershipEmployment

Key demographic indicatorsPrimary Catchment

Secondary Catchment 5kms

Tertiary Catchment 10-20kms

Outer Catchment

Ward/LA

Neighbourhood LSOA/MSOA

Sub-regional/county level

Regional/national

http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/HTMLDocs/incomeestimates.html

2008 Small Area Estimates – Income (ONS)

Alsager

Congleton

Alsager

Congleton

Altrincham

CALLS TO ACTION

Useful linksHelp and training as part of the projectWorkshops through IPM Masterclass in Place Intelligence

Masterclass in place intelligence and forecasting• Collation, evaluation and analysis of place related

secondary data.• Production of meaningful information from secondary

data• Synthesising (displaying) data and dissemination• Forecasting• Modelling and scenario planning• http://

www.business.mmu.ac.uk/crpcc/executive-education.php

Useful links

• Index of Multiple Deprivation– https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/english-indices-of-deprivation

• Neighbourhood Statistics– http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/

• Minimum Distance to Services– https://

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246458/OA_2012.csv/preview

• Historic Census data– http://casweb.mimas.ac.uk/

• UK Crime Stats– http://www.ukcrimestats.com/

Free Mapping Opensource Stack

• http://postgis.net/• http://www.qgis.org/en/site/

• Boundary data

• http://saspac.org/2012/10/30/2011-census-boundaries-spatial-data-and-lookups/