Rp jU4W Final Report Appendix 1 E Mers

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E MERSEYSIDE VITALITY & VIABILITY REPORTS



APPENDIX 1 MERSEYSIDE SUB REGION

Birkenhead Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment

General Description of the Town Centre

Birkenhead is located on the Wirral Peninsula approximately 7km west of Liverpool.Ellesmere Port and Chester are located approximately 17km and 29km respectively to the

south east of Birkenhead.

The key retailing area in Birkenhead Town Centre covers Oliver Street and Grange Road.

There are also two covered shopping precincts within the town centre. Grange Shopping

Centre is a typical seventies precinct with narrow and deep shop units unsuited to modern

market requirements. There are proposals to reconfigure the centre to address this. The

proposals to reconfigure the centre address this issue. The Pyramids shopping centre was

opened in 1989 and provides a more attractive shopping environment than the Grange

shopping centre. Birkenhead Market, with over 250 stalls including two nationally acclaimed

fishmongers, lies in the heart of the shopping area of the town centre and is a popular market

attracting people from a catchment area stretching as far as North Wales.

The town centre area contains a small casino (Showboat), Mecca Bingo and the Warner

Village multiplex cinema. However, there are few places available to sit and relax and order a

quality meal in the town centre, and no town centre restaurants/cafes are open during the

evening, with only pubs available. Furthermore, there are no quality hotels in or near to

Birkenhead town centre. Immediately north of the shopping area Europa Boulevard has

evolved into a mix of office and leisure uses, including the Warner Village multiplex cinema,

council owned swimming baths and an outline application has been submitted for a hotel

including conference and health and fitness facilities in this area. There is an identified

general lack of cultural investment in East Wirral.

Hamilton Square, built in the 1800s and grade I listed, lies to the north east of the shopping

core and is the main commercial area in Birkenhead. Along with the surrounding area

including Argyle Street (at one time one of the main shopping streets in the town centre), it isperipheral to the town centre and aside from office uses has evolved into a mix of secondary

and A3 uses including a nightclub quarter. The Pacific Road Arts Venue is located just 2

minutes walk away from Hamilton Square and the Woodside Ferry Terminal on Pacific Road.

The Rock Retail Park is located approximately 0.5 km south of the town centre adjacent to the

entrance to the Queensway Mersey Tunnel. Retailers include PC World, Matalan, Dixons,

JJB Sports and Wickes.

Diversity of Uses

Birkenhead Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Birkenhead Town Centre in terms of outlet

numbers and floorspace and compare these to the national average.

Table 1: Composition of Birkenhead Town Centre, 2004

Sector No. ofOutlets

% of Outlets Floorspace (sq. m) % of Floorspace

Birkenhead GB Birkenhead GBConvenience 27 8.2 9.3 14,577 16.8 16.9Comparison 165 50.0 48.0 55,519 63.8 53.1Service 83 25.2 31.1 9,736 11.2 20.7Miscellaneous 2 0.6 1.4 1,161 1.3 1.4Vacant 53 16.1 10.3 6,002 6.9 7.9TOTAL 330 100 100 86,994 100 100

Source: Experian Goad (2004)

Table 2: Composition of Birkenhead Town Centre, 1994Sector No. of

Outlets% of Outlets Floorspace (sq. m) % of Floorspace

Birkenhead GB Birkenhead GBConvenience 36 11.8 10.5 6,819 8.4 14.8Comparison 181 59.5 50.5 58,743 72.8 53.1Service 56 18.4 24.8 8,519 10.5 19.5Miscellaneous 2 0.6 0.9 1,319 1.6 1.8Vacant 29 9.5 13.6 5,193 6.4 11.0TOTAL 304 100 100 80,593 100 100


Birkenhead Town Centre has a total floorspace of 86,994 sq m in 330 units. There has been

a 6,401 sq m increase in overall floorspace since 1994 and an additional 26 units created.

The key change in the composition of the town centre has been an increase in convenience

floorspace of 7,758 sq m and 11 units. Over the same period there has been a reduction in

comparison floorspace from 58,743 sq m to 55,519 sq m and a loss of 16 comparison units

and services have increased by 27 units and 1,217 sq m of floorspace. The increase in

convenience floorspace has brought Birkenhead in line with the national average, although it

is slightly below average with regard to the percentage of convenience outlets in the town.

Comparison floorspace and outlets are above the average which is to be expected in a

comparison centre such as Birkenhead. However, there has been a notable reduction of 9%

of floorspace and 9.5% of outlets in the town centre since 1994. With regard to servicesalthough there has been growth since 1994, at 11.2% the percentage of floorspace is below

the national average (20.7) and the percentage of outlets is 5.9% below the national average

of 31.1%.

Retailer Representation

The presence of multiple outlets can greatly enhance the appeal of a centre to local

consumers and investors. Other retailers in a centre can also benefit from the increased

pedestrian traffic generated by the presence of national multiples. However, multiples alsoprovide strong competition for rivals and an over concentration may threaten the independent





sector in a town, undermining diversity and local identity. An appropriate balance between

multiples and independents is therefore desirable.

The comparison offer in Birkenhead is generally at the lower end of the spectrum, with a high

proportion of discount retailers and a dearth of quality retailers in many sub-sectors, notablyincluding young fashion. Since Co-op Living (ladies’ clothing, furniture, household goods)

closed about five years ago, the only higher-order, non-food stores of the type that appeal to

the more affluent residents are Beatties (which is Wirral’s only town centre department store)

and Marks & Spencer. The town centre also lacks middle/higher-order clothes retailers the

only prominent clothes shop is Next. More positively, the indoor market reportedly attracts

people from North Wales and elsewhere, although again this is at the lower end of the retail

spectrum. The most notable recent store opening in the town centre was HMV, in autumn

2004.

Table 3 indicates that the Focus Database (October 2004) identifies demand from 36 retail

businesses seeking representation in Birkenhead (although a single retailer may express

more than one requirement in a town centre for different sizes of units) seeking up to 13,070

sq m (gross) of floorspace. There is a requirement for 21 retailers in the comparison sector,

seeking up to 9,443 sq m (gross) of floorspace. Retailers with current requirements include

Hobbycraft, Peacocks, Topps Tiles and Wynsors World of Shoes.

Table 3 Summary of Retailer Requirements within Birkenhead Town Centre, 2004 Number of

RequirementsMinimum Floorspace

(sq. m)Maximum Floorspace

(sq. m)Convenience 3 282 464Comparison 21 5,632 9,443Service 12 2,466 3,163TOTAL 36 8,380 13,070

Source: Focus Report (October 2004) - uses falling within specific retail trade categories from Experian Goad definitions

Comparing the number of current requirements in Birkenhead with previous years, retailer

demand is shown to have varied considerably since 1996 (48) between a low of 22 in 2002

and highs of 36 in 2001 and 2004.

Street Level Vacancies

Vacancy is low within the Pyramids Centre and is part of the natural retail cycle. In marked

contrast, the Grange Precinct contains a substantial number of unoccupied units – although

this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the centre owner, which is intentionally keeping

units vacant and offering short-term leases in order not to restrict the planned reconfiguration

of the Precinct. Table 1 above shows 53 vacant units within Birkenhead Town Centre, this

represents 16.1% of units and is higher than the national average of 10.3%. However the

amount of vacant floorspace (6,002 sq m) is 1% below the national average of 7.9%.





Commercial Rents and Yields

Information on rents and yields is useful in assessing the health of town centres. Yields

provide a measure of investor confidence in the long term profitability of the centre, while

rental levels reflect demand and, to some extent, the relative popularity of the centre withmultiple traders.

Table 4 below shows the retail yield in Birkenhead decreased (improved) steadily between

1997 and 2000 from 9.5% to a relatively low yield of 7% indicating increased investor

confidence in the town centre. Since 2000 the retail yield has remained consistent at 7%.

Table 4: Retail Yields of Birkenhead

Apr1994 Apr

1996 Apr1998 Apr

2000Apr

2002

Birkenhead

6

7

8

9

10

Period

Yield %

Birkenhead

Birkenhead 8.5 8.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 8.5 8 7.5 7.5 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Apr199

4

Oct199

4

Apr199

5

Oct199

5

Apr199

6

Oct199

6

Apr199

7

Oct199

7

Apr199

8

Oct199

8

Apr199

9

Oct199

9

Apr200

0

Oct200

0

Apr200

1

Oct200

1

Apr200

2

Oct200

2

Apr200

3

Jan200

4

Source: Valuation Office Agency (VOA): Property Market Report (PMR), January 2004 .

Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Birkenhead increased from £807/sq m in 1996 to

£861/sq m in 1997 and then again to £914/sq m in 1998 and rose further to £968/sq m in

1999 before stabilising at £1022/sq m in June 2002.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Birkenhead 1996 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

Birkenhead 807 861 914 968 968 968 1022 1022 1022Source: Focus, Town Centre Reports, October 2004 (The retail rents are based upon Colliers CRE’s opinion of open market Zone A rents).

Accessibility

Birkenhead is connected to the national motorway network by the M53 motorway and the A41

main road connects Birkenhead to Chester. The M53 and the A41 lead to the Kingsway andQueensway tunnels under the River Mersey linking the Wirral to Liverpool.





The two flyovers that project out of the eastern part of Birkenhead Town Centre present a

significant barrier between the Birkenhead Town Centre and the Hind Street/Mollington Street

area, which we consider should be capable of functioning as an edge-of-centre location in the

future. There is generally sufficient car parking available in Birkenhead Town Centre, with theonly shortages occurring at Christmas. The distribution of car parks is also good, with each

concentration of shops served by at least one conveniently located public car park, as well as

on-street parking. Whilst the main town centre Council-operated car parks (the three at Oliver

Street, and those at Exmouth Street and Atherton Street) – and the privately run Pyramids

multi-storey car park – are well used. Quarry Bank car park is not well used and could be

promoted more as an overspill facility.

Birkenhead has a new, covered bus station, and the town centre area benefits from the ‘E1’

electric bus service, which is free and links the main shopping area with Hamilton Square and

Woodside. It provides a local transport link, which is very important to local people, and is

reportedly very popular. Proposals also exist to extend the heritage tramway into Birkenhead

town centre, although this would be costly. There has been a general trend for bus operators

to transfer their services to the new bus station on Conway Street from the Woodside bus

station which as a consequence is now significantly under-utilised. Rail access from New

Brighton and Hoylake/West Wirral was greatly improved by the opening of Conway Park

Station, and together with Birkenhead Central Station (on the Chester/Ellesmere Port line)

means that Birkenhead is highly accessible by train.

Environmental Quality

The public realm, both within and on the approaches to Birkenhead Town Centre, is of a very

poor quality in many respects, and portrays a negative impression to visitors. A key deficiency

is the high degree of dereliction adjacent to all spine routes into/out of the town centre. With

the exception of Europa Square, the pedestrian gateways to the town centre – including all

principal routes between the main car parking areas and the town centre core – are extremely

lowgrade and in need of a substantial upgrade. There has been an ongoing lack ofmaintenance in the public realm and the town centre area is lacking in greenery. Litter is a

major problem in Grange Road, which is in need of comprehensive cleansing and streetscape

enhancements, and the run-down appearance of peripheral shopping areas such as Grange

Road West and Oxton Road further undermines the appearance and atmosphere of the town

centre area.

Council Strategy for Birkenhead





The Council recognise that Birkenhead has lost ground in the wider regional hierarchy since

the mid 1990s. This reflects, in part, the greater progress made in competing centres of

Chester and Liverpool and the competition posed by large out of centre developments such

as Cheshire Oaks. It remains however the Borough’s main shopping centre, complementedby the commercial and cultural area in and around Hamilton Square. Further enhancement of

town centre comparison retailing is recognised as being key to clawing back expenditure from

Liverpool and Chester. While progress has been slower than hoped, the Council remains

committed to maintaining and enhancing Birkenhead’s role as a sub-regional centre and is

working to secure the additional investment and enhancement of its retail offer which will help

facilitate this. The Wirral Unitary Development Plan First Deposit Draft Alterations published

in July 2004 proposes the designation of Birkenhead as a sub-regional centre under Policy

SH1A.

Planning applications have recently been submitted for reconfiguration and extension of the

Grange Shopping Centre in Birkenhead (to include a new department store) and an

application for a food superstore on the Oliver Street Car Parks within the town centre has

been approved by the Council subject to a Section 106 agreement. There is also a smaller

scheme inside the Pyramids for internal reconfiguration to remove the food court to provide 3

new retail units.

The Merseyside Regional Waterfront Park has helped fund the preparation of a masterplan

for the Woodside Ferry Terminal and surrounding area, which identifies potential for mixed

use residential, offices and a hotel with some ancillary retail uses.

The Hind Street Regeneration area, a former gas works to the south of the town centre is

identified by the Council in the First Deposit Alterations to the Wirral UDP as a possible town

centre extension site subject to the creation of a road and pedestrian linkages to the town

centre. This site would provide scope to meet some of the non-food capacity identified by

consultants Roger Tym in the 2004 Wirral Retail Study commissioned by the Council.

The owners of part of the former Camell Laird ship yard have made representations to the

UDP to re-designate the site for mixed-use development and to have it included as part of the

aforementioned extension to Birkenhead town centre. The site is however separated from the

town centre by the A41 Chester Road and the Queensway Tunnel entrance.

Through the Council’s Wirral Waterfront Regeneration initiative, a successful town centre

management project has been established, including the post of Town Centre Manager.

Conclusions on Vitality and Viability





The vast majority of multiple retailers present in Birkenhead town centre are within the middle

and, more frequently, the lower end of the retail spectrum. Birkenhead does not have any

designer fashion outlets; it has only one full-range department store; and the centre is totally

lacking higher-order retailers such as Jaeger, and large stores such as Mango and Zara,which appeal to the more affluent and discerning shopper. Retail property in the town centre

is not of the optimum size/shape to attract the retailers that are missing from the offer. In line

with national trends, retailers are generally seeking larger units. Leisure uses within the town

centre are limited as is the evening economy.

Vacancies have increased in the town centre. However this is by just 809 sq m of floorspace

and 24 units, which can be explained by the vacancies in the Grange Shopping Precinct in

small units inadequate for modern retailing requirements. Investor confidence in Birkenhead

has increased since the late 1990s. Although, the Council has attempted to improve the

evening economy with Hamilton Square as the focus, this provides mainly local night time

facilities and is not likely to attract visitors to Birkenhead.

The proposals to reconfigure the Grange and Pyramids shopping centres will improve the

vacancy level in Birkenhead and the potential town centre extension site would provide

additional non-food retailing, although this is subject to the development plan process and

uncertain due to access issues. Proposals for a new hotel including conference and health

and fitness facilities would partly address the lack of leisure opportunities in Birkenhead.





Bootle Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Bootle contains the second largest shopping centre in Sefton, and is the main centre servingthe south of the Borough. It is located within the Atlantic Gateway Strategic Investment Area

at the junction of the A565 and A5058, and is situated 4 km to the north of Liverpool and 27

km to the south of Southport.

The main focus for Bootle is the Strand Shopping Centre located between Washington

Parade and Stanley Road. This was opened in 1968 and subsequently extended in 1999.

Retail frontages are also located on Stanley Road, although these fulfil a more secondary

role. A farmers’ market takes place at the Millennium Village Green on Stanley Street every

third Thursday of the month.

In addition to its retail function, Bootle Town Centre also comprises a large number of offices

including those occupied by Sefton Council. This creates spin-off trade particularly at lunch

times.

Car parking is concentrated within the two multi-storey car parks; the first within the Strand

Shopping Centre and the second on Delaware Road.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Bootle Town Centre at 2004 and 1994 in

terms of outlet numbers and floorspace and compare these to the national average:

Table 1: Composition of Bootle Town Centre, 2004




Bootle GB Bootle GBConvenience 23 12.6 9.3 5,732 16.4 16.9Comparison 97 53.3 48.0 21,173 60.5 53.1Service 38 20.9 31.1 5,147 14.7 20.7Miscellaneous 1 0.5 1.4 362 1.0 1.4Vacant 23 12.6 10.3 2,592 7.4 7.9TOTAL 182 100 100 35,006 100 100

Bootle Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1








Table 4: Retail Yields of Bootle

Apr1994 Apr

1996 Apr1998 Apr

2000Apr

2002

8

9

10

Period

Bootle

Bootle 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5

Apr1994

Oct1994

Apr1995

Oct1995

Apr1996

Oct1996

Apr1997

Oct1997

Apr1998

Oct1998

Apr1999

Oct1999

Apr2000

Oct2000

Apr2001

Oct2001

Apr2002

Oct2002

Apr2003

Jan2004

Yield %


Table 5 below records the changes in prime pitch Zone A rents in Bootle Town Centre over

the period 1996 to 2004.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Bootle 1996 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

Bootle 484 484 484 484 538 538 592 700 700

Source: Focus, Town Centre Reports, October 2004 (The retail rents are based upon Colliers CRE’sopinion of open market Zone A rents).

Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Bootle have increased steadily between June 1996 and

June 2004 increasing from £484/ sq m to £700/ sq m, increasing to £646/ sq m at June 2003.

This is an indication that the retail market in Bootle has strengthened.

Accessibility and Pedestrian Movement

Bootle is accessible by car from the surrounding area via the A565 which connects the townto Liverpool and Southport, and the A5058 which links the town to the M62. Car parking is

concentrated within the two multi-storey car parks, the first within the Strand Shopping Centre

accessed of Vermont Way, whilst the second is accessed from Delaware Road.

Bootle benefits from proximity to the train station, which is located on the edge of the centre at

Washington Parade. In terms of bus services, the centre is well catered for with various

services to surrounding suburbs and local centres. The main bus station is located under the

Strand Shopping Centre on Stanley Road.

There are an extensive range of transportation works to regenerate and renew Bootle Town





Centre including plans to refurbish the train station and upgrade the Stanley Road bus

corridor and measures to provide better walking and cycle routes for pedestrians. The first

phase of works were complete in April 2004 and Phase 2 works, which include the installation

of new wider pavements, new street lighting, better bus stops and taxi ranks, improved

pedestrian crossing, are due to commence shortly.


The Strand Shopping Centre is a typical two-tiered indoor shopping mall. It is a particularly

unattractive development, but despite this it does have well-maintained street furniture and

shop frontages.

Plans to provide visual and environmental improvements to the centre are underway as part

of the wider transportation works referred to above.

Council Strategy for Bootle

The Council’s current vision for Bootle is set out in the replacement Sefton Unitary

Development Plan. This reached the Pre-Inquiry Changes stage in October 2003.

Policy R1 of this Plan notes that the preferred location for retail development is within the

defined Town, District and Local Centres. Bootle is defined as a town centre, alongside

Southport.

Policy R3 which deals specifically with Bootle Town Centre notes that retail development will

be permitted provided that it is located within the town centre as shown on the Proposals

Map, or if no suitable site exists, on the allocated edge of centre site (TAVR site, Strand

Road) or the Town Centre Opportunity Sites (land on the eastern side of Stanley Road).

Policy R4 notes that the site of the TAVR centre and adjoining land fronting Strand Road are

allocated for a supermarket, other non-food retail development and urban greenspace. TheCouncil is in receipt of a planning application for an Asda foodstore on this site. This awaits

determination.


Bootle is a busy town centre which is aided by the large office sector. It has a strong

comparison and convenience offer, albeit the majority of units are occupied by lower-order

retailers and independents. It is also accessible by all forms of transport.





The centre does suffer from an above average vacancy rate and a low proportion of units

within the service sector. Indeed, the centre has a virtually non-existent leisure/ evening

economy. The environmental quality is also somewhat dated, but significant improvements

are underway.

Measures have been taken by the Council through the Unitary Development Plan process to

allow for the expansion of retailing within Bootle. The Council does not, however, have any

specific plans for the expansion of the leisure sector in Bootle.





Huyton Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Huyton Town Centre is located approximately 11km to the east of Liverpool, with easy accessto the M57, M62 and A57. It is focused on the pedestrianised area of Derby Road, Sherborne

Square and Lansdowne Way. The centre has a large market located to the rear of the

Huyton Place Shopping Centre.

Huyton Town Centre dates primarily from the 1970’s. Within the last 5 years, however, the

western end of Derby Road has seen a significant amount of investment including the new

bus interchange and Mersey-travel ticket and information offices, a McDonalds unit, and a

new retail development. The retail development is now occupied by Peacocks, £-stretcher,

Choices Video and Spec Savers.

The centre benefits from a large modern Asda store, which anchors the town. This has

recently relocated from Lathom Road/ Derby Road to a site on the edge of the centre (off

Lathom Road), providing a development opportunity within the central area, which now

benefits from planning permission for a non-food retail and leisure development. This will

form a large scale expansion to the town centre as a whole.

The centre also performs a strong civic function with the main offices of Knowsley MBC,

government offices and Knowsley Primary Care Trust being located within the central area off

Civic Way. In addition, this area also houses the library, art gallery and the Huyton Suite

function rooms.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Huyton Town Centre at 2004 and 1995 in

terms of outlet numbers and floorspace and compare these to the national average.

Table 1: Composition of Huyton Town Centre, 2004



Huyton GB Huyton GBConvenience 11 14.3 9.3 6345 32.8 16.9Comparison 40 51.9 48.0 9448 48.8 53.1Service 19 24.7 31.1 2471 12.8 20.7Miscellaneous 1 1.3 1.4 548 2.8 1.4Vacant 6 7.8 10.3 539 2.8 7.9TOTAL 77 100 100 19352 100 100Source: Experian Goad (2003)

Huyton Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




Table 2: Composition of Huyton Town Centre, 1995


% of Outlets Floorspace (sq.m)

% of Floorspace

Huyton GB Huyton GBConvenience 10 14 10.5 4,859 31.4 14.8Comparison 38 53.6 50.5 5,797 37.5 53.1Service 15 21.1 24.8 1,802 11.6 19.5Miscellaneous 1 1.4 0.9 1,124 7.2 1.8Vacant 7 9.8 13.6 1,867 12.0 11.0TOTAL 71 100 100 15,450 100 100Source: Experian Goad (1995)

At 2004 it can be seen that the convenience sector is well represented in terms of the number

of units having 14.3% compared to the national average of 9.3%. Convenience floorspace

(32.8%) is also above the national average (16.9%). Looking at the historical position, it can

be seen that the total convenience floorspace has increased from 4,859 sq m in 1995 to

6,345 in 2004. The total number of convenience outlets has also increased from 10 units to11 units over the same period.

The comparison sector in Huyton is also performing well at 2004, with the proportion of

outlets (51.9%) being above the national average (48.0%). However, the proportion of

comparison floorspace (48.8%) is also below the national average (53.1%). Total comparison

floorspace is estimated at 9,448 sq m gross. The comparison sector has increased in the last

10 years from 38 units or 5,797 sq m gross in 1995 to 40 units or 9,448 sq m in 2004.

The proportion of service units and floorspace in Huyton is significantly below the national

average. Service units amount to 24.7% compared to 31.1% and service floorspace amounts

to 12.8% compared to 20.7%. The service sector has increased over the last 10 years from

15 units or 1,802 sq m of floorspace in 1995 to 19 units or 2,471 sq m of floorspace in 2004.

Overall, the number of retail outlets and floorspace has increased in Huyton over the last 1-0

years. There were some 71 units or 15,450 sq m of floorspace in 1995 increasing to 77 units

or 19,352 sq m gross in 2004.


Huyton Town Centre has a modest representation of high street retailers, including Boots and

Asda. However, the centre is characterised by the retailers satisfying the lower end of the

market with names such as Poundstretcher, Brighthouse, Ethel Austin, Bon Marche, New

Look and Peacocks.

The centre has a strong representation of independent traders which are mainly located in the

smaller premises particularly around Sherborne Square. These primarily serve the lower endof the market






businesses seeking representation in Huyton (although a single retailer may express more

than one requirement in a town centre for different sizes of units) seeking up to 3,716 sq m

(gross) of floorspace. With regard to the comparison sector, there are 10 requirementsseeking up to 3,391 sq m (gross) of floorspace. Retailers with current requirements include

Argos.

Table 3: Summary of Retailer Requirements within Huyton Town Centre, 2004 Number of



(sq. m)Convenience 1 204 325Comparison 10 1719 3,391Service - - -TOTAL 11 1923 3716

Source: Focus Report (October 2004) - uses falling within specific retail trade categories from ExperianGoad definitions

Retailer demand Huyton has fluctuated over the last 10 years, with the lowest points being

April 1999 and October 2000 when only 4 retailers were seeking representation. Retailer

demand appears to have peaked in April 1997 when 14 operators were seeking

representation.


In 2004 there were some 6 vacant units in Huyton Town Centre, accounting for just 7.8% oftotal units which is significantly below the national average of 11.3%. As a proportion of total

floorspace, vacancies account for 539 sq m gross or 2.8% which is also below the national

average (7.9%). Comparing this to the 1995 position, it can be seen that vacancies have

actual declined. In 1995 there were 7 vacant units accounting for some 1,867 sq m gross of

floorspace. Vacancies are dispersed throughout the centre, although a concentration of such

units is starting to form at the west side of Derby Road near to the Post Office.


Information on commercial rents is not widely available for Huyton Town Centre. Some basic

information on rental levels has been supplied by the Town Centre Manager. These indicate

that rental levels are between £33,000-75,000 per annum on Derby Road and between

£15,000- £32,000 per annum on Lansdowne Way.

No information on yields is currently available for Huyton Town Centre.





Accessibility

Access to the centre by car is good, being located in close proximity to the M62, M67 and

A57. Car parks are convenient and well distributed around the town centre, although there

has been a reduction in the number of spaces following the Asda relocation.

Huyton has a new central bus station located behind Huyton Hey Road, and is close to the

main shopping core. There is also an important train station; this is located in close proximity

to the town centre off Derby Road. The station provides access to the Merseyrail network,

with services to Liverpool Lime Street, St Helens, Wigan NW and Preston via all local stations

with services to each at least every half an hour. The station is well located to the bus station,

providing a well integrated transport system for the town centre.

Pedestrian links to the surrounding residential areas, particularly to the north and east are

good. These are within easy walking distance of the town centre.


Huyton Town Centre is characterised by various multi-purpose units dating from the 1970s. In

the last 5 years, the Council have invested significant resources into improving the public

realm which has in turn helped to improve the centre’s general appearance.

The whole of Derby Street in the town centre has been made a pedestrian priority area by the

Council, thereby materially enhancing the townscape quality and providing a safe and

pleasant environment for shoppers. Signage throughout the centre is excellent. It also has a

high degree of landscaping, lighting, planting and furniture provision.

In general the standard of cleanliness of the town centre is high, with little evidence of litter, fly

posting and graffiti throughout the centre.

Council Strategy for Huyton

The development plan for Huyton comprises the Knowsley UDP adopted in 1998. Policy S1

of this allows retail development within the town centre and Proposed Shopping and

Commercial Areas. Three major development sites are allocated on the Proposal’s Map.

These include: Lathom Road (allocated by Policy S6 as being suitable for retail warehousing

and leisure uses), Poplar Bank (allocated by Policy S7 for commercial and financial offices

uses) and Derby Road (allocated by policy S8 for retail or commercial uses). All of these

sites have now come forward for development.





The Council’s current vision for Huyton is set out in the replacement UDP which reached its

first Deposit Draft stage in October 2003. This Plan sets out a hierarchy of centres within

Knowsley with Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot being identified as the Borough’s town centres.

Policy S1 of the replacement UDP notes that the Council will keep under review the need forfuture shopping and leisure development in Knowsley. It further states that the preferred

location for new retail and leisure development is within existing town, district and local

centres. The supporting text to this policy notes that the Knowsley Town Centre & Shopping

Survey (2002) identified the need for a major development of up to 9,000 sq m for food

retailing in Kirkby and a minimum of 7,000 sq m of comparison goods retailing to be split

between Kirkby, Prescot and Huyton town centres.

Policy S3 deals with Huyton Town Centre. This notes that Huyton is an appropriate location

for new development, redevelopment and/ or improvement of existing buildings for new retail,

assembly and leisure and other town centre uses which are appropriate in scale and nature to

the role and function of the town. The policy further notes that the Council will grant

permission for the redevelopment of the site of the former Asda store at Lathom Road/ Derby

Road, Huyton or re-use the existing buildings for a mixture of town centre uses. Planning

permission has recently been granted on this site for a major non-food retail and leisure

development.


Huyton is a lower order centre, with a large proportion of units such as Brighthouse,

Superseconds and £-stretcher serving the discount sector. Despite this, the centre does

appear to be thriving having a low vacancy rate and also having seen a significant amount of

private and public sector investment in recent years.

Developer confidence in the centre is particularly demonstrated by the recent relocation of the

Asda and the plans to re-develop the former Asda site for a large scale retail and leisure

complex. This will form a significant expansion to the town centre.





Liverpool City Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Liverpool City Centre is a regional shopping centre that serves Merseyside and parts ofLancashire, North Cheshire and North Wales. Liverpool is a historic metropolitan city centre

benefiting from a whole range of cultural, leisure, civic and tourist functions.

The main focus for retailing in the city centre is the pedestrianised Church Street, Parker

Street and Bold Street. The centre also has two purpose built shopping malls: the St John’s

Centre (Wilkinsons, Argos) and Clayton Square Shopping Mall (Virgin, Boots, M&S and John

Lewis). An indoor market is located within the St John’s Centre.

In addition to its retail offer, Liverpool has a number of tourist attractions located close to the

City Centre including the two cathedrals, the Walker and Tate Art Galleries, museums and the

Albert Dock. In addition, the centre has numerous theatres (Empire, Playhouse, Neptune and

Everyman) and two cinemas (the Odeon and the independent Picturehouse at FACT). Like

most major cities, there are also lots of restaurants, casinos, pubs and nightclubs within the

central area leading to a thriving evening economy.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Liverpool town centre at 2004 and 1994 in


Table 1: Composition of Liverpool Central Town Centre, 2004


% of Outlets Floorspace(sq. m)

% of Floorspace

LiverpoolCentral

GB LiverpoolCentral

GB

Convenience 49 7.2 9.3 13,081 7.7 16.9Comparison 374 54.8 48.0 108,613 64.0 53.1Service 179 26.2 31.1 29,840 17.6 20.7

Miscellaneous 9 1.3 1.4 1,877 1.1 1.4Vacant 71 10.4 10.3 16,239 9.6 7.9TOTAL 682 100 100 169,650 100 100


Liverpool City Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




Table 2: Composition of Liverpool Central Town Centre, 1994


% of Outlets Floorspace(sq. m)

% of Floorspace

LiverpoolCentral

GB LiverpoolCentral

GB

Convenience 44 6.2 10.5 7,302 4.6 14.8Comparison 372 52.8 50.5 103,541 65.8 53.1Service 142 20.1 24.8 20,374 12.9 19.5Miscellaneous 5 0.7 0.9 1,208 0.7 1.8Vacant 141 20.0 13.6 24,879 15.8 11.0TOTAL 704 100 100 157,304 100 100


It can be seen that at 2004 the convenience sector is under represented in terms of the

number of units having 7.2% compared to the national average of 9.3%. Likewise, the

proportion of convenience floorspace (7.7%) is also below the national average (16.9%).

Comparing this to the historical position, it can be seen that total convenience floorspace has

increased in the last 10 years. In 1994 when there were 44 units or 13,081 sq m of

floorspace. This increased to 49 units or 7,302 sq m of floorspace in 2004.

The comparison sector in Liverpool Central at 2004 performs better, with the proportion of

comparison units (54.8%) being above the national average (48.0%) and the proportion of

comparison floorspace (64.0%) being at the national average. It can be seen that comparison

retailing in Liverpool has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years. In 1994 there were

372 comparison units amounting to some 103,541sq m of floorspace. This increased

marginally to 374 units or 108,613 sq m gross of floorspace by 2004.

At 2004, the proportion of service units and floorspace in Liverpool is below the national

average. Service units amount to 26.2% compared to 31.1% and service floorspace amounts

to 17.6% compared to 20.7%. In comparing this to the historical position, it can be seen that

the amount of service floorspace and units have increased between 1994 and 2004. In 1994

there were 142 units accounting for 20,374 sq m of floorspace. By 2004 this had increased to

179 units or 29,840 sq m gross floorspace.

Overall, the retail sector in Liverpool has increased in terms of the level of floorspace from

157,304 sq m of floorspace in 1994 to 169,650 sq m of floorspace in 2004. Despite this, the

number of units has declined from 704 to 682 within this same period. This is no doubt a

reflection of the fact that most retailers now require larger units, and consequently a single

retailer may occupy two or more units as a single frontage.


Liverpool contains a good representation of national multiple retailers. In the comparisonsector, leading national multiples include John Lewis, Lewis’s, Virgin, Boots, Marks &





Spencer, Oasis, Principles, Next, Monsoon, Kookai, Dune and Ravel. There are also a large

proportion of independent retailers, particularly within the St John’s Centre. Despite the size

of Liverpool, the centre only currently has one department store, which is seen as a deficiency

of the City. The centre also does not have many ‘quality’ retailers serving the upper end of

the market.


businesses seeking representation in Liverpool (although a single retailer may express more


(gross) of floorspace. With regard to the comparison sector, there are 89 requirements


Austin Reed, B&Q, Claire’s Accessories, Elle Womenswear, The Futon Company,

Gamestation, House of Frazer, Knickerbox, La Senza and TK Maxx.

Table 3: Summary of Retailer Requirements within Liverpool Central Town Centre, 2004 Number of



(sq. m)Convenience 7 1,040 1,612Comparison 89 67,552 106,241Service 56 12,017 15,867TOTAL 152 80,609 123,720


Retailer demand in Liverpool has risen over the last 10 years from 64 in January 1994 to its

current requirement of 152.


At 2004 there were some 71 (10.4%) vacant units in Liverpool City Centre, which is below the

national average of 11.3%. As a proportion of total floorspace, vacancies amounted to some

16,239 sq m (9.6%) which is above the national average (7.9%). The level of vacancies

within Liverpool has declined significantly over the last 10 years. In 1994 there were 141

vacant units accounting for 24,879 sq m gross of floorspace.




rental levels reflect demand and, to some extent, the relative popularity of the centre with

multiple traders.

Table 4 below indicates that yields in Liverpool have remained at the 5.25% mark since

October 1998, indicating consistent investor confidence in the centre.





Table 4: Retail Yields of Liverpool Central

Apr1994 Apr

1996 Apr1998 Apr

2000Apr

2002

Liverpool

4

5

6

Period

Yield %

Liverpool

Liverpool 5.7 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25

Apr199

4

Oct199

4

Apr199

5

Oct199

5

Apr199

6

Oct199

6

Apr199

7

Oct199

7

Apr199

8

Oct199

8

Apr199

9

Oct199

9

Apr200

0

Oct200

0

Apr200

1

Oct200

1

Apr200

2

Oct200

2

Apr200

3

Jan200

4


Table 5 below records the changes in prime pitch Zone A rents in Liverpool City Centre over

the period 1996 to 2004.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Liverpool 1994 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

Liverpool 1,668 1,884 2,045 2,691 2,691 2,691 2,853 2,960 2,960


Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Liverpool have increased steadily between June 1996

and June 2004 increasing from £1,668/ sq m to £2,960/ sq m.

Accessibility

Liverpool City Centre is located at the end of the M62 and M58 connecting it to Wigan,

Warrington and Manchester. Liverpool is also linked to many arterial routes including the

A561 to Runcorn, the A57 to Warrington, the A580 to St Helens, the A59 to Ormskirk and the

A565 to Bootle and Southport.

Liverpool is well catered for by a number of bus companies, operating routes all over the city.The City Centre has two major bus stations at Paradise Street Bus Station and the Queen







including edge of centre sites provided that a number of criteria are met. An application at

Kings Dock for a multi-use arena and other D2 uses, retail space, A3 uses, two hotels and

residential units has recently been granted planning permission by the City Council.


Although Liverpool is a thriving city, it is smaller than would be expected of a centre serving a

sub-regional role. The retail offer within the city centre is good, with a large proportion of

multiple and independent retailers. Despite this, it is clear that the centre could benefit from

further investment in the retail sector, particularly from department store operators such as

Debenhams or House of Frazer. The centre also does not cater for the designer market

which is expected of a city of Liverpool’s size and status.

With regard to the leisure sector it is clear that the centre does have a lively evening

economy, having numerous bars, restaurants and nightclubs, and from a more cultural point

of view, the centre also has a theatre and cinema.

The Paradise Street and Kings Dock proposals provide significant opportunities for the

expansion of Liverpool’s retail and leisure sectors.





Runcorn - Halton Lea Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Halton Lea Town Centre is located in Halton Unitary Authority in Cheshire and was built asthe town centre for Runcorn New Town in 1971.

The town centre comprises a seventies purpose built shopping centre comprising of a retail

level on the second floor, with shops on four walkways, with office and cultural facilities

above, servicing below and 4 peripheral multi-storey parking structures. The centre was

planned as a natural meeting place for the town’s social and cultural life. However, since the

first shops opened the centre has failed to develop much beyond a shopping and office

complex and the first floor is now completely vacant with the exception of the Straw Hat pub.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Halton Lea Town Centre in terms of outlet

numbers and floorspace and compare these to the national average:

Table 1: Composition of Runcorn - Halton Lea Town Centre, 2004


Table 2: Composition of Runcorn- Halton Lea Town Centre, 1995Sector No. of


Runcorn -Halton Lea GB Runcorn -Halton Lea GBConvenience 29 12.2 10.5 10,210 22.0 14.8Comparison 126 53.1 50.5 25,465 54.9 53.1Service 50 21.1 24.8 5,825 12.5 19.5Miscellaneous 2 0.8 0.9 139 0.3 1.8Vacant 30 12.6 13.6 4,673 10.0 11.0TOTAL 237 100 100 46,312 100 100


Halton Lea Town Centre has 112 outlets in 49,703 sq m of floorspace. Convenience outlets

constitute 9.8% which is slightly above the GB average (9.3%) and convenience floorspace

accounts for 27% which is well above the GB average (16.9%). Comparison floorspacerepresents 38.5% of floorspace in the town significantly below the average of 53.1% and



Runcorn -Halton Lea GB Runcorn -Halton Lea GB

Convenience 11 9.8 9.3 13,425 27.0 16.9Comparison 47 42.0 48.0 19,147 38.5 53.1Service 20 17.9 31.1 5,073 10.2 20.7Miscellaneous 1 0.9 1.4 279 0.6 1.4Vacant 33 29.5 10.3 11,780 23.7 7.9TOTAL 112 100 100 49,703 100 100

Runcorn /Halton Lea Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




comparison outlets account for 42% which is also below the GB average of 48%. Service

provision in Halton is low accounting for just 10.2% of floorspace less than half the average of

20.7% and the proportion of service outlets is also low at 17.9% compared with an average of

31.1%.

When the composition of the town centre is examined over time it is evident that there has

been an increase in floorspace of 3391 sq m and a reduction of 125 units, which is more than

half. There has been a significant reduction in the amount of comparison floorspace reducing

by 6,318 sq m and 79 units over a ten year period. The number of convenience outlets has

also declined (by 18 units, more than half) however there has been an increase in

convenience floorspace by 3,215 sq m. Likewise although the number of service outlets has

fallen from 50 to 20 the overall reduction in floorspace only accounts for 752 sq m suggesting

a reconfiguration of units to provide larger spaces.


The multiple retailers present within the centre are at the lower discount end of the retail

spectrum including New Look, Argos, Boots, Woolworths, WH Smiths, Ethel Austin,

Peacocks, Poundland, JD Sports, All Sports, Home Bargains and Superdrug.


businesses seeking representation in Halton Lea Town Centre (although a single retailer may

express more than one requirement in a town centre for different sizes of units) seeking up to

6,083 sq m (gross) of floorspace. There is a requirement for 13 retailers in the comparison

sector, seeking up to 4,273 sq m (gross) of floorspace. Retailers with current requirements

include 99p shop, Giorgio Menswear, Gift Tree, Choices Video, Claire’s Accessories,

Hobbycraft and Pets at Home.

Table 3: Summary of Retailer Requirements within Halton Lea Town Centre, 2004 Number of



(sq. m)Convenience 3 817 1,207Comparison 13 2,183 4,273Service 4 487 603TOTAL 20 3,487 6,083

Source: Focus Report (October 2004) - uses falling within specific retail trade categories from Experian Goad

definitions

Comparing the number of current requirements in Halton Lea with previous years, retailer

demand has ranged between lows of 15 in 1997 and another high of 20 in October 2001.






With 33 vacant units the vacancy rate is high in Halton Lea. At 29.5% it is more than double

the national average of 10.3%. Also at 23.7% the percentage of vacant floorspace in the

centre is more than 3 times the national average of 7.9%. The majority of the vacancies

however are situated in the north-east quadrant of the centre along Meadow Walk as units

are not currently being let due to plans for the re-configuration of the centre in this area toaccommodate a large space user.





multiple traders.

Table 4 below shows the retail yield in Halton Lea are high (above 10% indicates low investor

confidence in a centre). Between 1994 and 1996 the yield was 12%. In 1997 the yield

dropped half a percentage point to 11.5 and remained consistent until 2001. Information from

the Valuation Office Agency for 2001 and onwards indicates that the yield has remained

above 10% but no exact figures are given from 2001 onwards.

Table 2: Retail Yields of Runcorn - Halton Lea

Apr1994

Apr1996

Apr1998

Apr2000

8

9

10

11

12

13

Period

Halton Lea

Halton Lea 12 12 12 12 12 12 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5 11.5

Apr1994

Oct1994

Apr1995

Oct1995

Apr1996

Oct1996

Apr1997

Oct1997

Apr1998

Oct1998

Apr1999

Oct1999

Apr2000

Oct2000

Apr2001

Oct2001

Yield %


Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Halton Lea increased from £430 sq m in 2000 to £592

sq m increasing again to £645 sq m in 2003.





Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Halton Lea 1996 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

HaltonLea

430 430 430 430 430 592 592 645 645

Source: Focus, Town Centre Reports, October 2004 (The retail rents are based upon Colliers CRE’s opinion of open market Zone A rents).

Accessibility

The centre has 2,200 free car parking spaces in four multi-storey blocks built onto the edge of

the town centre with surface level car parking also available adjacent to the Trident Retail

Park. The multi-storey car parks have recently been refurbished and are recognised by the

police as ‘secure car parks’. However the entrance from Meadow Parking is uninviting mainly

due to the empty units along Meadow Walk.

Halton Lea is well served by bus with drop off and pick up on the first floor from the elevated

dedicated busways into the north and south of the centre. However, the first floor bus waiting

areas are poorly signed and present a somewhat stark and intimidating atmosphere,

heightened by their location on the first floor away from the main shopping mall.

Pedestrian access is separated from the surrounding road system by unattractive high level

walkways.


Although some alterations to the original seventies fabric of the centre have been made by

the new owner, in particular the links to the Trident Retail Park, and it is well maintained and

well lit with plenty of seating provision, the centre has an outdated ‘discount’ feel to it

compounded by the high level of vacancies. The proposed extension / reconfiguration will

enable modernisation of part of Halton Lea which will improve the quality of the environment

and shopping experience in the town.

As referred to above the separate pedestrian and bus access to the centre does not work

particularly well and has led to a high perception of crime and disorder in these areas. The

car parks have had recent improvements which have led to a reduction of crime and disorder

and eradication of the fear of crime with usage of the car parks seeing an increase as a result.

Council Strategy for Halton Lea

Halton Lea functions as the main town centre within Runcorn, primarily serving those areas

south of the River Mersey including the New Town housing estates of Halton Brook, Halton





Lodge, Palacefields, Murdishaw, Norton etc. Halton Lea’s potential catchment is limited by

major competing centres including Chester and Manchester which are easily accessible via

the M56. The original 1971 central structure has been complemented by the addition of a

free-standing Asda superstore to the north west and the Trident Retail and Leisure Park to the

south.

The Council has aspirations to consolidate upon the refurbishment of the existing Shopping

City and the development of the Trident Retail Park to stabilise and improve the trading

position so that it fulfils the role as the main centre of attraction for Runcorn and the

surrounding villages, without becoming unduly dominant to the detriment of Runcorn Old

Town Centre or Widnes Town Centre. The current convenience offer is compromised in

terms of its age, format and design and could benefit from renewal.


The indicators set out above do not paint a picture of a thriving town centre. Investor

confidence and commercial rents are low, vacancies are high and the environmental quality of

the centre is poor. Also the range of shops available is at the lower end of the retail

spectrum. However, the centre appears to be well patronised and as it is situated in a

deprived area it serves the needs of the local population.

The planned reconfiguration of the centre will improve the situation with regard to vacancies

and environmental improvements. There are no plans in future to provide leisure uses at the

centre.





St Helens Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


St Helens Town Centre is formed at the junctions of the A58 (Prescot Road), the A570(Corporation Street) and the A571 (College Street/ King Street). It is located 30 km to the

north east of Liverpool and 17 km to the north west of Warrington.

The centre is focused on the pedestrianised area of Church Street, Market Street, Hardshaw

Street and Barrow Street, with the prime retail frontages being located within with the Church

Square and Hardshaw Centre shopping centres. The Hardshaw Centre consists of a single

storey mall anchored by two department stores, Marks and Spencer and T J Hughes. The

Church Square Shopping Centre comprises four interlinked arcades, which is anchored by

Boots and BHS and also contains a large indoor market.

The centre extends further to the south along Bridge Street and to the north to include

Ormskirk Street, Baldwin Street, Claughton Street, Westfield Street and Duke Street. These

areas perform a more secondary role.

In addition to its retail offer, St Helens also has a wide range of leisure and tourism uses. The

St Helens Theatre Royal is local on Corporation Street, Cineworld is located at Chalon Way

West, the Citadel Arts Centre is located on Waterloo Street, and the World of Glass is located

on Chalon Way East. In addition, the centre has a number of bars and restaurants.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of St Helens Town Centre at 2004 and 1994 in


Table 1: Composition of St Helens Town Centre, 2004




St Helens GB St Helens GBConvenience 38 10.6 9.3 21,024 23.2 16.9Comparison 178 49.6 48.0 48,180 53.1 53.1Service 110 30.6 31.1 14,344 15.8 20.7Miscellaneous 4 1.1 1.4 641 0.7 1.4Vacant 29 8.1 10.3 6,494 7.2 7.9TOTAL 359 100 100 90,683 100 100

St Helens Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




Table 2: Composition of St Helens Town Centre, 1994



% of Floorspace

St Helens GB St Helens GBConvenience 37 11.3 10.5 16,193 19.0 14.8Comparison 185 54.9 50.5 49,192 57.9 53.1Service 77 23.6 24.8 11,622 13.7 19.5Miscellaneous 3 0.9 0.9 2,341 2.7 1.8Vacant 23 7 13.6 5,491 6.4 11.0TOTAL 325 100 100 84,839 100 100Source: Experian Goad (1994)

At 2004, the convenience sector has an above average number of units having 10.6%

compared to the national average of 9.3%. Likewise, the proportion of convenience

floorspace (23.2%) is also above the national average (16.9%). Looking at the historical

position, it can be seen that the convenience sector in St Helens has increased from 37 units

or 16,193 sq m in 1993 to 38 units or 21,024 sq m at 2004.

The comparison sector at 2004 is also well represented. The proportion of comparison units

(49.6%) is above the national average (48.0%). The proportion of comparison floorspace

(53.1%) is at the national average. Looking at the historical position, it can be seen that the

comparison sector has declined since 1993 both in terms of the amount of floorspace and the

number of units. Comparison floorspace has fallen from 49,192 sq m in 1993 to 48,180 sq m

in 2004. The number of units has reduced from 185 in 1993 to 178 in 2004.

The proportion of service units and floorspace in St Helens is below the national average at

2004. Service units amount to 30.6% compared to 31.1% and service floorspace amounts to

15.8% compared to 20.7%. In comparing the two tables, it can be seen that the service sector

has grown significantly between 1993 and 2004. The total service floorspace rose from

11,622 sq m in 1993 to 14,344 sq m in 2004. The number of service units increased from 77

in 1993 to 110 in 2004.

Overall, it can be seen that the retail provision within St Helen’s Town Centre has increased

over the last 10 years both in terms of the total amount of floorspace and the number of unitswithin the town centre. There were 325 units in 1993 amounting to some 84,839sq m of

floorspace. By 2004, this had risen to 359 units or 90,683 sq m of floorspace. The most

significant increase has been in the service sector.


St Helens contains a large number of national multiple retailers. In the comparison sector,

leading national multiples include Marks and Spencer, WH Smith, Boots, Next, Wallis, Index,

Argos, Early Learning Centre, Woolworths, T J Hughes and BHS. The centre also has agood representation of independent units.






businesses seeking representation in St Helens (although a single retailer may express more


(gross) of floorspace. With regard to the comparison sector, there are 21 requirementsseeking up to 11,436 sq m (gross) of floorspace. Retailers with current requirements include

Argos, La Senza, Carphone Warehouse, Hobbycraft, Peacocks stores.

Table 3: Summary of Retailer Requirements within St Helens Town Centre, 2004 Number of



(sq. m)Convenience 4 385 627Comparison 21 5,605 11,436Service 11 2,095 4,171TOTAL 36 8,085 16,234


Retailer demand in St Helens has fluctuated over the last 10 years. This peaked at April 1999,

April 2000 and October 2000 when there were 42 requirements.


At 2004 there were 29 vacant units or 8.1% in St Helens Town Centre, which is significantly

below the national average of 11.3%. As a proportion of total floorspace, vacancies account

for 6,494 sq m or 7.2% which is also below the national average of 7.9%. The level ofvacancies has increased since 1993 when there were 23 such units accounting for 5,491 sq

m of floorspace.

Concentrations of vacancies can be found in secondary areas such as Ormskirk Street.

These are, however, in a reasonable state of repair.





multiple traders.

Table 4 below indicates that yields in St Helens have remained around the 7.0% mark since

October 1994, indicating consistent investor confidence in the centre.





Table 4: Retail Yields of St Helens

Apr1994 Apr

1996 Apr1998 Apr

2000Apr

2002

6

7

8

Period

St Helens

Lancaster 7.25 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Apr1994

Oct1994

Apr1995

Oct1995

Apr1996

Oct1996

Apr1997

Oct1997

Apr1998

Oct1998

Apr1999

Oct1999

Apr2000

Oct2000

Apr2001

Oct2001

Apr2002

Oct2002

Apr2003

Jan2004

Yield %


Table 5 below records the changes in prime pitch Zone A rents in St Helens Town Centre

over the period 1996 to 2004.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in St Helens 1996 -2004

Centre DateJune‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

St Helens 753 807 914 969 1,076 1,076 1,076 1,076 1,076Source: Focus, Town Centre Reports, October 2004 (The retail rents are based upon Colliers CRE’sopinion of open market Zone A rents).

This indicates that Zone A rents in St Helens have increased steadily between June 1996 and

June 2000 increasing from £753/ sq m to £1,076/ sq m. Since this time, rental levels have

remained static.

Accessibility

St Helens is accessible by car from the surrounding area via the A58, A570 and A571. The

town centre is well served by car parks. Multi-storey car parks can be found within the Church

Square and Hardshaw Centre Shopping Centres. Other car parks are located to the north off

North John Street and Baldwin Street. Shoppers can also use the Safeway surface level car

par which is located on the edge of the town centre. This is, however, closed while the store

undergoes re-branding.





The main bus station and shoppers taxi rank are located to the north of the Hardshaw Centre

on Hall Street. The main railway station is located 250m to the east of the town centre on

Shaw Street. All public transport facilities are well related to the main shopping areas.

Accessibility on foot appears to be good with directional signage and town centre planslocated throughout the centre.


It is clear that a lot of investment has taken place within St Helens Town Centre. There is

new street paving throughout the pedestrianised areas. In addition, soft landscaping and

street furniture is provided throughout.

The centre is clean and inviting, with the pedestrianised streets providing a safe environment

for shoppers. There is little evidence of graffiti and litter.

Council Strategy for St Helens

The St Helens Unitary Development Plan was adopted in July 1998. The UDP states that St

Helens Town Centre is the main focal point for the Borough. It notes that this serves as a

major shopping and commercial area, an administrative centre and the focus of the Borough’s

transport network. Consequently the plan notes that continued regeneration and

improvement of the town centre is an essential part of the Council’s economic and

environmental strategy with the overall aim being to make the town centre a more attractive

place to work, live or shop in or to visit.

Policy TC1 of the UDP notes that new shopping developments, including the expansion of

existing facilities, within the central shopping area will be allowed. Policy TC4 then goes on to

allocate various sites for development.

Policy TC10 sets out various traffic management initiatives which the Council hope toimplement within the town centre. These include measures for further pedestrianisation and

removal of through-traffic.

The Council has recently instructed consultants to prepare a strategy for the town centre.

This will consider redevelopment and expansion options for St Helens from both a retail and

leisure perspective.






St Helens is a thriving town centre, with a good representation from multiple and independent

retailers and a reasonably high demand for premises. This is reflected by the particularly low

level of vacancies. It is also a very accessible town having conveniently located bus and railstations within a short walk of the prime shopping streets.

The Council strategy seeks to build upon the current retail and leisure offer within the centre,

and has recently appointed consultants to look at this for them.





Southport Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Southport is the main shopping centre for the north of the Borough. It is located on the A565which links the centre with Liverpool (19 km to the south) and Preston (58 km to the north

east). The main shopping facilities are located along Chapel Street, Eastbank Street and

Lord Street, and are the focus of the main pedestrian activity. Three foodstores (Morrisons,

Sainsbury and Waitrose) anchor the town along with the Broadbents and Boothroyds

department store.

In addition to the retail offer, Southport also has a wide range of cultural and leisure uses

within and on the edge of the centre. These include a Mecca Bingo, Grand Casino Library

and Arts Centre all of which are located on Lord Street. There are also a large proportion of

hotels, along with tourist attractions including Dunes and the Pleasure Park.

A mixture of on-street and off-street car parking is distributed throughout the centre. The

main provision is located at Kingsway, Tulketh Street, London Street and Hill Street.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Southport Town Centre at 2004 and 1994 in


Table 1: Composition of Southport Town Centre, 2004



Southport GB Southport GBConvenience 53 7.7 9.3 22,548 17.0 16.9Comparison 353 51.6 48.0 70,318 53.0 53.1Service 212 31.0 31.1 27,964 21.1 20.7Miscellaneous 6 0.9 1.4 1,524 1.1 1.4Vacant 60 8.8 10.3 10,201 7.7 7.9

TOTAL 684 100 100 132,554 100 100Source: Experian Goad (2004)

Table 2: Composition of Southport Town Centre, 1994



% of Floorspace

Southport GB Southport GBConvenience 57 8 10.5 14,567 10.8 14.8Comparison 380 53.9 50.5 79,562 59.3 53.1Service 181 25.6 24.8 27,026 20.1 19.5Miscellaneous 3 0.4 0.9 1,830 1.3 1.8Vacant 84 11.9 13.6 11,037 8.2 11.0TOTAL 648 100 100 134,022 100 100Source: Experian Goad (1994)

Southport Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




It can be seen that in 2004 the convenience sector is under represented in terms of the

number of units having 7.7% compared to the national average of 9.3%. Despite this, the

proportion of convenience floorspace (17.0%) is just above the national average (16.9%).

Looking at the historical position, it is evident that the amount of convenience floorspace inthe centre has almost doubled in the last 10 years. In 1994 there was some 14,567 sq m

which had increased to 22,548 sq m by 2004. Despite this, the number of convenience units

has declined within this same period from 57 units in 1994 to 53 in 2004.

The comparison sector in Southport performs better, with the proportion of outlets and

floorspace in this category above the national average. The proportion of comparison units

(51.6%) is above the national average (48.0%). However, the proportion of comparison

floorspace (53.0%) is just below the national average (53.1%). Over the last 10 years, it can

be seen that the comparison sector has declined from having 380 units totalling some 79,562

sq m to 353 units or 70,318 sq m by 2004.

The proportion of service units in Southport is at the national average 31.0% compared to

31.1%. Service floorspace is just above the national average at 21.1% compared to 20.7%.

The service sector in Southport has increased marginally over the last 10 years. In 1994

there was some 181 units amounting to some 27,026 sq m. By 2004, this had increased to

212 units totalling some 27,964 sq m gross.

Overall, it can be seen that retail provision in Southport has declined over the last 10 years in

terms of the amount of floorspace. There was some 134,022 sq min 1994, which had declined

to 132,554 in 2004. The number of units has, however, increased during this period from 648

in 1994 to 684 in 2004.


Southport has a very large representation of high street multiples. These include Boots,

Marks and Spencers, Mothercare, Top Shop, Sainsburys, Principles, Superdrug, HMV, BHS,Thorntons, River Island and Waterstones.

The centre is also characterised by important discount retailers such as TK Maxx, Bon

Marche, Ethel Austin and Wilkinsons. There are a large number of independent retailers in

the town.


businesses seeking representation in Southport (although a single retailer may express more






(gross) of floorspace. With regard to the comparison sector, there are 36 requirements

seeking up to 36,760 sq m (gross) of floorspace.

Retailers with current requirements include Argos, B&Q, Holland and Barrett, Laura Ashley

and Ponden Mill.

Table 3: Summary of Retailer Requirements within Southport Town Centre, 2004 Number of



(sq. m)Convenience 6 660 1,003Comparison 36 17,168 36,760Service 16 10,033 10,906TOTAL 58 27,861 48,669


Retailer demand in Southport has increased since November 1996 when there were 41

requirements.


In 2004 there were some 60 vacant units in Southport Town Centre, accounting for 8.8% of

total units which is below the national average of 11.3%. As a proportion of total floorspace,

vacancies account for 10,201 sq m or 7.7% which is also below the national average (7.9%).

Over the last 10 years, the level of vacancies has declined. In 1994 there were 84 units

amounting to some 11,037 sq m.





multiple traders.

Figure 4 below indicates that yields in Southport are currently at 7.0% and have been at this

level since October 2002. Prior to this, yields were at a low of 6.25%. This reflects a recent

decline in investor confidence in the centre.





Table 4 Retail Yields of Southport

Apr1994 Apr

1996 Apr1998 Apr

2000Apr

2002

Southport

6

7

8

Period

Yield %

Southport

Southport 7.5 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6.5 6.5 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 7 7 7

Apr1994

Oct1994

Apr1995

Oct1995

Apr1996

Oct1996

Apr1997

Oct1997

Apr1998

Oct1998

Apr1999

Oct1999

Apr2000

Oct2000

Apr2001

Oct2001

Apr2002

Oct2002

Apr2003

Jan2004


Table 5 below records the changes in prime pitch Zone A rents in Southport Town Centre

over the period 1996 to 2004.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Southport 1996 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

Southport 1,023 1,023 1,076 1,184 1,184 1,076 969 915 861


Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Southport have fluctuated over the last 8 years peaking

at £1,184/ sq m between June 1999 and June 2000. Rental levels have reduced to £861/ sq

m at June 2004 indicating that the retail market in Southport has weakened.

Accessibility and Pedestrian Movement

Southport is accessible by car from the surrounding area via the A565 which links the town to

Liverpool and Preston. There is currently a good mixture of both on-street and off-street

parking dispersed around the town centre. The main provision is concentrated at Kingsway

(720), Tulketh Street (500), London Street (490) and Hill Street (150). In addition to the

above, two park and ride facilities can be found at the Esplanade and Fairway.

In terms of bus services, the town centre is well catered for with various services tosurrounding suburbs and local centres. The railway station is located in the heart of the town





centre off Eastbank Street. The location of its public transport facilties is clearly an asset to

the town.


Southport town centre has contrasting environments. Lord Street is the historic core of

Southport, and is characterised by its large tree lined boulevard providing wide pavements for

pedestrians. Lord Street is very well maintained and landscaped to a high degree of design.

The buildings originate from both Victorian and Edwardian periods.

In contrast, both Chapel Street and Eastbank Street are dominated by more modern purpose

built facilities, stemming from the last 30 years. These areas are less attractive in terms of

urban design.

When moving away from the main streets of activity the centre has a network of small busy

streets, offering smaller more specialist shopping facilities.

The centre also benefits from public gardens centred on the Town Hall and Lord Street, an

area that offers an attractive and unique environment.

In terms of cleanliness, the centre is attractive and there is little evidence of litter, fly posting

and graffiti throughout the centre. However there are some areas for improvement in the town

centre and during the summer months especially it will be necessary to keep control of litter

levels, especially around the sea front area.

Council Strategy for Southport

The Council’s current vision for Bootle is set out in the replacement Sefton Unitary

Development Plan. This reached the Pre-Inquiry Changes stage in October 2003.

Policy R1 of this Plan notes that the preferred location for retail development is within thedefined Town, District and Local Centres. Southport is defined as a town centre, alongside

Bootle.

Policy R2 which deals specifically with Southport states that the preferred location for new

development within Southport is within the defined town centre. The supporting text to this

policy notes that the Council will seek to ensure that the town centre will remain the focus for

new retail investment. In particular proposals will be supported which seek to improve the

quality of Southport’s shopping role to enable the centre to compete more effectively with

major centres elsewhere.





Policy R2A (new) allocates the Southport Station Complex for a mix of uses including retail,

offices, food and drink, leisure, hotels and residential. This is, however, subject to the railway

station and platforms being retained approximately in their current provision and to the

provision of a bus interchange, which is viewed by some as major constraint to the site’sredevelopment. The supporting text to this policy notes that Southport station is a major

gateway into the town in a central location and would benefit from significant improvements of

its existing facilities and surrounding retail units. A high quality mixed use development on

the site would improve the quality and range of Southport’s offer helping it to retain its position

as a major sub-regional centre by enhancing its competitiveness with other popular shopping

destinations in the north-west including Preston, Liverpool and Manchester.


Southport is an attractive centre, particularly along Lord Street. It has a low vacancy rate, a

good representation of national multiple and independent retailers and a strong requirement

for retailers seeking representation in the town. The centre has a diverse mix of uses

including many leisure and tourist based attractions.

An opportunity to provide a mixed-use scheme on the Southport Station complex site is being

promoted through the replacement UDP proposals. Whilst there are clearly constraints to the

implementation of this scheme, the site must be looked at positively as it presents itself as the

only major opportunity to strengthen the town’s retail and leisure functions within the central

area.





Liscard Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Liscard is located in north east Wirral, Merseyside approximately 5km north west ofBirkenhead Town Centre. Liverpool is located 7km east of Liscard Town Centre.

The key shopping area in Liscard is along Seaview Road, Wallasey Road, Liscard Village and

the Cherry Tree shopping precinct. The town centre consists mainly of two storey buildings

and is pedestrianised.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Liscard Town Centre in terms of outlet

numbers and floorspace and compare these to the national average:

Table 1: Composition of Wallasey (Liscard)Town Centre, 2004



Wallasey GB Wallasey GBConvenience 25 9.6 9.3 10,563 21.7 16.9Comparison 114 43.8 48.0 20,829 42.9 53.1Service 82 31.5 31.1 11,074 22.8 20.7Miscellaneous 1 0.4 1.4 242 0.5 1.4Vacant 38 14.6 10.3 5,899 12.1 7.9TOTAL 260 100 100 48,607 100 100


Table 2: Composition of Wallasey Town Centre, 1994Sector No. of


Wallasey GB Wallasey GBConvenience 31 11.0 10.5 11,576 20.7 14.8Comparison 136 48.5 50.5 27,109 48.6 53.1Service 76 27.1 24.8 12,022 21.5 19.5Miscellaneous 1 0.3 0.9 632 1.1 1.8Vacant 36 12.5 13.6 4,357 7.8 11.0

TOTAL 280 100 100 55,695 100 100Source: Experian Goad (1994)

There is 48,607 sq m of floorspace in 260 outlets in Liscard Town Centre, which has

decreased significantly from 55,695 sq m in 280 outlets in 1994. The proportion of

convenience outlets is just above the national average (9.3) at 9.6% and the proportion of

convenience floorspace is well above the national average (16.9) at 21.7%. At 43.8% the

proportion of comparison outlets is below the national average of 48% as is the floorspace

which is 42.9% in Liscard and 53.1% nationally. The proportion of service outlets is just

above average (31.1%) at 31.5% and at 22.8% the proportion of service floorspace is alsoabove the national average of 20.7%

Liscard (Wallasey) Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1





The presence of multiple outlets can greatly enhance the appeal of a centre to local

consumers and investors. Other retailers in a centre can also benefit from the increased

pedestrian traffic generated by the presence of national multiples. However, multiples alsoprovide strong competition for rivals and an over concentration may threaten the independent

sector in a town, undermining diversity and local identity. An appropriate balance between

multiples and independents is therefore desirable.

Liscard’s retail offer remains at the lower end of the spectrum. The fashion sector is

particularly weak, and the clothes retailers in Liscard generally pitch at the lower end of the

market with the offer restricted to Littlewoods, Primark, Bon Marché and New Look. Kwik

Save and Asda are the principal convenience retailers.

Services in Liscard are well represented. Banks are particularly well catered for and Wallasey

Road has a range of thriving service uses (for instance, solicitors, estate agents, health &

beauty). The number of A3 outlets in Liscard is also high, with several restaurants (including

Greek and Italian) concentrated in Wallasey Road.

Liscard previously had significant representation from higher-order national multiples.

However, Marks & Spencer departed about fifteen years ago and Liscard took a major

downturn in the early 1990s due mainly to competition from out-of-centre developments, with

key closures including Tesco, Safeway, Dixons and Currys. These retailers have not returned

to Liscard and in some cases have been replaced by lower quality retailers such as Kwik

Save and Primark.

Multiples located in the town centre include Wilkinsons, WH Smith, Littlewoods, Kwik Save,

Woolworths, Burtons and Primark.

Table 3 Summary of Retailer Requirements within Liscard Town Centre, 2004 Number of

Requirements

Minimum Floorspace

(sq. m)

Maximum Floorspace

(sq. m)Convenience 2 10,204 10,325Comparison 7 2,721 5,759Service 4 636 826TOTAL 36 13,561 16,910

Source: Focus Report (October 2004) - uses falling within specific retail trade categories from Experian Goad definitions


There are 38 vacant units in the town centre representing 14.6% of outlets which is above the

average vacancy rate (10.3%). At 12.1% the proportion of vacant floorspace is also above

the national average of 7.9%.





The Cherry Tree Centre contains a significant number of vacant units. Elsewhere in Liscard,

concentrations of vacant units exist at Liscard Road (in particular) and Seaview Road which

are both secondary in nature. These concentrations of vacant property explain Liscard’s

above-average vacancy rate.





multiple traders.

Table 4 below shows the retail yield in Liscard increased (worsened) from 9.5% to 10.5% in

1995 and then again in 1999 to 11%. The Valuation Office Agency data shows that yields

between 2001 and today remain above 10% but give no exact figure.

Table 4: Retail Yields of Wallasey (Liscard) and neighbouring centres

Apr1994

Apr1996

Apr1998

Apr2000

8

9

10

11

12

Period

Liscard (Wallasey)

Liscard (Wallasey) 9.5 9.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

Apr1994

Oct1994

Apr1995

Oct1995

Apr1996

Oct1996

Apr1997

Oct1997

Apr1998

Oct1998

Apr1999

Oct1999

Apr2000

Oct2000

Apr2001

Oct2001

Yield %


Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Liscard remained consistently at £376 sq m between

1996 and 2002, increasing to £430 sq m in 2003.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Liscard 1996 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

Liscard 376 376 376 376 376 376 376 430 430Source: Focus, Town Centre Reports, October 2004 (The retail rents are based upon Colliers CRE’s opinion of open market Zone A rents).





Accessibility

Liscard has a small bus terminus and is well served by bus services within Wallasey. Whilst

the centre is surrounded by residents’ parking, there are usually sufficient spaces in the twomain car parks, which are competitively priced. The main car parking issue relates to the

Cherry Tree Centre redevelopment proposals, which involve redevelopment on the very

popular 211-space St Albans Road car park. Similar replacement parking is essential to the

continued accessibility and sustainability of Liscard and the development proposals seek to

address this issue.


Whilst the town centre core is relatively clean, litter is evidently a problem at Liscard Village.

There has been long-term lack of maintenance and investment in the public realm, although

WMBC is addressing this through an environmental upgrade which includes painting railings,

reversing the effects of vandalism (which is reportedly a big problem), replacing trees and

decorating lampposts. The town centre as a whole lacks greenery, and has few significant

buildings; whilst the Capitol Building is potentially a landmark, in its present condition (vacant

and run-down) it is an undermining feature.

Council Strategy for Liscard

Liscard is identified as a town centre in the retail hierarchy in Wirral in proposal SH1D of the

Unitary Development Plan for Wirral First Deposit Draft Alterations published in July 2004.

Liscard has experienced some decline over the past 10 years with the loss of some multiple

retailers, but it remains the main shopping centre for Wallasey. Further enhancement of the

retail offer is considered important, and planning consent was granted in April 2004 for a

proposal to extend the Cherry Tree Centre in the core of the centre, but other development

opportunities are very limited.

A planning application for a major mixed-use regeneration scheme in New Brighton, including

an 8,000 sq m Morrisons supermarket could pose a threat to Liscard Town Centre if

permitted. Liscard remains vulnerable to out-of-centre proposals and the lack of expansion

sites within the town centre makes it difficult to defend against proposals.


Liscard Town Centre performs a convenience shopping role and is well provided for with an





Asda and Kwik Save in the centre. The vacancy rate is above average, investor confidence is

low indicating that the centre performs a role as a local shopping and service centre for

Wallasey.

The extension of the Cherry Tree Centre will improve the retail offer in the town, and theplanned environmental upgrade will improve the shopping experience in Liscard Town

Centre.





Widnes Town Centre – Vitality and Viability Assessment


Widnes is located within Halton Unitary Authority in Cheshire approximately 5km north ofRuncorn across the River Mersey and 22km east of Liverpool. Warrington is located

approximately 10km east of Widnes and St Helens lies 10km north.

The Greenoaks shopping centre opened in the early 90s and links the car park and Morrisons

to Albert Road. The shopping centre has been designed with replica street frontages in a

covered arcade. Widnes Market is located at the Greenoaks Centre and consists of a market

hall, a fish and meat market, and an open market. Albert Road is the primary shopping area

in Widnes and consists of early twentieth century two storey buildings fronting onto a

pedestrianised street with shop units at street level. Albert Square is a typical seventies

shopping precinct located off Albert Street and is also pedestrianised, consisting of open air

shop units with flat roof canopies above the shop frontages and storage at first floor level.

Also located in the centre of Widnes is the 1970s Windmill Shopping Centre, older than the

Greenoaks shopping centre this is a single storey covered precinct.

With regard to leisure provision Halton Stadium and Kingsway Leisure Centre are situated in

the town centre. These are located nearer to the Victoria Square area of Widnes which is

home to attractive Victorian municipal buildings such as the 1887 Widnes Town Hall and St

Paul’s Church. An attractive part of the town centre however, located 400 metres away it is

somewhat divorced from the main shopping area.

Diversity of Uses

Tables 1 and 2 illustrate the retail composition of Widnes Town Centre in terms of outlet

numbers and floorspace and compares these to the national average:

Table 1: Composition of Widnes Town Centre, 2004



Widnes GB Widnes GBConvenience 25 10.6 9.3 17,707 30.3 16.9Comparison 116 49.2 48.0 28,252 48.4 53.1Service 61 25.8 31.1 7,386 12.6 20.7Miscellaneous 2 0.8 1.4 242 0.4 1.4Vacant 32 13.6 10.3 4,803 8.2 7.9TOTAL 236 100 100 58,390 100 100


Widnes Town Centre Vitality and Viability Report 1




Table 2: Composition of Widnes Town Centre, 1993



Widnes GB Widnes GBConvenience 39 15.6 10.5 11,037 25.8 14.8Comparison 132 53.0 50.5 21,005 49.1 53.1

Service 51 20.4 24.8 6,828 15.9 19.5Miscellaneous 2 0.8 0.9 1,403 3.2 1.8Vacant 25 10.0 13.6 2,434 5.7 11.0TOTAL 249 100 100 42,708 100 100


Widnes Town Centre has 58,390 sq m of floorspace in 235 outlets, when compared with the

historical data it is evident that floorspace has increased from 42,708 sq m in 1994 yet the

number of units has declined by 7. This is due to the reconfiguration of the town centre to

provide larger, modern units required by retailers. In line with trends elsewhere in the North

West there has been a significant increase in the amount of convenience floorspace by 6,670

sq m representing 30.3% of the town’s floorspace, significantly higher than the national

average of 16.9%. Whilst floorspace has grown the number of convenience outlets has fallen

by 14, although at 10.6% the percentage of convenience outlets is above the average of

9.3%. At the same time Widnes has experienced a decline in the amount of comparison

floorspace in the town centre of 7,386 sq m and 16 outlets. The proportion of comparison

floorspace is 48.4% which is just below the national average of 53.1% and the proportion of

comparison outlets in Widnes is 49.2%, just above the 48% average figure.

With regard to services there has been an increase of 10 outlets and 558 sq m of floorspace.However services in Widnes are still well below the national average in terms of both the

proportion of outlets and floorspace.


The multiple retailers present within the centre are at the lower discount end of the retail

spectrum including Wilkinsons, New Look, TJ Hughes, Dixons, WH Smith, Argos, Dorothy

Perkins, Currys, Boots, Woolworths and Superdrug.


businesses seeking representation in Widnes (although a single retailer may express more


(gross) of floorspace. There is a requirement for 19 retailers in the comparison sector,


Gift Tree, Choices Video, Claire’s Accessories, The Carphone Warehouse, Fragrance Shop,

Hobbycraft and Pets at Home.






Table 3: Summary of Retailer Requirements within Widnes Town Centre, 2004 Number of



(sq. m)Convenience 5 984 1,532Comparison 19 3,590 7,506Service 3 106 250TOTAL 27 4,680 9,288

Source: Focus Report (October 2004) - uses falling within specific retail trade categories from Experian Goad

definitions

Comparing the number of current requirements in Widnes with previous years, retailer

demand has ranged between lows of just 7 in 1999 and a high of 24 in October 2001. The

comparatively high number of retailers expressing an interest in 2004 could be due to

improvements to the town centre enhancing Widnes’s appeal.


There are 32 vacant outlets in Widnes at 13.6% this is higher than the national average of

10.3%. Vacant floorspace in Widnes has almost doubled since 1994 when only 5.7% of

floorspace in the town was vacant compared to 8.2% in 2004. However, the majority of

vacancies are located in the secondary areas of the town centre rather than the main

shopping areas / centres.





multiple traders.

Table 4 below shows the retail yield in Widnes has remained consistent at 8.5%. This

indicates that investor confidence in Widnes is stable.





Table 4: Retail Yields of Widnes and neighbouring centres

Apr1994 Apr

1996 Apr1998 Apr

2000Apr

2002

8

9

Period

Widnes

Widnes 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5

1994 1994 1995 1995 1996 1996 1997 1997 1998 1998 1999 1999 2000

8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5

Apr Oct Apr Oct Apr Oct Apr Oct Apr Oct Apr Oct Apr Oct2000

Apr2001

Oct2001

Apr2002

Oct2002

Apr2003

Jan2004

Yield %

.

322 sq m in 1999 to £484 sq

Source: Valuation Office Agency (VOA): Property Market Report (PMR), January 2004

Table 5 indicates that Zone A rents in Widnes increased from £

m increasing again to £538 sq m in 2003.

Table 5: Prime Pitch Zone A Rents (£/sq m) in Widnes 1996 -2004Centre Date

June‘96

June‘97

June‘98

June‘99

June‘00

June‘01

June‘02

June‘03

June‘04

Widnes 322 322 322 484 484 484 484 538 538Source: Focus, Town Centre Reports, October 2004 (The retail rents ar opinion of open market Zone A rents).

Accessibility

There are four main car parks in the town centre located around thshopping centres off Green Oaks Way. Car parking is free an

centre is located just off Widnes Eastern Bypass which links t

Runcorn Bridge to the south. Signage into the town centre ca

the town centre is split into the shopping area and the municipal a

Widnes train station has regular trains to Manchester, Warrin

located approximately 1 km from the town centre.

Buses drop off and pick up from an interchange located adjac

e based upon Colliers CRE’s

e Windmill and Greenoaksd surface level. The town

o the M62 to the north and

n be somewhat confusing as

rea.

gton and Liverpool and is

ent to car parking off GreenOaks Way.






The Greenoaks shopping centre and Widnes Market are both attractive and well presented.

They have been designed in a traditional style with old fashioned market stalls within themarket hall and the shopping centre is designed with faux shop frontages and building

facades. Around Greenoaks and on Albert Road there is attractive and well maintained street

furniture. Albert Road has undergone recent environmental improvements which have been

effective at creating a more appealing shopping environment.

The Windmill shopping centre, which was tired and uninviting, is currently undergoing a major

refurbishment with further proposals for the partial demolition and replacement of some of

some of the smaller outlying units to create larger, more attractive shop units. The Simms

Cross area, located between the Windmill Centre and the newly opened Asda store, currently

offers a particularly poor physical environment, though there are regeneration proposals for

this area.

Although Albert Square has gateway signage and distinctive street furniture, in comparison to

the recent enhancement to Albert Road it seems outdated and in need of some improvement.

Council Strategy for Widnes

Widnes Town Centre is the primary retail and leisure centre within Halton Borough. It

functions as the main town centre for Widnes, serving a catchment which includes the town

centre itself together with key residential areas such as Upton, Appleton, Crow Wood, Ditton,

Hale and beyond. The effect of competing centres (including Warrington and Liverpool) limits

Widnes’ sphere of influence, particularly to the north of the borough. Widnes has seen a

healthy level of recent retail investment with construction of the Greenoaks Centre, units for

Morrisons and Aldi, and with a new (relocated replacement) Asda recently opened. This has

lead to a reconfiguration of the centre and a change in the prime pitch. A resultant period of

adjustment, including some closures and contraction of the secondary areas is currently beingexperienced.

The Council has aspirations to develop and enhance the centre by further retail, leisure and

commercial investment so that it fulfils a role as a town centre serving a wider catchment area

than at present without becoming unduly dominant to the detriment of Runcorn Old Town or

Halton Lea (Shopping City).





Recent improvements to Widnes Town Centre have resulted in an increased environmental

quality of the principal shopping areas and 2004 has seen record levels of retail requirements

in Widnes. However, not all of the signs are positive as vacancy rates are still higher thanaverage; although vacancies would seem to be located in more secondary areas of the town

centre, which as mentioned above may be partly due to a period of adjustment following the

reconfiguration of centre and a change in the prime pitch.

Improvements to the Albert Square shopping precinct and the Simms Cross area, north of the

new Asda development, would further enhance the environment in Widnes. The town centre

would be further bolstered by additional leisure facilities, which would attract more visitors to

the town.

Documents

Rp jU4W Final Report Appendix 1 E Mers