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Cornwall Retail Study

Cornwall Council

November 2010

Volume 1 – Main Text

Cornwall Council

Vol 1

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 4

2. POLICY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................. 8

3. RETAIL AND LEISURE TRENDS ............................................................................................27

4. ASSESSMENT OF TOWN CENTRES......................................................................................40

5. ASSESSMENT OF NEED FOR ADDITIONAL RETAIL FLOORSPACE IN CORNWALL......179

6. DEVELOPING A RETAIL STRATEGY FOR CORNWALL.....................................................243

7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .........................................................................................273

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Appendices Appendix A: Study Area Plan

Appendix B: GOAD Plan -Truro

Appendix C: Retailer Requirements

Appendix D: GOAD Plan - Bude

Appendix E: GOAD Plan – St Ives

Appendix F: GOAD Plan - Penzance

Appendix G: GOAD Plan - Camborne

Appendix H: GOAD Plan - Redruth

Appendix I: GOAD Plan - Liskeard

Appendix J: GOAD Plan – Newquay

Appendix K: GOAD Plan - Falmouth

Appendix L: GOAD Plan - Helston

Appendix M: GOAD Plan – St Austell

Appendix N: GOAD Plan – Launceston

Appendix O: GOAD Plan - Saltash

Appendix P: GOAD Plan – Bodmin

Appendix Q: Quantitative capacity tables – Scenario 1

Appendix R: Quantitative capacity tables – Scenario 2

Appendix S: Quantitative capacity tables – Scenario 3

Appendix T: Quantitative capacity tables – Scenario 4

Appendix U: The retail hierarchy in Cornwall

Appendix V: Site assessment proformas

Separate Technical Annexes

1: Quantitative Capacity Assessment – Scenario 1 – High NHPAU growth scenario

2: Quantitative Capacity Assessment – Scenario 2 – population and household growth

scenario

3: Quantitative Capacity Assessment – Scenario 3 – trend based growth scenario

4: Quantitative Capacity Assessment – Scenario 4 – zero development scenario

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 This report has been prepared by GVA Grimley Ltd in response to an instruction by Cornwall

Council (CC), dated October 2009, to prepare a Retail Study for Cornwall. This study provides

the first comprehensive retail and town centre study for Cornwall since local government

reorganisation in 2009 and will update previous retail studies for the former District and

Borough administrative areas of the County pre-April 2009. This study will provide essential

background information to assist CC in the production of a Local Development Framework.

1.2 National planning policy guidance requires that local planning authorities’ policies and

proposals in a LDF should be founded on a thorough, clear and up-to-date understanding of

the needs of their area and the opportunities and constraints which operate within that area.

PPS12 (2008) requires local planning authorities to prepare and maintain an up-to-date

evidence base and this retail study will form an integral part of CC’s information library. It is

intended that this study will meet these requirements by providing comprehensive survey

material, including information on: the availability and use of existing centres, the accessibility

of centres, retail expenditure patterns and proposals in adjacent areas. These actions will

assist the Council to move forwards in the preparation of its LDF.

Objectives of the Study

1.3 The objectives of this study are as follows:

• An analysis of relevant policy guidance and advice on the development of new policies

for retail development and town centres in Cornwall.

• An analysis of national trends in retailing and how they are expected to develop over the

period to 2030/20311 and, if appropriate beyond, and the implications of these trends for

Cornwall.

• A refresh of existing retail studies and undertaking new work where appropriate. This

should lead to a through understanding of:

1. the mix and diversity of existing retail (food and non-food) and non-retail uses,

including out of centre retail provision and key food store provision, in the towns,

identifying any gaps in provision or areas of deficiency

1 During the course of preparing this study, an end date of 2031 was set although the end date for the LDF Core Strategy was subsequently revised to 2031. The retail capacity projections within this study are based on the period up to 2031, although will need to be considered in light of the end date for the Core Strategy of 2030.

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2. an assessment of current patterns of usage for food and non-food shopping purposes

in the towns, the extent to which residents are travelling elsewhere to meet their

shopping needs, and the contribution of visitor's to the local economy;

3. a review of provision for food & drink, leisure and entertainment facilities in the towns,

identifying any gaps in provision or areas of deficiency;

• Retail modelling for the principal towns and testing of potential alternatives, for instance

between focusing new prime shopping growth in Truro or more decentralised options

such as growth in second tier settlements. This work should lead to an understanding of

the retail hierarchy and the roles of centres with recommendations of a commercially

realistic strategy for each centre. Scenarios should be developed in the context of an

appropriate number of growth & distribution scenarios.

• Identify the scope for specialist roles for Cornish towns.

• Assessment of retail interest in expanding in Cornwall.

• A commercial assessment of how identified needs for new retail development should best

be accommodated in the principle centres in accordance with the sequential approach

and the objectives of the RS2.

• Advice on setting up a new system of town centre ‘healthchecks’ for regular monitoring of

town centre performance; and provision of some ‘healthcheck’ data.

1.4 In order to achieve the above aims, CC requires a comprehensive analysis of retailing in

Cornwall that addresses both quantitative and qualitative issues. Accordingly, this study

includes the following key components:

• Provision of a policy analysis, based on the contents of Planning Policy Statement 4:

Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth (2009) plus policies at the local level. At the

local level, the Cornwall Structure Plan provides the current strategic context for retailing in

Cornwall, supplemented by saved policies set out in the adopted Local Plans for the former

administrative areas of Penwith, Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, Restormel and North Cornwall.

This study will facilitate a review of the robustness of shopping policies and proposals in

the previous local planning documents, to inform the policy formulation in the Cornwall LDF

and other Council policy documents.

2 At the time of commencing this project, RPG10 (‘the Regional Strategy’) remained part of the statutory development plan for Cornwall and, it replacement, the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West has in the advanced stages of preparation. However, the Coalition Government, following their election in May 2010, revoked all RS’s across England. However, following a legal challenge by CALA Homes, the High Court issued a judgement in November 2010 which overturned the actions of the Government and therefore at the time of completing this report, the RS remained part of the development plan.

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• Overview of the retail hierarchy in Cornwall, focusing on a review of the vitality and viability

of the main town centres (Truro, Bude, St Ives, Penzance, Camborne, Redruth, Liskeard,

Newquay, Falmouth, Helston, St Austell, Launceston, Saltash, Hayle, Wadebridge and

Bodmin – plus a broader overview of the health of Padstow, Camelford, St Just, Fowey, St

Columb Major, Looe and Callington). The assessment examines the retail performance of

each centre, plus demand for space by national multiple retailers.

• An assessment of the need for additional retail floorspace across Cornwall. This

assessment is based upon quantitative and qualitative factors of need and takes into

account the results of a 2008 household survey of shopping patterns across Cornwall

along with up to date current expenditure and population estimates and information from

CC on potential population growth forecasts across Cornwall up to 2031.

• Following the assessment of town centre health and future retail need, this study also

provides a review of the main potential shopping development opportunities in each of the

town centres. This work will examine existing allocations/opportunities identified in the

adopted Local Plan documents, plus new potential opportunities which have been identified

through the course of completing this study.

• Following the completion of each of the above tasks, a set of concise conclusions and

guidance on a future retail strategy for Cornwall is provided. This will focus on the retail

hierarchy and the likely future role of each main centre, town centre improvements and

retail development/investment/regeneration opportunities.

1.5 A key contributor to all of the above tasks has been empirical research in the form of a

household telephone survey commissioned by GVA Grimley and the former Kerrier District

Council in 2008. The survey initially informed evidence base work for the Camborne Pool

Illogan and Redruth (CPIR) Area Action Plan in 2008, although the survey was designed to

cover the whole of Cornwall and allow for the eventuality of future local government

reorganisation. The survey interviewed 4,000 people across a wide geographic area, based

on postcode sector areas, within Cornwall and the western parts of Devon. A plan of the

survey area is contained at Appendix A of this report. The survey, the parameters of which

are explained in greater detail in Sections 4 and 5 of this report, has established shopping

habits of households for different types of food and non-food goods and has, in turn,

contributed towards the detailed assessment of need for additional retail floorspace. The

survey has also been structured to ascertain customer profiles, mode of travel to shopping

destinations, plus a number of attitudinal questions determining what users think about the

various town centres, and potential improvements to these centres. A full copy of the

household survey tabulations is available from Cornwall Council upon request.

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Structure of the Report

1.6 The remainder of this report is structured as follows:

• Section 2 of this report provides a brief review of current national planning policy guidance

(PPS4), plus retail policies contained within the Cornwall Structure Plan and the current

saved local planning policy context outlined in the various adopted Local Plans in Cornwall.

• Section 3 of this report analyses national retail trends. This includes a look back at recent

historic trends, plus examination of likely future trends at the national level.

• Section 4 provides an assessment of the retail hierarchy within Cornwall and the

surrounding area, concentrating on the health of the main town centres, monitoring the

performance of relevant indicators as set out in national planning policy guidance. This

section also provides an overview of out-of-centre retail provision within Cornwall.

• Section 5 sets out an assessment of future need for additional retail floorspace provision in

main settlements in Cornwall up to 2031. It examines both quantitative and qualitative

considerations of retail need and expresses estimates of need for each of the key towns.

• Section 6 is entitled ‘Developing a Retail Strategy for Cornwall’ and brings together an

assessment of a number of potential development sites within each of the main settlements

with the foregoing assessments of need and town centre health to provide an outline of the

recommended retail strategy for the main settlements in Cornwall.

• Section 7 provides a summary of the main findings of the study and provides an outline of

the potential retail strategy for Cornwall.

1.1 All plans, and other documents referred to in the text of this study are contained in separately

bound appendices. In addition, the statistical tables associated with the assessment of

quantitative need are contained in separate annex volumes.

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2. POLICY OVERVIEW

Overview

2.1 This chapter outlines the salient planning policy context for retailing and town centres at the

national, strategic and local level. The review identifies revised national planning policy that

was published on 29th December 2009 by the Department for Communities and Local

Government (DCLG) in Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic

Development (‘PPS4’). PPS4 supersedes the guidance within PPS6 and provides the national

framework for town centre and retail development.

2.2 The retailing and town centres policies in the Cornwall Structure Plan, which provide the

strategy context for retail and economic development, are also summarised in this section. At

a local level, following the restructuring of the Council to become a Unitary Authority on the

1st April 2009, there are several facets of interim planning guidance covering the former

authority areas of Caradon; Penwith; North Cornwall; Carrick; Restormel; and Kerrier. This

interim guidance will eventually be superseded by the Cornwall Local Development

Framework, which is explained in greater detail at paragraph 2.19 below.

2.3 At the time of commencing this project, the contents of Regional Planning Policy Guidance for

the South West (‘RPG10’) which formed part of the Regional Strategy, was part of the

development plan. In addition, Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West was in the

advanced stages of preparation (with the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes published in

July 2008) and was a material consideration. However, the Coalition Government, following

their election in May 2010, revoked all RS’s across England. Following a legal challenge by

CALA Homes, the High Court issued a judgement in November 2010 which overturned the

actions of the Government and therefore at the time of completing this report, the RS

remained part of the development plan, pending new legislation in the form of the forthcoming

Localism Bill which will be laid before Parliament shortly.

National Retail Planning Policy

2.4 In December 2009, the Department for Communities and Local Government published

Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth. This document

replaces, amongst other things, Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres

(2005) and sets out national planning policies for economic development, including main town

centre uses. The introductory section of PPS4 notes that the plan-making policies in this

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document should be taken into account by local planning authorities in the preparation of local

development documents and are also a material consideration which must be taken into

account in development management decisions.

2.5 The document notes that the overarching objective of central government is for sustainable

economic growth and, to help achieve this, the government’s objectives for planning are to:

• Building prosperous communities by improving the economic performance of the cities,

towns, regions, sub-regions and local areas, both urban and rural.

• To reduce the gap in economic growth rates between regions, promoting regeneration and

tackling deprivation.

• Deliver more sustainable patterns of developments to reduce the need to travel, especially

by car and respond to climate change.

• Promote the vitality and viability of town and other centres as important places for

communities. To do this the government wants:

1. New economic growth and development of main town centre uses to be focused in

existing centres with the aim of offering a wide range of services to communities in an

attractive and safe environment and remedying deficiencies in provision in areas with

poor access to facilities.

2. Competition between retailers and enhanced consumer choice through the provision

of innovative and efficient shopping, leisure, tourism and local services in town centres

which allow genuine choice to meet the needs of the entire community (particularly

socially excluded groups).

3. The historic archaeological and architectural heritage of centres to be conserved and,

where appropriate, enhanced to provide a sense of place and focus for the community

and for civic activity.

2.6 Policy EC1 of PPS4 deals with using evidence to plan positively. EC1.3 notes that, at the

local level, the evidence base should:

• Be informed by regional assessments.

• Assess the detailed need for land or floorspace for economic developments, including for

all main town centre uses over the Plan period.

• Identify any deficiencies in the provision of local convenience shopping and other facilities

which serve people’s day-to-day needs.

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• Assess the existing and future supply of land for economic development, ensuring that

existing site allocations for economic development are re-assessed against the policies in

PPS4.

• Assess the capacity of existing centres to accommodate new town centre development

taking account of the role of centres in the hierarchy and identify centres in decline where

change needs to be managed.

2.7 When assessing the need for retail and leisure development, local planning authorities should:

• Take account of both the quantitative and qualitative need for additional floorspace for

different types of retail and leisure developments.

• In deprived areas, which lack access to a range of services and facilities, give additional

weight to meeting these qualitative deficiencies. However any benefits in respect of

regeneration and employment should not be taken into account, although they may be

material considerations in the site selection process.

• When assessing quantitative need, have regard to relevant market information and

economic data, including a realistic assessment of existing and forecast population levels,

forecast expenditure for specific classes of goods to be sold (within the broad categories of

comparison and convenience goods), forecast improvements in retail sales density.

• When assessing qualitative need for retail uses:

1. Assess whether there is provision and distribution of shopping, leisure and local

services which allow genuine choice to meet the needs of the whole community,

particularly those living in deprived areas, in light of the objective to promote the

vitality and viability of town centres and the application of the sequential approach.

2. Take into account the degree to which shops may be over-trading and whether there

is a need to increase competition and retail mix.

2.8 Policy EC3 deals with planning for centres and notes that regional planning bodies and local

planning authorities should:

• Set flexible policies for their centres which are able to respond to changing economic

circumstances and encourage, where appropriate, high density development accessible by

public transport, walking and cycling.

• Define a network (a pattern of provision of centres) and hierarchy (the role and relationship

of centres in the network) of centres that is resilient to anticipated future economic changes

to meet the needs of their catchments, having:

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1. Made choices about which centres will accommodate any identified need for growth

in town centre uses considering where expansion where necessary taking into

account the need to avoid an over-concentration growth in centres. Identifying

deficiencies in the network of centres should be addressed by promoting centres to

function at a higher level in the hierarchy or designating new centres where

necessary, giving priority to deprived areas which are experiencing significant levels

of notable deprivation where there is a need for better access to services, facilities

and employment by centrally excluded groups.

2. Ensure any extensions to centres are carefully integrated with the existing centre in

terms of design including the need to allow easy pedestrian access.

3. Where existing centres are in decline, consider the scope for consolidating and

strengthening the centres by seeking to focus a wider range of services there,

promoting the diversification of uses and improving the environment.

4. Where reversing decline in existing centres is not possible, consider re-classifying

the centre at a lower level within the hierarchy of centres reflecting this revised

status in the policies applied to the area. This may include allowing retail units to

change to other uses whilst aiming, wherever possible, to attain opportunities for

vital local services.

5. Ensure that the need for any new expanded or redeveloped out-of-centre regional or

sub-regional shopping centre or any significant change in the role and function of

centres is considered through the regional spatial strategy.

6. At the local level, define the extent of the centre and the primary shopping area in

their adopted proposals map, having considered distinguishing between realistically

defined primary and secondary frontages in designated centres and set policies that

make clear which uses will be permitted in such locations.

7. At the local level, consider setting floorspace thresholds with a scale of edge-of-

centre and out-of-centre developments which should be subject to an impact

assessment under Policy EC16.1 of PPS4 and specify the geographic areas these

thresholds will apply to.

8. Identify any locally important impacts on centres which should be tested under

Policy EC16.1.F.

9. At the local level, encourage residential or office development above ground floor

retail leisure or other facilities within centres, ensuing that housing in out-of-centre

mixed use developments is not in itself used as a reason to justify additional

floorspace for main town centre uses in such locations.

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10. At the local level, identify sites or buildings within existing centres suitable for

development, conversion or change of use.

11. At the local level, use tools such as local development orders, area action plans,

compulsory purchase orders and town centre strategies to address the transport

land assembly crime prevention planning and design issues associated with the

growth and management of their centres.

2.9 Policy EC4 of PPS4 asks that local planning authorities should proactively plan to promote

competitive town centre environments and provide consumer choice by:

• Supporting a diverse range of uses which appeal to a wide range of age and social groups,

ensuring that these are distributed throughout the centre.

• Planning for a strong retail mix so that the range and quality of the comparison and

convenience retail offer meets the requirements of the local catchment area, recognising

that smaller shops can significantly enhance the character and vibrancy of a centre.

• Supporting shops, services and other important small scale economic uses (including post

offices, petrol stations, village halls and public houses) in local centres and villages.

• Identifying sites in the centre or, failing that, on the edge of the centre capable of

accommodating larger format developments where a need for such developments has

been identified.

• Retaining and enhancing existing markets and, where appropriate, re-introducing or

creating new ones, ensuring that markets remain attractive and competitive by investing in

their improvement.

• Taking measures to conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the established character

and diversity of their town centres.

2.10 Policy EC5 asks that local planning authorities should identify an appropriate range of sites to

accommodate the identified need, ensuring that sites are capable of accommodating a range

of business models in terms of scale, format, car parking provision and scope for

disaggregation. Further information on Policy EC5, including the application of the sequential

approach when selecting sites for town centre uses and assessing the impact of proposed

locations, can be found in Section 6 later in this report.

2.11 Policies EC14 to EC17 provide guidance on development management associated with

applications for main town centre uses, including retail development. Policy EC14 notes that a

sequential assessment is required for planning applications for main town centre uses that are

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not in an existing centre and are not in accordance with an up to date development plan. In

addition, an assessment addressing the impacts of a particular development is required for

planning applications for retail uses which are not in an existing centre and not in accordance

with an up-to-date development plan. In advance of development plans being revised to

reflect PPS4, an assessment of impacts is necessary for planning applications for retail

development below 2,500 sq m as well as the compulsory requirement for developments over

2,500 sq m. An impact assessment is also required for planning applications in an existing

centre which are not in accordance with the development plan and which would substantially

increase the attraction of the centre to an extent that the development could have an impact

upon other centres. Policies EC15 and EC16 outline detailed guidance in relation to the

assessment of impact and the consideration of sequential assessments, whilst Policy EC17

provides clear guidance to local planning authorities in their consideration of planning

applications for development of a main town centre use which is not in a centre and not in

accordance with an up-to-date development plan. Policy EC17.1 notes that such applications

should be refused planning permission where:

• The applicant has not demonstrated compliance with the requirements of the sequential

approach (Policy EC15); or

• There is clear evidence that the proposal is likely to lead to significant adverse impacts in

terms of any one of the impacts set out in Policies EC10.2 and EC16.1, taking account of

the likely cumulative effect of recent permissions, developments under construction and

completed developments.

2.12 Where no significant adverse impacts have been identified under Policies EC10.2 and

EC16.1, Policy EC17 notes that planning applications should be determined by taking account

of:

• The positive and negative impacts of the proposal in terms of Policies EC10.2 and EC16.1

and any other material considerations; and

• The likely cumulative effect of recent permissions, developments under construction and

completed developments.

Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG10)

2.13 As already noted that the start of this section, the Coalition Government had attempt to revoke

Regional Strategies, which includes RPG10 in the South West of England, although a

successful legal challenge has meant that, for the time being and pending the forthcoming

Localism Bill, it remains part of the development plan. We also summarise the salient contents

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of the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West which, given the content of the

recent High Court judgement, remains a material consideration.

2.14 Guidance at the regional level, contained within RPG10 (adopted September 2001), pre dates

the publication of PPS4. Nevertheless, RPG10 directs local planning authorities, in their

development plans, to consider the following areas:

• Seek to locate uses which attract large numbers of people in the centres of the Principal

Urban Areas (PUAs) and in the other designated centres for growth specified in the spatial

strategy.

• Encourage town centre developments of an appropriate scale in the market towns and

larger settlements elsewhere in the region in keeping with their size and function and

which can help to reduce the need to travel and encourage journeys by modes other than

the private car.

• Ensure the vitality and viability of existing centres is maintained, by assessing the need for

new development and by applying the sequential test. For convenience provision, RPG10

advises that a distribution of provision should be maintained, that minimises the lengths

and frequency of trips.

2.15 A review of RPG10, in the form of the Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West, was at

the time of commencing this project well advanced. The draft RSS was published in June

2006 and an Examination in Public took place in April 2007. Subsequently the Panel Report

was published in January 2008 and the Secretary of State Published the Proposed Changes

Document in July 2008. The document was programmed to be adopted during 2009, however

a successful legal challenge to the South East RSS meant that aspects of the South West

RSS required additional sustainability appraisal, the outcome of which remained outstanding

at the time when the Coalition Government stated its intention to abolish the RS.

2.16 The RSS Proposed Modifications document (July 2008) identifies strategic Housing Market

Areas (HMA’s) across the South-West sub-region. The sub-division of the region into HMA’s

splits Cornwall into two areas, the West Cornwall HMA (including the former Carrick, Kerrier,

Penwith and Restormel districts) and the Polycentric Devon and Cornwall HMA (including the

former North Cornwall district). Paragraphs 4.1.64 – 4.1.70 identify the strategy for West

Cornwall. The settlements of Truro, Falmouth-Penryn and Camborne/Pool/Redruth are

collectively identified as a Strategically Significant City or Town (SSCT). This identification

renders such areas as a focus for regeneration and growth within the HMA. In addition, the

text identifies the larger towns in the HMA such as Penzance, Newquay and St Austell.

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2.17 Paragraphs 4.1.73 and 4.1.74 identify the strategy for the Polycentric Devon and Cornwall

HMA. Within this strategy there are no SSCT’s identified within Cornwall, however Bodmin is

identified as a larger town.

2.18 Policy TC1 of the draft RSS addresses city and town centres and encourages local authorities

and other agencies to work together to ensure that the vitality and viability of the region’s

existing network of towns and city centres is maintained and enhanced. It is continued that in

doing so, it will be important to ensure that such centres are not adversely affected by

inappropriate development elsewhere and that provision is made for a mix of uses within town

centres, including retail, cultural facilities, offices, other employment and housing. SSCTs are

to provide the focus for retail and other facilities requiring high levels of accessibility. Policy

TC1 advises that, within settlements identified in the context of Development Policy B (Market

and Costal Towns), the range of and quality of central area facilities will also be maintained

and enhanced to meet future needs. In all settlements, measures should be introduced to

improve accessibility by sustainable modes, and to enhance the public realm and quality of

the town centre environment. In doing so, local authorities and other agencies should

recognise the role of central area investment in supporting regeneration objectives. The scale

of new investment in retail and other facilities within town centres should take full account of

changing patterns of behaviour and future levels of population growth.

Cornwall Structure Plan

2.19 The Cornwall Structure Plan was adopted in 2004 and sets out the strategic context for the

future development of the County. Policy 16 sets out the overall approach to development

and notes that development should be focused on the Strategic Urban Centres of Bodmin,

CPR, Falmouth-Penryn, Newquay, Penzance, St Austell, Truro, Saltash and Torpoint. The

policy also notes that the role and function of the other main towns (Bude, Launceston,

Wadebridge, Hayle, Helston and Liskeard) and local centres will be supported to meet the

needs of their population and surrounding areas. The Strategic Urban Centres also have their

own specific policies within the Structure Plan. References to retailing and town centres

appears in a number of these policies. Truro is highlighted as the County’s major retail

centre, which should be sustained and enhanced without adverse effects on nearby centres.

Policy 22 notes that development in Bodmin should consolidate the current employment and

retail function of the town. Policy 21 highlights the role of Penzance as the major service and

retail in the former district of Penwith. The regeneration of St Austell town centre is given

priority status Policy 20, whilst better retail provision in the CPR area is highlighted in Policy

17.

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2.20 The county-wide policy on retailing in the Structure Plan is Policy 14. This notes that priority

will be given to the improvement and enhancement of town centres in providing shopping,

office and leisure facilities to meet the needs and aspirations of the whole community. This

policy also notes that retail development should be in or adjoining town centres where it can

help to sustain a centre’s vitality and viability. Elsewhere, such development should be limited

to circumstances where particular needs could not be reasonably expected to be met in or

adjoining town centres, having taken account of existing provision available and further

development opportunities. In the case of retailing, Policy 14 notes that it will be important to

assess the capacity of the centre as a whole to meet future needs rather than its ability to

accommodate a particular retailer or form of development. In addition, Policy 14 notes that:

• Development should not be harmful to the vitality and viability of existing centres.

• Locations should be in or well integrated with towns, where the impact on travel patterns

would be unlikely to lead to increased car usage and where convenient access by public

transport serving the catchment area is available.

• Consideration should be given to the potential role of retail and other commercial

development in the physical and economic regeneration of urban area.

Local Development Plan Documents

2.21 Following restructuring of the Council to form a Unitary Authority on 1st April 2009, Cornwall

Council are in the process of preparing a Local Development Framework to guide

development within the area to the period 2030. Until a Local Development Framework for the

Cornwall Council planning authority is adopted, existing planning policy prepared by the

former District and Borough authorities in Cornwall will continue to act as interim planning

policy.

2.22 The Secretary of State has formally ‘saved’ a range of policies from the existing adopted Local

Plans, the relevant details of which are outlined below. In addition to the saved Local Plan

policies, this section also identifies and summarises the salient parts of those LDF documents

which were being prepared by the former administrative areas prior to local government

reorganisation, along with the progress made to date on Cornwall Council’s Local

Development Framework.

Penwith

2.23 The Penwith Local Plan was adopted in 2004 and provides a detailed set of policies and

proposals for the future development of the former Penwith District, and remains the saved

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plan for the area. Of most relevance to this study is Chapter 7 of the Plan, which deals with

the towns and villages within Penwith. Policy TV1 notes that the majority of development

within Penwith will be focused on the towns of Penzance, Newlyn, St. Ives (including Carbis

Bay) and Hayle. Policy TV16 of the Plan notes that major retail, office, entertainment, leisure

or community developments should be located in the town centres of Penzance, St. Ives and

Hayle, where the greatest benefit to the community can be provided.

2.24 Policy TV16 makes it clear that proposals for edge of centre sites will only be permitted where

the development cannot be accommodated within a town centre and development on out of

centre sites will not be permitted unless all potential town centre and edge of centre locations

have been demonstrated to be unsuitable. In examining these options, flexibility will be

required about the format, design and scale of the development in relation to local

circumstances.

2.25 Within Penzance and St. Ives Town Centres, Policy TV18 identifies prime shopping areas on

the proposals map and notes that within these areas proposals and restricts the loss of

ground floor retail uses in such locations. This Policy also seeks to control the proportion of

non retail uses within the primary shopping areas of the main towns.

2.26 The remainder of Chapter 7 of the Adopted Local Plan provides detailed policies and

guidance in relation to Penzance, St. Ives and Hayle Town Centres. In respect of Penzance,

proposal TVA allocates the former gas holder and former Cornwall Farmers Limited site for

mixed use redevelopment and Policy TV21 and Policy TV22 outline the future context for

development proposals along Bread Street. In relation to the harbour area in Penzance,

Policies TV23 and TV24 note that any proposals for development within the harbour car park

will be required to maintain the open views from Wharf Road to the harbour and proposals for

development in harbour side area must be related to the use of the harbour and must not

inhibit or interfere with the efficient and safe operation of the wet and dry docks.

2.27 In relation to St. Ives, Policy TV25 notes that within the town centre the establishment of

further hot food takeaway outlets would not be permitted where they would conflict with the

preservation and enhancement of the character and appearance of the conservation area, the

primary shopping function of the area or surrounding uses. In addition, Policy TV25 notes that

where proposals for restaurants are acceptable in principle, planning permission will not be

granted unless the sale of takeaway food is excluded through the use of conditions or

planning obligations.

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2.28 In relation to Hayle Town Centre and the harbour area, policies TVD and TVE allocate large

areas of land at South Quay, North Quay, East Quay and the Foundry area for mixed use

development, including retail uses.

2.29 The Penwith Core Strategy Preferred Options Document was published for consultation in

February 2008. The document identified that Hayle was the town within Penwith that most

requires a step change in retail provision and shopping pattern behaviour. It is identified that

there is an indicative capacity for between 860 – 1,750 sq m convenience and up to 4,000sqm

comparison floorspace to the period 2021. The document identifies a requirement for

14,700sqm comparison floorspace in Penzance to the period 2021 with very limited

convenience need. In addition to the Core Strategy Penwith Council had also started work on

the Hayle Area Action Plan (AAP) and the Penzance & Newlyn AAP, both of which went out

for Issues and Options consultation in January 2008. The Hayle AAP identifies a number of

potential development sites, including Hayle Harbour, Daniels Supermarket (Market Square),

Perfex Works (Maddison Terrace – Beatrice Terrace), R & J Supplies (Copper Terrace),

Atlantic Motors (Commercial Road/Fore Street), Marsh Lane (North), Marsh Lane (south),

Loggans Moor, Jewsons (South Quay) and Bookers Warehouse (Foundry). The Penzance

AAP Issues and Options document identifies a number of sites for potential retail provision,

including the former Gas Holder site, Co-op Wherrytown, Bread Street and Chapel Street.

None of these Penwith LDF documents are currently being progressed.

Restormel

2.30 The Restormel Local Plan, adopted in October 2001, identifies the towns of St Austell and

Newquay as the primary town centres within the district. On this basis, these two settlements

are the only town centres in Restormel with defined primary shopping areas and form the

focus for retail development within the former borough area. Within the primary shopping

areas of St Austell and Newquay (and defined district centres) the loss of ground floor retail

use is controlled under Policy 57. Policy 58 of the plan allows shopping proposals within the

wider development envelopes of the two primary towns provided a number of criteria are

satisfied, including a sequential approach to site selection.

2.31 The Local Plan includes bespoke sections for both St Austell and Newquay, which include the

following provisions:

St Austell

2.32 Policy SA12 identifies the following sites for small-scale shopping development:

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• Part of the Priory car park

• Car park next to Market House, North Street

• Top of car park adjacent to Vicarage Place.

2.33 Policy SA13 identifies the land between Beech Road, East Hill and High Cross Street for

mixed use development including retail, office, leisure and housing. Policy SA14 promotes

proposals for upgrading, refurbishment, redevelopment and/or environmental improvements

of Aylmer Square and 2 Victoria Place/9 Church Street. The former Aylmer Square area has

recently been redeveloped to provide the White River Place shopping centre. Policy SA16

promotes proposals for an open air market in the town centre. Policy SA17 permits small

kiosks on pedestrianised areas of Fore Street, Market Street, Aylmer Square, Vicarage Place

and the link via Biddicks Court to the Priory car park. Policy SA24 allocates land to the west of

Pentewan Road for long stay car parking and for a park and ride scheme in the long-term.

Newquay

2.34 Policy N13 of the Plan permits a mixed use of art/craft workshops, retail outlets, residential

and offices on land at Wesley Yard. Policy N14 permits redevelopment proposals that are in

accordance with general policy 6 (Development and Design Principles) at:

• Station Parade/Oakleigh Terrace

• Rear of Morfa Hall

• East Street

• East Street Bus Station.

2.35 Policy N15(1) identifies 1.2ha of land off Trevenson Road as a proposed local centre which

should include a small supermarket to serve growth in the eastern area of Newquay. Policy

N15(2) identifies mixed use areas on land adjacent to the local centre (1.55ha) and land to the

East of Trencreek Village (0.39ha). Policy N16 identifies 2.8ha of land bounded by Manor

Road, Marcus Hill and Mount Wise for redevelopment for shopping, commercial leisure and

community uses subject to meeting listed criteria.

2.36 The Newquay Surf Capital Steering Group Partnership (which included Restormel Borough

Council) produced a Newquay Action Framework document in 2005 which was produced to

inform the production of a Newquay Area Action Plan (which has not been progressed). This

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document identified a number of retail allocations in the centre, many as part of mixed use

schemes. Whilst the Newquay Area Action Plan was withdrawn, the Framework still provides

an insight into RBC’s aspirations for development in Newquay. The Framework included the

identification of the following allocations:

• Newquay Train Station, Tolcarne Road side – mixed use scheme incorporating

convenience retail floorspace

• Manor Road, Mount Wise, St George’s Road (also allocated under Policy N16 of

Local Plan) – Mixed use scheme including 7,500 – 9,500 sq m retail floorspace.

• Former Newquay Bus Station, East Street (also Local Plan Policy N14 and subject of

an adopted development brief) – identified for mixed use including retail

• Treloggan Road – 3.7ha of land identified for mixed use commercial development

which could incorporate approximately 4,500 sq m non-food retail. This site is

identified in the Local Plan under Policy N10 for employment development.

Caradon

2.37 The Caradon District Local Plan First Alteration was adopted in August 2007 and sets the

spatial policy for the former Caradon District. The Plan does not define a settlement retail

hierarchy and instead lists general retail polices that are applicable across the district. Policy

ALT6 of the Plan sets the policy stance for large scale retail development, which includes a

sequential approach to site selection, where the preference is for town centre and edge-of-

centre sites before out-of-centre sites will be considered. Policy ALT7 of the Plan seeks to

protect the defined shopping cores for retail use at ground floor level unless a number of

criteria can be satisfied. Policy ALT8 seeks to control the provision of food and drink premises

within the town centre.

2.38 Policy LO1 identifies 2.2ha of land in the Polean area of Looe for mixed use development

including retail, commercial and tourism development. There are no further retail allocations

identified within the plan.

Carrick

2.39 The Carrick District Local Plan was adopted in April 1998, and a number of policies from this

document were "saved" by the Secretary of State in September 2007. The spatial shopping

strategy for the District is to consolidate the central shopping areas (CSA) of Falmouth,

Penryn and Truro. Policy 7A of the Plan seeks to concentrate retail provision within the CSA

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of these towns; significant development proposals outside of these areas should be able to

demonstrate a sequential approach to site selection and that there is no adverse impact on

the vitality and viability of the CSA. It is identified under policy 7A that within Truro, no further

retail uses will be allowed to front onto the Inner Circuit Road or Morlaix Avenue in the interest

of road safety and accessibility.

2.40 Paragraph 7.5 identifies Falmouth and Truro to be the two main shopping centres in the

district, Truro being the larger of the two. The Local Plan identifies three areas within

Falmouth considered suitable for redevelopment for retail/commercial purposes, namely:

• Webber Street, Falmouth

• The Quarry / Ex-Riders Garage, Falmouth

• Church Street Car park, Falmouth.

2.41 Policy 7B identifies the policy stance for these three areas, identifying suitable uses to fall

within use class A1, A2, A3, B1 and D2. Any proposals are also subject to meeting criteria

listed under policy 7B. Policy 7C permits the provision of an open air market at the Moor,

Falmouth, subject to appropriate traffic management measures and satisfying further criteria.

2.42 Policy 7D of the Plan identifies five sites within Truro town centre that are considered to be

suitable for increasing/improving Truro’s retail offer. These sites are: land bounded by Lemon

Street, St Nicholas Street and Boscawen Street; Lemon Quay; Pydar Street; Old Bridge Street

car park; and, the Old Post Office. These sites are considered suitable for the provision of

use class A1 and A2 development with mixed residential use and also carry site specific

criteria that any proposals must satisfy.

2.43 Policy 7E of the plan seeks to restrict the level of non-retail uses within the defined primary

shopping areas of Falmouth and Truro. Policy 7G identifies the plan’s policy stance on the

provision of supermarkets and foodstores located outside the town centres of Falmouth,

Penryn and Truro. It is noted that such provision will only be permitted where the needs of the

area cannot be accommodated within or adjoining the central shopping area and where the

policy criteria can be satisfied. Policy 7H sets the policy stance for retail warehousing,

identifying the requirement for a sequential approach to site selection and to demonstrate that

there is no adverse impact on the vitality and viability of the centre, along with a number of

further criteria.

2.44 Consultation was undertaken on the draft Truro and Threemilestone Area Action Plan in

February 2009 (although we understand that the content of this document will now be taken

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forward as part of a non-statutory framework plan for the Truro area). This AAP document

sets out the spatial strategy for scale and distribution of new development across the Truro

and Threemilestone area. It is identified in the latest draft AAP document that Truro should

accommodate a substantial scale of additional comparison goods floorspace to meet the

future needs of residents and a demand from retailers to locate in the city. It is identified that

the preferred option for retail is based upon an organic expansion across the city centre,

allowing the centre to grow steadily and strengthen a number of locations, supporting the

secondary shopping area. To achieve this approach the draft document identifies the following

sites that are considered to be suitable for redevelopment for a mixture of uses including

retail:

• Pannier Market site

• Bus Station site

• Garras Wharf

• Argos and Moorfield service area

• BHS building

• Co-operative building

• Part of the Pydar Street site

• Former Leats health clinic.

2.45 In addition to the proposals for the city centre, the most recent draft of the AAP identified

provision to two new district centres in Truro, including one on the western side of the urban

area in Threemilestone and another on the eastern side adjacent to the Cattle Market. In

addition, five new local centres are also planned throughout the urban area within proposed

large residential development areas.

Kerrier

2.46 The saved policies in the Cornwall Structure Plan carry most weight in the former Kerrier

District area, as progress with the Kerrier District Local Plan was halted in 2004. The Kerrier

District Local Plan Revised Deposit Draft (2002) is however still a material consideration in

determining planning applications.

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2.47 Policy S1 of this Plan permits retail proposals within the defined shopping core areas of

Camborne, Redruth and Helston. Policy S2 seeks to protect ground floor retail uses within the

shopping core. Policy S5 identifies the following town centre shopping development

opportunities:

• Bus Depot, Camborne

• Former Cattle Market, Fair Meadow, Station Hill, Redruth

• Post Office and Sorting Office, Redruth

• Former Flowerpot Chapel, Fore Street, Redruth

• Angel Yard, Tyacke Road, Helston

2.48 Work on the Kerrier Local Development Framework was underway prior to the inception of

Cornwall Council. This work included the Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth Area Action

Plan, which was subject to Preferred Options consultation in February 2009. The Preferred

Options document identifies that there will be a requirement for the creation of 2,000 sq m

convenience floorspace and 15,000 – 21,000 sq m comparison floorspace within the CPR

area to the period 2026. It is identified that Camborne and Redruth town centres do not have

the capacity, individually or collectively to accommodate the amount of additional floorspace

(studies identify that there is physical capacity to accommodate 5-6.000 sq m within each of

these town centres). Therefore the AAP preparation process outlined two alternative options

for growth:

• Dispersed approach: Provide 5-6,000 sq m of floorspace to Camborne and Redruth

with the remaining 6-10,000 sq m placed within Pool

• Centralised approach: Provide all of the retail growth within Pool

2.49 The preferred approach was to concentrate development in Camborne and Redruth town

centres, whilst continuing to support the retail role that Pool already has. The Council

proposes to allow retail development at Pool on two sites for the type of units that cannot

primarily be accommodated in the town centres i.e. retail stores of 800sq m and above. These

proposed allocations are at Pool Retail Park and Carn Brea Leisure Centre (pending

relocation of the leisure centre).

2.50 The draft AAP proposes that there would be no restrictions to appropriate retail development

within the retail shopping areas of Camborne & Redruth. To provide the best opportunities to

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promote further retail development within the towns, the draft AAP looked to ensure the sites

recognised as the best opportunities for retail growth are encompassed within each town’s

primary retail area (i.e. the bus depot site in Camborne and sites along Chapel St in Redruth),

which includes proposals to extend the primary retail area in Redruth to encompass elements

of Chapel St.

North Cornwall

2.51 The North Cornwall Local Plan was adopted in 1999 and a number of policies from this

document were ‘saved’ by the Secretary of State in September 2007. Paragraph 6.14 of the

Local Plan identifies that there is not a dominant town within the retail hierarchy, naming six

towns within the district that all serve their respective populations (Bodmin, Bude, Padstow,

Launceston, Camelford and Wadebridge). Policy SAF1 permits Use Class A, B1, C3 and D

within the primary shopping area of the town centres subject to satisfying the listed criteria.

This policy also seeks to protect ground floor uses within the primary shopping area for retail

use. Policy SAF3 controls the distribution of large scale retail development, requiring

applicants to demonstrate a sequential approach to site selection in addition to satisfying a

number of further criteria. Part 2 of the plan identifies site specific measures for each of the 6

main towns in the former North Cornwall District, which can be summarized as:

Bodmin

2.52 Policy BOD6 of the Plan sets the policy stance for Bodmin town centre. This includes

provision a car park allocation and pedestrian priority scheme at Fore Street, along with

environmental improvements on Mount Folly.

Bude

2.53 Policy BUS4 of the plan identifies the retail and town centre development strategy for Bude,

which includes proposed environmental improvements in the Strand, Triangle and Belle Vue

areas. There are no identified retail development sites, with the strategy aimed to consolidate

the retail activity within the defined central shopping area.

Camelford

2.54 Policy CAM3 of the plan seeks to consolidate the retail activity within the defined central

shopping area of Camelford.

Launceston

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2.55 Policy LAU5 of the plan identifies the retail strategy for Launceston. The town acts as a

service centre for its rural hinterland and due to its historic character and topography it is

unable to accommodate large new developments. The strategy is to therefore consolidate its

retail offer within the existing shopping core. Policy LAU5 also proposes environmental

improvements on High Street and around the War Memorial.

Padstow

2.56 Policy PAD3 of the plan seeks to consolidate the retail activity within the defined central

shopping area of Padstow.

Wadebridge

2.57 Policy WAD9 identifies the retail strategy for Wadebridge. It is stated that there is scope for

retail development in the Eddystone Road area. The priorities are to consolidate the retail

activity within the defined area. The policy also allocates the existing cattle market site and

former abattoir site for car parking. Policy WAD10 allocates land between Eddystone Road

and the Town Quay for a mix of residential and Use Class A1 development. Policy WAD11

allows limited provision of Use Class A1 floorspace in association with residential led

development at Bradford Quay.

The Abandoned North Cornwall LDF

2.58 North Cornwall Council began work on their Local Development Framework prior to the

inception of Cornwall Council. The Council consulted upon the North Cornwall Core Strategy

Preferred Options document and Site Specific Allocations & Policies Preferred Options

document in October 2007. These documents identified a number of town centres in Bodmin

(Dennison Road/Fore Street, Fore Street South, Dennison Road (West), land west of

Crinnicks Hill and land at the junction of Church Square, Turf Street and Priory Road),

Wadebridge (Bradford Quay, Goldsworthy Way and Commissioners Quay).

Cornwall Local Development Framework

2.59 Cornwall Council has published their Local Development Scheme, which was approved by

Cabinet on 16th December 2009. This document identifies that the Council’s priority is the

production of the Cornwall Core Strategy. Also included within the LDS is provision for the

Truro and Threemilestone DPD and the Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth Area Action

Plan (CPIR AAP) although we understand that both of these documents will be taken forward

as non-statutory framework plans. The LDS identifies that these are the only DPD’s that are

being progressed (that are of relevance to this study), although the LDS is subject to review.

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2.60 The Core Strategy Issues and Options document is due for publication for consultation in the

new year (2011).

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3. RETAIL AND LEISURE TRENDS

Introduction

3.1 To put our assessment of the quality of existing provision and the need for additional

floorspace into context, it is relevant to consider the wider economic and social trends likely to

influence retailing in Cornwall. A number of trends are likely to have a bearing on the future

pattern of retail provision in Cornwall, and the opportunities arising from development

proposals. This section examines key trends and drivers for change in the retail industry. We

outline the key national trends in retailing and service provision of relevance to Cornwall

drawing from a range of published data sources, including research by Verdict Analysis and

Mintel.

Demographics

3.2 Over the last 15 years UK population has increased at a rate of approximately 0.4% pa, whilst

the number of households has increased by 0.5% pa, as average household size has

decreased to 2.34 in 2006, with smaller families, more divorces, people living longer etc.

These trends are forecast to continue and will affect spending habits, how much we spend, on

what and where.

3.3 Over the next 20 years the 65 and over age group is expected to grow by 4.5m or 47% and

the under 65s age group by only 8%. Older shoppers have a younger mindset than in the

past, are more fashion aware and, in recent years, more financially better off as a result of

general house price growth as well as income growth (but post retirement income from

pensions could be a concern if they do not achieve anticipated values). Over 65s will have

more time to shop, will spend more on DIY and gardening and will expect good customer

service. Clearly, the economic slowdown will impact upon disposable income and pension

pots with more cautious spending patterns in the immediate future.

3.4 Younger shoppers will have higher education fees to pay, will experience higher housing

costs, will be more computer literate and spend more on-line, and will spend more on

entertainment/leisure so they may have less to spend in the retail sector.

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Income & Expenditure

3.5 Incomes and expenditure grew strongly during the last 20 years, with retail expenditure

growing faster than incomes. Overall, retail expenditure has increased by about 3.9% pa in

real terms over the last 20 years, with most of this growth on comparison goods rather than

convenience goods, where growth has been less than 1% pa. Comparison goods growth had

been close to 5.3% pa over the last 30 years, over 6% pa over the last 20 years and were

even stronger over the last 10 years. However, circumstances have reversed this pattern of

growth.

3.6 The extremely rapid deterioration in the economic performance during the final months of

2008 is having far-reaching implications for available income and consequently expenditure.

The UK economy has contracted by a substantial 5.7% in real terms since this recession

began in mid-2008. The weakness has been broad-based, with exports hit by the global

downturn and domestic demand constrained by rising unemployment and poor confidence.

The decline has been exaggerated by a record drawdown in stocks. The manufacturing

sector has been hardest hit, reflecting the slump in global demand. Construction remains

depressed by a sharp fall in housing starts and the cancellation of many projects. The key

services sector has also contracted, but at a gentler pace.

3.7 Household spending fell in real terms by 3.2% in the four quarters to 2009q1. The pace of

decline accelerated from -0.4% in 2008q2 to -1.3% in 2009q1 as higher unemployment and

slow growth in earnings hit spending. Experian estimate that spending fell a further 1% in the

second quarter, taking the decline since the recession began to 4.2%.

3.8 Consumer expenditure on retail goods has been more resilient than total spending. The latest

official retail sales data show spending in volume terms up 1.3% in the three months to June

2009. Experian believe this divergence between total consumer spending and retail

expenditure reflects three major factors:

• consumers have cut back on big ticket items such as expensive holidays, household goods

and cars, but continue to spend on other items

• huge discounting has kept volumes up

• there has been a transfer of spending from services (hospitality, personal care and

entertainment) to retail spending on items enabling these activities to be carried on in the

home.

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3.9 The cost to retailers’ margins from discounting and the transfer of spending from service

providers in the high street has been a factor underlying the substantial rise from 7% to 11.5%

over the past year in the number of vacant shops, according to Experian data. Some of the

largest failures have been in the bulky goods sector, which has suffered from the downturn in

the housing market. Lack of working capital as a result of the credit crunch has also played a

key role.

3.10 The recession has been severe, but is entering a milder phase. Business surveys have

improved, with the services purchasing managers index (PMI) (i.e. measuring consumer

spending patterns, retail sales and performance against key targets etc) even moving into

growth territory in Spring 2009 and continue to slow limited growth. Recent evidence from the

mortgage market also suggests that the ferocity of the downturn may be abating. However it

is too early to confirm whether this improvement will be sustained while unemployment is

rising and lending remains constrained.

3.11 Experian expect the economy to stabilise in the short term, stemming from an end to heavy

destocking (i.e. reducing the amount of stock held); a reduction in the rate of decline in house

prices; a more marked revival of lending to businesses and a modest pick-up in export

demand.

3.12 The upturn when it develops throughout 2011-2012 will be gradual and patchy as investment

and household spending remain weak and the global economy revives only slowly. In year-

on-year terms, the implication is that consumer spending will shrink by 3.5% in 2009 and

contract by a further 0.6% in 2010.

Medium-Term Outlook

3.13 The medium-term outlook is for much slower growth than was seen during the past 10-15

years. Experian expect GDP growth to average 2.0% a year in 2011-16 and consumer

spending to average 2.2%. These rates compare with an annual average of near 3% in 1995-

2007 for GDP and 3.2% for consumer spending.

3.14 The key reasons for this marked deceleration are:

• Government finances have deteriorated sharply. Recessions cut tax receipts and benefit

payments rise. Bank bail-outs have exacerbated the fiscal deficit. Finances will remain

under pressure even when the economy recovers, as an increasing number move into

retirement, raising payments and reducing tax and National Insurance receipts. It is

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estimated that the government will have to find £40bn a year in the medium term through

spending constraints and higher taxes. This will weigh down on consumer spending.

• The sharp reduction in investment (down 13% in the year to 2009q1) and cancellation or

postponement of plans will inevitably depress medium-term growth prospects in many parts

of the UK economy.

• There will be no boost on the scale of what was seen in the past decade from consumer

credit. The banking sector will be more cautious and households’ appetite for taking on

credit will be less voracious as they seek to control their debts which are at historically high

levels in relation to incomes. Moreover, savings are likely to be higher than in the past

decade as job insecurity continues against backdrop of high unemployment and weak

growth.

• The main engines of growth in the past decade – financial and business services and the

housing market - will be less buoyant. London’s financial services sector will be more

tightly regulated and under pressure from centres in the Middle and Far East; a more

subdued housing market will curb lending and real estate; and the now mature business

services sector will not be able to repeat its 7.9% annual rate of expansion of 1995-2007.

• Public spending - a key creator of jobs in the past decade – will be severely constrained.

This will prevent unemployment falling as rapidly as in the aftermath of the recession of the

early 1990s.

Long-Term Outlook

3.15 While the economy may return to a stronger growth path in the second half of the next

decade, Experian do not believe that it will repeat the exceptional performance of the period

1995-2007 as some of the issues constraining the medium-term outlook remain unresolved.

Environmental factors including much higher energy costs will also constrain growth.

Experian forecast GDP growth between 2016 and 2026 to average 2.4% a year.

3.16 Non-store retail sales, excluding e-tailing, are expected to decline over the next ten years, but

this will be more than offset by the growth of e-tailing, resulting in overall growth in non-store

sales in absolute and percentage terms. Total non-store convenience retail sales (including

e-tailing) are expected to increase from 2.5% of sales in 2006 to 4.8% in 2013, rising to 6% in

2026, whilst total comparison non-store retail sales are expected to increase from 6.8% in

2006 to around 9.1% in 2013, before stabilising.

3.17 The impact of growth in e-retailing on future demands for retail floorspace is an important

consideration and has been factored into the forecasts set out later in this report. Factors

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such as the processing of online grocery orders by retailers such as Tesco and Sainsburys in

local stores, and the potential use of shops as showrooms and/or collection points may mean

that the growth in Internet sales will not necessarily lead to an equivalent reduction in

floorspace requirements. However, Tesco has recently announced that it is to trial ‘dark

stores’ which have no customer access and are simply used for picking internet deliveries.

3.18 According to Verdict, as customers become more concerned about the economic outlook,

they are becoming more selective in their purchasing habits. With rising living costs,

disposable incomes are being squeezed, and as a result customers are shopping around

more to find the best possible value. Increasingly retailers are finding it harder to please

customers, and across all sectors, retailers are converting fewer customers into main users

and shoppers are less loyal to their main stores.

Sales Efficiency

3.19 In undertaking retail capacity and impact assessments it is generally accepted that an

allowance should be made for growth in the turnover ‘efficiency’ (or ‘productivity’) of existing

retail floorspace to reflect what has happened in the past about retailers’ ability to achieve

productivity increases. Such an allowance also helps maintain the vitality and viability of town

centre businesses.

3.20 This growth represents the ability of retailers to increase their productivity and absorb higher

than inflation increases in their costs (such as rents, rates and service charges) by increasing

their average sales densities. The application of a turnover ‘efficiency’ growth rate is a

standard approach used in retail planning studies.

3.21 Although hard quantitative evidence is limited, comparison businesses in particular have, over

time, increased sales densities by achieving improvements in productivity in the use of

floorspace. Analysis of past data is difficult as over the last 20 years sales densities increases

have been affected by changes in the use of retail floorspace, with higher value space-

efficient electrical goods replacing lower value space intensive goods, the growth in out-of-

centre retailing, a number of one-off events like Sunday Trading and longer opening hours,

and the very strong growth of retail expenditure relative to the growth in floorspace.

3.22 Evidently, in the current economic climate many retailers have struggled to increase or even

maintain sales density levels and, together with other financial problems, have led retailers

into closure, such as Woolworths and Adams. With the expectation of weaker expenditure

growth in the future than over the last 10 years, sales density growth is likely to be towards

the bottom end of the range. Therefore, we are now incorporating a 1.3% efficiency rate for

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comparison retailing up to 2016 and 2% pa thereafter and a 0.1% efficiency rate for

convenience retailing up to 2016 and 0.5% pa thereafter.

Employment

3.23 Over the last 20 years retail expenditure has increased at about 4% pa, but retail employment

has increased much more slowly. Total employees in retail employment have increased from

2.2 million to 3.0 million, an increase of 1.5% pa. However, this growth has been in part time

employees. Full time equivalent (FTE) employment has hardly increased at all, from about

2.1 million to 2.2 million, a 0.4% pa increase.

3.24 Over the next 15 years Experian Business Strategies expect a marginal increase in FTE

employment in the retail sector with a slightly higher increase in part time employment.

Evidently, this needs to be monitored in the forthcoming years based on the slow down in the

economy and corresponding growing levels of unemployment with significant consequences

for available retail expenditure and retail sector employment positions.

Location

3.25 Strong income and expenditure growth has affected retailing in another important way – the

rise in car ownership and mobility. In 1961 only 30% of households had a car (one or more

cars) but only 2% of these had more than one car. With public transport (and walking and

cycling) the dominant mode of transport, shopping choices were limited and distances

travelled were short. By 1970 car ownership had increased significantly so that nearly 50% of

households had one or more cars and the number of households with two or more cars had

quadrupled but was still under 10%.

3.26 Currently about 77% of households have one or more cars and a third of households have

two or more cars, a huge increase in mobility over the last 30-40 years. Households are now

much more mobile than they were and therefore their choices of where to shop and the

distances they can travel are much greater. These trends will continue but the rate of change

may well diminish, particularly in light of the economic slow-down. It would seem likely,

however, that levels of mobility will be retained although frequency of travel may decline as

the number of cars per household may fall in the economic downturn. This may increase the

demand for other modes of travel.

3.27 Increased mobility and affluence has favoured larger centres over smaller centres. As a result

larger centres have increased in size and importance relative to smaller centres which has

further reinforced the attraction of larger centres to more mobile shoppers. Smaller centres

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have, therefore, lost market share and have seen much less new development than the

overall rate of expenditure growth would imply.

3.28 Increased mobility and affluence has also stimulated out-of-centre development, which has

grown much more rapidly than town centre development. Over the last 20 years the majority

of retail development has been in edge or out-of-centre locations. This has led to increasingly

restrictive planning policy in favour of town centres over the last 10 years, but only recently

has the growth in out-of-centre development started to slow. This slow down is expected to

continue, but Verdict still expect sales at out-of-centre locations to increase at a faster rate

than at in-centre locations.

3.29 The new PPS4 (like the previous PPS6) reinforces town centre first objectives and the

sequential site test is still a cornerstone of retail planning policy, favouring town centre sites

and necessitating consideration of the disaggregation of retail park proposals so that smaller

sites are considered. However, it is also recognised that individual retailers’ business models

are also relevant.

3.30 In May 2006 the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) referred the supply of groceries by retailers in

the UK to the Competition Commission (CC) for investigation under Section 131 of the

Enterprise Act 2002. The CC published its findings in April 2008 and reported that “in many

respects, competition in the UK groceries industry is effective and delivers good outcomes for

consumers, but not all is well”. The two main areas of concern highlighted were:

1) that a number of grocery retailers have strong positions in several local markets.

Barriers faced by competing retailers that could otherwise enter these markets mean

that consumers get a poorer retail offer than would otherwise be the case, while those

`grocery retailers with strong local market positions earn additional profits due to weak

competition in those markets, and

2) the transfer of risk and unexpected costs by grocery retailers to their suppliers through

various supply chain practices if unchecked will have an adverse effect on investment

and innovation on the supply chain and therefore, on consumers.

3.31 A number of steps to address the problems were posed including the recommendation of the

introduction of a competition test as part of the planning process for new stores, to favour new

retailers other than those which already have significant market shares in an area. This

recommendation has been subject to a successful legal challenge by Tesco and a new

version of the competition test was published in October 2009. The updated recommended

test (2009) would be applied to all grocery retail planning applications (extensions and new

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stores) that resulted in stores with a net sales area of over 1,000sq m and the Office of Fair

Trading would be become a statutory consultee to the LPA and would advise it whether a

planning application passed or failed the competition test. The test is as follows:

The OFT would:

(a) assess concentration across an area defined using a 10-minute drive-time isochrone

(calculated using a standard, readily available software package) around the store

that is to be developed;

(b) count the number of fascias (including that of the retailer that might operate the

developed store) operating stores with net sales area of over 1,000 sq metres within

the isochrone. The fascias would include all full-range grocery store operators;

(c) (Where the number of fascias is three or fewer) calculate the share of groceries sales

area within the isochrone that the grocery retailer operating the developed store would

have after the development had been implemented; and

(d) provide advice to the LPA on:

(i) whether the applicant, being a large grocery retailer, had passed or failed the Test; or

(ii) where a planning application was submitted by a third party, which grocery retailers

would fail the Test.

A retailer would pass the Test for a development within a particular local area (i.e. within a 10-

minute isochrone around the development) if:

(a) it was a new entrant in the local area;

(b) the total number of fascias in the local area was four or more; or

(c) the total number of fascias was three or fewer but the grocery retailer operating the

development would have less than 60 per cent of groceries sales area in the local

area.

A retailer would fail the Test if:

(a) the grocery retailer was not a new entrant in the local area;

(b) the total number of fascias in the local area was three or fewer; and

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(c) the retailer would have 60 per cent or more of groceries sales area (including the new

development) in the local

A development that did not result in an increase in groceries sales area would still be subject

to the Test, since planning conditions would be required to prevent an increase in groceries

sales area in the future, but would pass it automatically.

In order to ensure the effective working of the Test, the OFT also recommend that:

(a) the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) and the devolved

administrations took such steps as were necessary (including changes to planning

policy) to ensure that when an LPA gave open A1 planning permission (which would

allow any type of retail development), it should limit the grocery sales area in the

development to less than 1,000 sq metres (as an anti-avoidance provision); and

(b) CLG and the devolved administrations took such steps as were necessary to ensure

that LPAs should take account of the OFT’s advice on the result of the Test and

should only approve applications that failed the Test in exceptional circumstances:

(i) the particular development would produce identified benefits for the local area that

would clearly outweigh the detriment to local people from the area becoming or

remaining highly concentrated in terms of grocery retailing; and

(ii) the development, or any similar development, would not take place without the

involvement of a large grocery retailer that had failed the Test.

3.32 Recommendations were also made by the Competition Commission to try and prevent

retailers using the control of land sites in highly concentrated markets as a means of inhibiting

entry by competing retailers. These steps would have implications on the potential new

locations that some retailers could look to develop within.

Size of Units

3.33 The growth of multiple traders and increased competition between companies has meant that

the retail structure is increasingly dominated by large companies requiring larger shop units.

Shopping centres and out-of-centre development that has been able to accommodate this

demand for larger sized units (typically 500-2,000 sq m or larger) have grown in importance,

reinforcing the trend of higher order centres and out-of-centre retailing growing in relative

importance (i.e. polarisation in the retail hierarchy).

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3.34 The growth in the size of stores has caused a contraction in the number of shop units and

consumer choice. This is particularly evident in the food sector, with a marked decline in the

number of smaller and more specialist food retailers (greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers,

bakers etc), and a large increase of superstores. This is indicated by Verdict Research which

shows a 31% reduction in the total number of convenience stores over the last 10 years, as

space is concentrated into a smaller number of larger stores.

3.35 Whilst the number of superstores (>25,000 sq ft) has increased by 37%, food specialists and

off licences/tobacconists have declined by 35% and 57% respectively. These trends may well

weaken in the future due to possible market saturation of large foodstores and concerns over

lack of competition due to the market dominance of a few key multiples.

Foodstores

3.36 A by-product of the restriction of new development of large foodstores is the growth in

applications to extend existing stores and the changing composition of floorspace within

existing foodstores. There is an increasing emphasis on the sale of comparison goods at the

expense of convenience goods, as expenditure growth rates for comparison goods are much

higher than for convenience goods and margins are greater, although sales densities are

often lower. This trend poses an increasing threat to smaller centres, as larger foodstores will

increasingly sell a wider product range of day-to-day convenience and comparison goods and

services. According to Verdict, non-food floorspace in the larger format stores of the top 4

grocers now accounts for between 28% of the Morrisons store sales area portfolio and 50% of

the Asda store sales area portfolio.

Shopping & Leisure

3.37 Due to increased affluence and mobility, and the rise of the internet, shoppers no longer

merely shop to satisfy ‘needs’, they increasingly shop to satisfy ‘wants’ as well. Retailing in

the higher order centres and the more attractive smaller centres is changing and arguably

becoming more of a quasi leisure experience. Leisure spending growth is continuing to

outstrip that of retail, and despite the economic slowdown, at the moment consumers seem to

be willing to continue spending on leisure.

3.38 Quality restaurants, coffee shops, cafes and bars, as well as health and fitness centres and

multiplexes in larger centres, are therefore important to attract shoppers and encourage

longer stays and higher spending. Better integration of retail and leisure facilities mutually

benefits both sectors. Pedestrianised streets and covered retail areas are also important in

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attracting shoppers, as is the overall attractiveness of the town centre, along with good

accessibility and car parking.

3.39 A number of factors have helped drive the growth of leisure provision in town centres.

Planning policy is important as is the fact that urban living is fashionable. Town centres can

offer consumers a much more vibrant atmosphere in which to eat and drink and they also

offer a much wider choice of leisure venues, allowing more spontaneous decisions. For bars,

restaurants and health & fitness clubs, the attraction of the town centre is ‘daytime trade’ and

the ability to capitalise on proximity to businesses and shoppers.

Internet Shopping/E-Tailing

3.40 Online spending is growing at its fastest rate for six years, driven by convenience and low

prices, and so far e-retailing is showing no signs of being affected by the recent economic

downturn. According to Verdict (2008), the e-retail market grew by 35% between 2006 and

2007, which is considerably higher than the 3.6% growth in the total retail market, and e-retail

is expected to continue outperforming the total retail sector over the next five years.

3.41 Worth £14.7bn in 2007, the online market is becoming an increasingly important contributor to

retail, accounting for 5.2% of all retail sales, (up from 3.8% in 2006). Verdict’s research found

that almost 66% of UK households now have access to the Internet, with 55.5% having

broadband access, which is making online shopping easier, faster and more reliable. As

technology continues to improve, it will fuel further growth in the market. Overall the internet

shopper population is forecast to grow by approximately 50% between 2007 and 2012.

3.42 The online market is dominated by the electrical and food & grocery sub-sectors, which

between them account for around half of all sales. The food & grocery sub-sector, with rapid

growth of 39.5% in 2007 is expected to overtake electricals in the top spot. Online clothing

and footwear sales grew 38% during 2007, and with sales of £1.7bn, clothing & footwear is

the UK’s third largest online market.

3.43 Books are one of the online market’s most mature sectors – having been present in the online

arena for over a decade. The category came to prominence by Amazon back in 1995,

culminating today in approximately £1 in every £7 spent on the category going through online.

In 2007, the online book market grew by 15% to £504m, although was the lowest growth for

four years indicative of the approaching maturity of the market. The effects of on-line book

sales were felt in late 2009 with the fall of Borders UK into administration. A number of

potential developments regarding books are on the horizon which have the potential to alter

the dynamics of the sector, notably the digitisation of books. The immediate impact of this

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development in the short term is limited, although should give traditional book retailers ‘food

for thought’ regarding the creation of their long term strategies.

3.44 Although only accounting for a very small share of online spending, the market which saw the

most dramatic online growth in 2007 was furniture and floor coverings, growing by 41% from

£0.4bn to £0.7bn, despite the slowdown in the sector overall, with Ikea’s launch of a

transactional website being sited as one of the drivers of growth. The music & video sector

continues to have the overall highest online market penetration at 30.8% of total sector sales,

and this is forecast to double by 2012, which could have implications for physical store

requirements.

3.45 As a consequence of this growth, there are huge pressures on retailers as the Internet has

provided an attractive alternative for many consumers. Shoppers are selecting their own retail

mix online and shopping centres need to compete with this choice, which is not only driven by

price and range, but also service and expertise. Town centres will increasingly have to

provide a retail experience that the Internet and supermarkets are unable to match, and the

market will respond in some way to the varying impacts on different retail sectors. In

accordance with national policy, the emphasis should be on the overall town centre

experience, the mix of uses, and not just the retail offer.

Summary

� Incomes and expenditure have shown strong growth over the last 20 years, with retail

expenditure growing faster than incomes. This has seen corresponding increases in sales

densities within existing retail floorspace, which has also been driven by factors such as

high value space efficiency and longer opening hours. Crucially, for CC the current

economic slow down will have an impact on the retail sector and growth forecasts will need

to reflect recent publications from Experian Business Strategies.

� Heightened mobility through increased car ownership, alongside growth in affluence, has

favoured larger centres over smaller centres. Shoppers are more willing to travel further a

field to higher order centres which have increased in size and importance relative to

smaller centres, leading to a consequent fall in their market share.

� The composition of town centres has changed through new development, with a growing

number of companies requiring larger shop units to meet their shop format ratios. This has

again favoured the larger centres which generally have the space to meet such

requirements and are able to accommodate this demand. This is particular noticeable in

the convenience sector, which has seen a 37% increase in food superstores, but a 31% fall

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in total number of convenience stores over the last 10 years. This has led to current

concerns in respect of lack of competition and market dominance.

� Leisure spending growth is continuing to outstrip that of retail, and despite the economic

slowdown, at the moment consumers seem to be willing to continue spending on leisure –

although this may change in the coming months. Nevertheless, the mix of uses in a town

centre is vital to offer choice to shoppers, and quality restaurants, coffee shops, cafes, bars

and other leisure facilities are all important to encourage frequency of visit and longer stay

times.

� As competition from the internet increases, town centres need to offer a quality destination

where people want to spend time and gain access to facilities not available on the web.

There has been a continued polarisation towards larger centres and the provision of larger

stores in these larger centres. Where smaller centres have been unable to diversify their

offer or create niche markets and a mix of retail, leisure and service facilities they have

suffered.

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4. ASSESSMENT OF TOWN CENTRES

Introduction

4.1 This section provides an assessment of the health of the main town centres in Cornwall,

including a review of the vitality and viability of each centre against the health check indicators

outlined in PPS4. In addition, this section also provides an overview of the scale and type of

out-of-centre retail provision in each settlement.

4.2 Part 4 of the Practice Guidance accompanying PPS4 refers to the development of town centre

strategies. Such strategies need to be based on sound evidence which should include an audit

of existing centres, to identify their current role, their vitality and viability, and their potential to

accommodate new development and/or change having regard to identified needs. Town

centre health checks provide the opportunity to consider a centre’s performance over time, in

relation to national trends and to similar sized centres elsewhere. For the purposes of this

study, the following centres have been subject to a detailed health check assessment:

• Truro

• Bude

• St Ives

• Penzance

• Camborne

• Redruth

• Liskeard

• Newquay

• Falmouth

• Helston

• St Austell

• Launceston

• Saltash

• Hayle

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• Wadebridge

• Bodmin

4.3 In addition to the main centres, our health check assessment also includes a broad review of

the health and land use characteristics of a number of smaller centres across Cornwall.

These centres are Padstow, Camelford, Callington, Looe, St Columb Major, St Just and

Fowey and data/analysis in relation to town centre land use composition, accessibility, retailer

representation and environmental quality is provided for each centre.

4.4 Measurement of vitality and viability of town centre health is achieved through a basket of tried

and tested indicators. The information gathered for town centres is useful not only to inform

the review of allocations and policies, but is also useful for assessing the likely impact of retail

development proposals. The indicators which have been reviewed for each of the centres are:

• diversity of main town centre uses (by number type and amount of floorspace);

• the amount of retail, leisure and office floorspace in edge-of-centre and out-of-centre

locations;

• the potential capacity for growth or change of centres in network;

• retailer representation and intentions to change representation;

• shopping rents;

• proportion of vacant street level property;

• commercial yields on non-domestic property;

• pedestrian flows (footfall);

• accessibility;

• customer and residents’ views and behaviour;

• perception of safety and crime; and

• state of the town centre environment quality.

4.5 Information on the indictors of town centre health listed above has been gathered from a

number of sources, including Cornwall Council, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD),

Experian Goad, the Valuation Office, and the Focus Database. This information has been

supplemented by land use surveys undertaken by GVA Grimley during Autumn/Winter 2009,

supplemented by additional surveys for some centres in 2010.

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4.6 Land use information for each of the centres surveyed is presented in a consistent format,

comprising convenience (food) and comparison (non-food) retail uses, service uses (e.g.

banks, building societies, restaurants/cafes etc), miscellaneous uses (e.g. Post Offices) and

vacancies. The updated GVA Grimley land use data from Autumn/Winter 2009 is compared

against the previous Experian Goad survey data and the proportions of uses within each of

the above categories is also compared against the national average and an average of all

centres surveyed in Cornwall.

4.7 It should be noted that due to the size and function of some of the centres, it is not possible to

gather information on a number of the indictors, particularly retail rents and commercial yields.

4.8 In addition, the results of the Cornwall Shopping Survey, conducted by NEMS Market

Research in 2008, also offers an important contribution to the assessment of town centre

health. Part of this survey has been designed to elicit qualitative aspects of retail provision,

including:

• Which centres are considered main shopping centres;

• Perceived positive attributes of each town centre;

• Perceived negative attributes of each town centre; and

• Potential improvements which would encourage people to visit the town centres more

often.

4.9 In addition, a review of retailer requirements for representation in the main centres has also

been undertaken. This sought to identify retailer interest in the main Cornish town centres

and is documented in relation to each of the main settlements later in this section. It should

be noted that due to the preparation time for this study and also the changing economic

climate, retailer requirements were first surveyed in Winter 2009/2010 and also again in

October 2010. It will be noted throughout this section that, due to the economic climate, the

number of retailer requirements, particularly in the non-food retail sector, has reduced

significantly since 2007 levels and has continue to fall during the course of this study. This is

an indication of the current poor performance of the retail sector and but should only be taken

as a snap shot of the current market and care will need to be taken when comparing the

current level of requirements against the longer term capacity forecasts. Indeed, only

published requirements are highlighted in this survey and there may be requirements from

other retailers and service providers which will come to light as and when new floorspace

becomes available.

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4.10 Whilst non-food and service requirements have fallen in recent years, the remains significant

interest from national grocery retailers for additional stores/floorspace in Cornwall. Interest in

relation to particular towns is recorded later in this section.

The Sub-Regional Retail Hierarchy

The Existing Position

4.11 A useful starting point for the review of the health and performance of the main centres in

Cornwall is an overview and comparison of their size and general ranking. Such an exercise

can help to set the context for the sub-regional in Cornwall and how it relates to surrounding

large settlements in Devon.

4.12 Table A below shows the level of total floorspace in the main settlements in Cornwall. The

table below also provides a VenueScore ranking for each centre for 2007 and 2010. The

VenueScore database ranks individual centres based on a ‘basket’ of retailer representation

and floorspace information, to enable a comparison to be drawn between the performance of

different centres and over time. In addition, Table A also includes floorspace information and

the ranking of Plymouth and Exeter, in order that a comparison can be made between Cornish

centres and those across the wider sub-region.

Table A: Sub-Regional Shopping Hierarchy

Tier/Centre Total Floorspace

(GOAD) (sq m gross)

VenueScore

Ranking 2007

VenueScore

Ranking 2010

Penzance 45,885 383 373

St Ives 17,503 1383 1247

Truro 76,984 135 147

Falmouth 37,068 392 366

Camborne 31,020 644 650

Helston 27,323 782 868

Pool - 858 936

Redruth 22,919 1231 1247

Bodmin 22,120 590 747

Launceston 15,701 782 1192

Bude 21,033 1304 1452

Newquay 39,874 543 558

St Austell 37,5861 543 481

Plymouth 141,463 18 28

Exeter 117,773 37 29

Source: Goad & VenueScore.

St Austell floorspace figure is a GVA estimate

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4.13 Table A indicates that within Cornwall, Truro is the largest centre, in terms of retail floorspace,

in Cornwall by some considerable margin. It has 77,000sq m of retail space, compared with

46,000sq m in Penzance, 37,000sq m in Falmouth and 40,000sq m in Newquay. Truro also

has a significantly higher Venue Score ranking that any other Cornish centre, and is currently

ranked 147th in the country. The next highest Cornish centres are Falmouth (366

th), Penzance

(373rd) and St Austell (481

st). Since 2007, the following centres have improved their national

ranking: Falmouth, St Ives, Falmouth and St Austell. The ranking of Bodmin, Helston and

Launceston has noticeably decreased over the period 2007-2010.

4.14 It is also useful to compare the size and ranking of Truro with Plymouth and Exeter in Devon.

Both centres have a similar VenueScore ranking (28th-29

th), which are considerably higher

than Truro (147th), although this is unsurprising in the context of the size of these centres

which are between 50% and 100% larger than the size of Truro. In recent years, both Exeter

and Plymouth have benefitted from large scale city centre retail development. In Exeter, the

Princesshay shopping centre opening in 2007 and comprises 49,000sq m gross of total

floorspace. The Drakes Circus shopping centre in Plymouth opened in 2006 and extends to

60,000sq m gross retail floorspace.

Truro City Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.15 Truro is situated western Cornwall and is the largest retail centre in County. It is also a major

employment location. However, in terms of its overall size, it is only the fifth largest settlement

in Cornwall. The city is particularly noted for its cathedral, cobbled streets and Georgian

architecture. The population of the city (including the wider urban area) is approximately

20,920 (2001 Census). Truro is located approximately 6 miles form the A30 trunk road with

connections to Redruth, Liskeard, Falmouth and Penryn via the local road network. The city is

served by bus services operating from the main bus depot near to Lemon Quay and also

benefits from a Park and Ride scheme operated from Threemilestone which became

operational in August 2008. The railway station is within walking distance of the city centre and

provides a direct connect to London Paddington, Plymouth and Exeter. The nearest airport is

located at Newquay, approximately 12 miles to the north of Truro.

4.16 The city is a strategic hub for Cornwall and is the main shopping and service centre for

Cornwall. There are multiple retailers, supermarkets and local shops. Major employers in the

city include the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Cornwall Council and Truro College.

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4.17 Until a LDF for Cornwall is adopted, the saved policies from the Carrick District Wide Local

Plan (1998) are still a material planning consideration. It has also been intended to develop an

Area Action Plan for the Truro area however, due to the Government revoking the South West

Regional Spatial Strategy, the Council was unable to finalise the AAP. However the

consultation and evidence base developed during the development of the AAP will instead it

will be reviewed and, where appropriate, used in the development of a Town Framework. The

adopted Local Plan identifies a Central Shopping Area and also Prime Shopping Frontage.

The Central Shopping Area encompasses Kenwyn Street, Victoria Square, Boscawen Street,

River Street, The Leats, Pydar Street, King Street, Lemon Quay, Green Street, Prince’s Street,

New Bridge Street, Old Bridge Street, land to the east of Morlaix Avenue and St Mary’s Street.

The Primary Shopping Frontage is along Victoria Square, Boscawen Street, King Street and

Pydar Street.

4.18 Also within the adopted Local Plan, a number of areas in and around the Central Shopping

Area are allocated for redevelopment including a mix of retail, office and residential uses

(Policy 7D):

• Land to the rear of Lemon Street / St Nicholas Street, and Boscawen Street;

• Land to the rear of Pydar Street and St Clement Street, including the site of existing District

Council Offices (to include 50 residential units);

• Lemon Quay; and

• Old Bridge Street car park.

Diversity of Uses

4.19 Information on the diversity of uses within the city centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad. The most recent Goad survey of the city centre was undertaken in 2008 and

a further update by GVA Grimley in November 2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is

contained at Appendix B. This information indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

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Table B: Retail Composition of Truro town centre, 2008-2009

Sector

2008 2009

Selected

Cornwall

Average % UK Average (2008) %

No % No %

Convenience 23 5.88 23 5.78 10.10 9.53

Comparison 224 57.29 227 57.04 48.57 43.23

Service 101 25.83 116 29.15 31.59 33.97

Vacant 36 9.21 24 6.03 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 7 1.79 8 2.01 0.68 1.24

Total 391 100 398 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.20 The above analysis indicates that convenience uses within Truro city centre have remained

static between 2008-2009, occupying 23 units. Convenience units occupy just under 6% of all

units in the centre, which is well below the national and Cornish averages. Between 2008-

2009, the number of units occupied by comparison uses increased slightly to 227 units. This

represents a 57% of all retail units in the city centre and is well above the Cornwall and

national average levels.

4.21 Between 2008-2009, the number of units occupied by service uses increased from 101 to

116. This represents an increase in the proportion of services from 26% to 28%, bringing the

proportion of service uses closer to the (albeit still slightly below) the national and Cornish

averages.

4.22 Table C below expresses the diversity of retail uses in the city centre in terms of the

floorspace they occupy.

Table C: Retail Floorspace Composition of Truro town centre, 2008-2009

Sector

2008 2009

Selected

Cornwall

Average % UK Average (2008) %

Sq m % Sq m %

Convenience 9783 13.1 9792 13.1 15.3 17.4

Comparison 47455 63.6 47464 63.3 51.8 49.1

Service 12933 17.3 14103 18.8 24.0 22.0

Vacant 3660 4.9 2610 3.5 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 827 1.1 994 1.3 1.1 1.0

Total 74658 100 74963 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.23 The above floorspace figures indicate that there has been very little change in the total

quantum of floorspace occupied by convenience and comparison retail uses. Convenience

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retail uses occupy around 13% of all retail floorspace within the city centre, which is below the

national and Cornish average levels. Comparison retail floorspace extends to 63% of all retail

floorspace, which is well above the Cornish (52%) and national (39%) average levels.

Between 2008-2009, the level of floorspace occupied by services uses grew from 12,900sq m

gross to 14,100sq m gross. Service uses now occupy around 19% of all retail floorspace in

the city centre, which is below the national / Cornish average levels.

4.24 Having regard to other non-retail uses in the city centre, the following are present:

• Cornwall Council offices adjacent to Pydar Street (Carrick House) and St Clement Street

(Circuit House), with further Government buildings to the west of Pydar Street (Pydar

House)

• Truro Cathedral lies to the north of Boscawen Street and to the east of Pydar Street.

• Truro City Hall, which includes the Hall for Cornwall and a tourist information centre, lies

on the southern edge of Boscawen Street.

• There are a number of residential uses to the north of Quay Street, at Lowen Court, Enys

Quay and also to the north of the River Allen.

• The Royal Cornwall Museum lies on River Street, in the eastern part of the centre.

• There is a cinema (The Plaza) located on Lemon Street. It has 4 screens and a 580

seating capacity.

4.25 In addition, to the north of the city centre this is a ten pin bowling alley (Truro Ten Pin Bowling

Centre) located on Moresk Road, with accommodates 8 lanes.

Retailer Representation

4.26 Within Truro town centre there is the highest concentration of multiple retailers in the whole of

Cornwall. At present, comparison multiple retailers include Marks and Spencer, Boots, New

Look, TK Maxx, Next, River Island, Dorothy Perkins, BHS, Top Shop and WH Smith. The

majority of these multiples are located along Pydar Street and King Street, with the Marks &

Spencer to be found at Lemon Quay. There are also Currys and Staples retail warehouses

located to the east of the town centre, adjacent to Morlaix Avenue. As already noted, the

proportion of comparison goods retail uses in Truro city centre is well in excess of average

levels, and the updated Experian land use data indicates that the majority of comparison retail

categories possess a scale of retailers which are beyond average levels. In particular, the city

centre has above average proportions of clothing/footwear, books/arts/crafts, electrical, gifts,

sports and jewellery goods stores.

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4.27 Multiple convenience retailers include Tesco, Iceland, Co-op and Somerfield. The Tesco

store, which is located on the eastern edge of the centre, is the largest single convenience

shopping facility, extending to 3,600sq m net sales. The store provides a wide range of

products, providing a main/bulk food shopping function, and is served by a surface level car

parking (approximately 430 spaces). The Iceland, Somerfield and Co-op stores are much

smaller facilities. The Iceland provides a niche shopping role selling frozen food goods, whilst

the Somerfield and Co-op stores offer modest product ranges and are orientated more

towards top-up food shopping functions. In relation to other convenience shopping facilities,

these include a number of butchers, bakers, newsagents, a Holland & Barratt health food store

and an off-licence. Generally, apart from the proportion of bakers, the proportion of butchers,

greengrocers, fishmongers, newsagent, off-licence and grocery stores is below average

levels.

4.28 With the large service sector in Truro city centre, a significant number of the high street banks

and building societies are represented, plus a number of national take-away food/drink stores

and a Pizza Express restaurant. As already noted, the proportion of units and floorspace

occupied by service uses is below average levels and this is also the pattern across individual

service use categories such as food and drink uses, estate agents, health and beauty uses

and travel agents. The only sector to lie above average is the financial services sector.

4.29 Outside of the town centre, the main food and non-food retail facilities are as follows:

• There is a large 5,900sq m net sales Sainsburys supermarket located on Treyew Road to

the west of the city centre. This store has been extended in recent years and now

provides a large range of convenience and comparison goods, including a number of in-

store counters.

• Close to the Sainsburys store is a relatively modern Aldi discount foodstore. The store

extends to 780sq m net sales and provides a limited-line foodstore with a small amount of

comparison goods.

• In relation to non-food retail warehousing, Truro has the following facilities:

i Newquay Road Retail Park on the eastern edge of the city contains Dunelm Mill

and Harveys/Bensons retail units and two vacant units (formerly Allied Carpets and

MFI).

ii Threemilestone Retail Park on the western side of the city, in Threemilestone,

contains Wickes, Matalan, Comet and JJB Sports retail units.

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iii Treliske Retail Park, on Tresawls Road in the western part of the city, contains

Pets at Home, Argos Extra, Brantano, Homebase, PC World and Carpetright units.

Yields and Rents

4.30 In relation to the financial characteristics of retail property in Truro, we have obtained data in

relation to commercial yields on retail property. As a measure of retail viability, commercial

yields on retail floorspace are a valuable indicator, but one that needs to be used with care.

The level of yield on its own is of less value than in comparison with other yields at different

points in time and in different locations. Yields measured consistently over time can give an

indication of the direction in which a particular town centre is moving. This trend can be

compared with national levels of yield and with those towns of similar size and type, or with

neighbouring and competing towns. In short, the lower the yield the better the performance of

a centre. A comparative analysis of this type, conducted on a regular basis, can give an

indication of how the viability of retailing in a town centre is changing.

4.31 Table D below outlines the yields of all the Cornish centres where this information is available.

Due to the economic downturn, yield data has not been available from the Valuation Office

since 2008.

Table D: Commercial Yields on Retail Property, 2003-2008

Centre Apr

2003

Jan

2004

July

2004

Jan

2005

July

2005

Jan

2006

July

2006

Jan

2007

July

2007

Jan

2008

July

2008

Truro 6 6 6 5.5 5.5 5 4.5 4.5 4.5 5 5

Penzance 8.5 8 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 5.5 6

Falmouth 8 8 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 5.5 5.5

Newquay 8 8 8 7.5 7 6.5 6 5.5 5 5.5 5.5

Camborne 9 9 9 8.5 8 7.5 7 7 6.5 6.5 6.5

St Austell 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8 7.5 7.5 7 7 7

Bodmin 8.5 8.5 8.5 8 8 7.5 7 7 7 7 7

Redruth 9 9 9 8.5 8.5 8 7.5 7 7 7 7

Helston 9.25 9.25 9 8.5 8.5 8 7.5 7 7 7 7

Liskeard >10 >10 >10 9.5 9 8.5 8 7.5 7 7 7

Exeter 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.0 5.75 5.5 5 4.5 4.5 4.5 5

Plymouth 6.5 6.5 6.5 6 6 5.5 5 4.75 4.5 4.5 4.5

Source: Valuation Office statistics

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4.32 Table D above indicates that there has been a falling (i.e. improving) yield in Truro over recent

years up until 2008 where a slight increase was experienced. This trend has also occurred

within other town centres elsewhere in Cornwall over the same period and reflects the

economic downturn. Truro continues to out perform the other centres in Cornwall with a

consistently lower yield. Table D also provides yield data for retail property in Plymouth and

Exeter and indicates that Truro has over years had similar levels of investor confidence to

these larger centres and, in some years, a better yield level. This is a clear positive sign

regarding the health of the city centre and the way in which it is perceived by the retail

investment market.

4.33 Rental information for Zone A retail space in Truro has also been obtained and indicates that

rental levels were at £145/sq m in 2008 and falling to £130/sq m in 2009 (Table E below). This

level is more than double the rent of the other main towns in Cornwall and therefore suggests

a high level of demand for retail space within the town. The fall in rental levels between 2008

and 2009 is a feature of the effects of the economic downturn and is consistent across all

centres featured in Table E.

Table D: Zone A Rental Levels, 1999-2009 (£/sq m)

Source: Focus

Retailer Requirements

4.34 Data at Appendix C outlines the scale of retailer requirements for new/additional floorspace

Truro. Data was collected in winter 2009/2010 and again in October 2010. However, before

current requirements are examined, it is useful to look back at past trends in retailer

requirements. Historically, Truro has had the highest levels of requirements across Cornwall,

reaching a peak between 2004-2006 when there was over 50 different requirements, which

was double the amount found in St Austell, Falmouth, Newquay and Penzance. However,

since 2007 there has, like all other retail centres, been a dramatic fall in the level of

requirements. The latest data collected for this study indicates that there were 15

requirements in January 2010, falling to 6 in October 2010. The scale of requirements in

January 2010 was between 50,000-190,000sq ft gross floorspace, although a significant

Centre 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Penzance 45 48 48 50 50 55 55 60 60 60 50

St Austell 42 42 42 45 45 45 45 50 50 50 40

Truro 120 130 130 130 130 130 135 135 145 145 130

Newquay 40 45 45 45 45 50 55 55 60 60 50

Falmouth 35 35 35 40 40 45 50 50 50 50 40

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contributor to this total was one requirement (TJ Hughes) which required between 25,000-

150,000sq ft. By October 2010, the scale of requirements had dropped to 10,000sq ft.

4.35 Around the middle part of the past decade the scale of retailer requirements for Truro was one

of the driving forces behind efforts to develop significant levels of new retail floorspace in the

city centre. At the present time, this factor appears to have fallen away, although this is

common amongst most large centres and therefore the ability to provide significant levels of

new city centre floorspace in the short has been removed.

Table E: Retailer Requirements, 1997-2010

Year Truro St Austell Bodmin Newquay Penzance Camborne Liskeard Falmouth

Oct

2010 6 3 1 4 3 0 0 1

Jan

2010 15 13 7 18 18 4 5 16

2009 20 12 5 21 17 4 4 16

2007 41 26 10 33 25 8 9 27

2006 54 29 12 33 31 8 9 30

2005 52 25 17 28 28 7 9 25

2004 59 17 15 32 21 8 11 22

2003 46 14 10 25 19 5 6 12

2002 50 17 7 24 12 5 6 10

2001 44 10 2 16 11 2 5 8

2000 42 10 5 13 8 7 4 10

1999 34 7 2 7 17 4 3 7

1998 35 3 3 5 5 2 3 5

1997 29 9 2 3 9 3 4 4

Source: Focus

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.36 In 2006, there were 36 vacant units in Truro town centre. Our re-survey of the town centre in

2009 indicates that vacant units have fallen considerably to 24 units, or 6% of total units within

the centre. This proportion is well below the national average of 12% and also below the

Cornish average of 10%, indicating that Truro is a very popular location for retailers, service

providers and other businesses to locate.

4.37 In line with the fall in the number of vacant units, the amount of floorspace which is vacant has

also fallen. At the time of the most recent survey, 2,600sq m gross of city centre retail

floorspace was vacant. This represents around 3.5% of the total floorspace stock and is well

below the Cornish (5%) and national (10.5%) average levels.

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Accessibility

4.38 Given the central location of Truro and its importance to Cornwall, accessibility to the town

centre is considered to be good. The City is linked to St Austell by the A390 to the north east

and to the west, this leads on to the A30 trunk road with Camborne, Pool, Redruth to the south

and Newquay to the north. When accessing the centre by private car, there are a number of

routes and parking is available at the following locations:

• Carrick House – 130 spaces;

• Edward Street – 118 spaces;

• Garras Wharf – 336 spaces;

• Moorfield (multi-storey) – 720 spaces;

• Moresk, Oakway – 118 spaces;

• Old Bridge Street – 124 spaces;

• Pydar Street - 93 spaces;

• Viaduct (multi-storey) – 338 spaces.

4.39 The main railway station in Truro is located to the east of the Central Shopping Area within

walking distance. It provides local and national services connecting the city to London,

Penzance, Plymouth, Falmouth and Bodmin as well as other Cornish towns.

4.40 In relation to bus provision, the main bus station is located at Lemon Quay, within the Central

Shopping Area. This provides high frequency bus services which connect Truro to: Falmouth;

Hayle; Helston; Newquay; Penryn; Penzance; Perranporth; Pontreath; Redruth; St Agnes; St

Austell; St Columb Major; St Ives; St Mawes; and Wadebridge.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.41 The Cornwall Household Survey (2008) makes survey respondents to identify their main

centre and then describe their views towards that centre. 13.5% of all survey respondents

indicated that Truro was their main centre, which is the highest response rate for all of the

main centres across Cornwall. Respondents were asked to describe their likes, dislikes and

suggested improvements for Truro and the following information was obtained from the

survey:

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• Apart from its convenience, which 42% of visitors to Truro stated was a reason why

they liked this centre, Truro scores a particularly high approval rating in terms of its

selection and choice of multiple and independent shops. 40% of respondents

indicated that they liked the selection/choice of multiple shops and 25% indicated that

they liked the selection of independent shops. These levels are significantly higher

than similar responses for other centres which typically did not rise above 15%.

• 3.5% of respondents liked the ease of parking in Truro, which is one of the higher

levels for this issue across all Cornish centres. At 8.2%, positive attitudes towards the

pedestrian friendly environment in the city centre were also one of the highest levels

across Cornwall.

• In terms of common dislikes, 20% identified that parking was difficult and 13% found

the parking to be expensive. 45% of respondents indicated that there was nothing

that they disliked about Truro city centre, which is one of the higher rates across the

centres surveyed.

• In terms of suggested improvements to the city centre, the following responses were

provided:

1. 7% of respondents wanted a greater choice of multiple shops – one of the lowest

levels across all centres in Cornwall

2. 4.5% of respondents wanted a greater choice of multiple shops – again, one of

the lowest levels across all centres in Cornwall

3. 3% of respondents wanted more pedestrianised streets

4. 8% wanted more short terms parking spaces in the city centre and 6% wanted

more long term parking spaces

5. 8% of respondents wanted a reduction in the cost of car parking in the city centre.

6. A number of respondents wanted a new department store in the city centre, with

BHS, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and John Lewis mentioned.

7. 43% of respondents indicated that there was nothing in particular which could be

provided to encourage them to visit the city centre more often.

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State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.42 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Truro city centre, the most useful

source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County Council

in September 2003. This report divides the central parts of Truro into fourteen different areas,

seven of which are within (wholly or in part) the defined city centre area within the Local Plan.

We set out below a summary of the characteristics of these areas, along with the

recommendations of Cornwall Council regarding the future regeneration of these areas:

• The Commercial Core – This area incorporates the Central Shopping Area as defined in

the Local Plan. This is regarded as the historic and commercial heart of the city

dominated by distinctive, strongly urban streetscapes with a variety of impressive historic

buildings, including most of Truro’s major landmark structures. The characterisation report

indicates the need to maintain and respect the area’s historic character as the city centre.

It also identifies the improvement of the public realm as a regeneration opportunity along

with the redevelopment of poor quality post-war buildings.

• Cathedral Area - Quay Street – This area also lies within the Central Shopping Area

(apart from the area including and to the north west of the cathedral which falls outside).

This is defined as a busy secondary commercial area based on a cluster of narrow,

strongly enclosed streets and distinctive, high quality buildings, overlooked by the

Cathedral. The characterisation report identifies opportunities for the redevelopment of

post-war buildings with development that responds to the existing character of the

immediate and wider contexts. Furthermore, it identifies that the public realm should be

enhanced and the historic buildings maintained. The report also identifies the opportunity

for improvement of visitor experience and maintaining the existing mix of quality and

specialist uses and occupiers.

• Kenwick Street – Calenick Street – The eastern half of this area (east of Lemon Street)

and the northern part (eastern side of Kenwyn Street) lie within the Central Shopping

Area. This area is defined as a former medieval and post-medieval suburb with minor

industrial areas set around historic route ways. Kenwyn Street retains much of its historic

character whereas Calenick Street has been largely reshaped by late twentieth century

change with little of the historic street pattern remaining. A substantial area of Calenick

Street is now used for parking, access roads and service yards. The Calenick Street area

now represents some of the poorest quality townscape in terms of visual appearance. The

historic character of Kenwick Street is typically narrow with a tight grain with buildings of

two to three storeys.

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• Lemon Street – Only the far north western element of this historic character area falls

within the defined Central Shopping Area as shown in the adopted Local Plan. The Lemon

Quay area is known for its distinctive high quality townscape with views up and down the

sloping street that provide some of the key views within Truro. At the lower end of Lemon

Street there is a developing upmarket retail, arts and leisure presence. Although originally

built for residential purposes, the area is typically now accommodated by office space.

However, there is a recognised growing evening economy based around the cinema, wine

bars and restaurants.

• Frances St, Ferris Town & St George’s Road – The far southern ends of Edward Street

and Castle area falls within the defined Central Shopping Area. This area is defined within

the historic characterisation report as an area developed from the late 1820s and which

includes some of the best streetscapes within the City. There is a varied mix of uses in

this area with many of the large townhouses now utilised for office space or for

guesthouse/hotel accommodation. There are also a significant number of secondary retail

units which has been recognised as offering the potential for the area to become a

specialist shopping destination.

• Upper Pydar Street – The Area to the south of Clement Street falls within the defined

Central Shopping Area with a large part of the area (area bound by Pydar Street, Clement

Street and Oak Way) allocated for mixed use development (Policy 7D of the Local Plan).

The allocation details the provision of retail and office development accompanied by 50

residential units. This area as a whole has been subject to major change in the twentieth

century with little of the historic fabric remaining. This area accommodates public

buildings including the Law Courts, government and council offices. Streetscapes are

dominated provision for traffic with poor pedestrian connectivity.

• Morlaix Avenue – Trafalgar Square – The majority of this character area is located

within the Central Shopping Area. The area is described within the report as being

dominated by roads, parking and large-scale retail development. The overall perceived

character is described as that of a ‘bypass, superstores and industrial estate’. The area

lacks a sense of enclosure and offers little connectivity for the pedestrian.

Conclusions

4.43 Truro city centre is a healthy and very successful centre. It holds the clear position of largest

retail centre in Cornwall and performs at the top end of expectation across a number of health

check indicators which have been surveyed. Notable attributes for Truro are its high number

of national multiple retail and service businesses, its wide range of multiple and local

independent retailers, the rental levels for prime retail floorspace and range of other town

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centre uses. Historically, Truro has also attracted the highest number of retailer requirements

for all centres in Cornwall, although the recent economic downturn and future economic

outlook means that the scale of requirements has (like all other centres in Cornwall) reduced

dramatically. Nevertheless, investor confidence in Truro remains high, with the city being able

to match, and sometimes even out-perform, the largest centres in Devon: Plymouth and

Exeter. Across the wider sub-region in Devon and Cornwall, Plymouth and Exeter pose the

main competition for Truro in terms of its higher-order retail destination status. These centres

have benefitted from large city centre retail development schemes in recent years which will

have intensified this ongoing competition. Nevertheless, overall Truro is the highest ranking

centre in Cornwall which should be reflected in its position in the retail hierarchy.

Bude Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.44 Bude is located on the north coast of Cornwall. It is a seaside resort and benefits from the

tourism market and is also an important focus for the local population. The main retail area is

on a hill which leads up from the town beaches. The town is relatively isolated in North

Cornwall with the A39 linking the town to Bideford to the north and Camelford and the most

southern Cornish towns to the south. Launceston and the A30 trunk road are accessed via the

A3072 and the B3254. The railway station in Bude closed in 1966.

4.45 A key sector in the Bude area is tourism with parts of the retail offer directed towards this

seasonal market. There is also an existing industrial estate within the town.

4.46 Within Bude, the interim planning policy comprises of saved policies contained within the

North Cornwall Local Plan (1999). This identifies a Primary Commercial Area within Bude, the

purpose of which is the identification of an area which forms the heart of the shopping centre

and contains the main concentration of shops and other town centre activities. This area

includes Belle Vue, Belle Vue Lane, Queen Street, Lansdown Road and The Strand. Policy

SAF1 permits proposals for retail, leisure, public service and residential (Use Classes A1, B1,

C3 and D1) within the Primary Commercial Area providing that there is no overall loss of car

parking for short stay visitors and that piecemeal development does not compromise the

scope for a comprehensive town centre scheme. Furthermore, the policy specifies that ground

floor change of use from commercial to residential uses will not be permitted where they are

likely to undermine the vitality of commercial activity within the Primary Commercial Area.

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Diversity of Uses

4.47 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in November 2009. A copy

of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix D. This information from Experian Goad

indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table G: Retail Composition of Bude town centre, 2007 - 2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average % UK Average (2008) %

Convenience 19 11.18 19 11.11 10.10 9.53

Comparison 87 51.18 86 50.29 48.57 43.23

Service 56 32.94 55 32.16 31.59 33.97

Vacant 7 4.12 10 5.85 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.59 1 0.58 0.68 1.24

Total 170 100 171 100 100 100

Source: GOAD GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.48 The data in Table G indicates that the composition of retail and service land uses in Bude has

remained relatively static between 2007 and 2009. The proportion of convenience retail units

is 11% of the total unit stock in the town centre, which is slightly higher than the Cornish and

national average levels. At the time of the GVA survey in 2009, 86 units in the town centre

were occupied by comparison retail uses. This is equivalent to 50% of all units in the town

centre and is higher than the national and Cornish averages. Between 2007 and 2009, the

overall number of units occupied by service uses fell by one unit and, at the time of the latest

survey, comprised 32% of all retail units. This proportion is commensurate with the national

and Cornish average levels.

4.49 Table H below outlines the level of floorspace occupied by retail and service uses, plus vacant

floorspace in Bude town centre. It indicates that, like the trends in retail unit occupancy, the

amount of floorspace within each sector has remained relatively constant. The proportion of

floorspace occupied by convenience retail uses is above the Cornish and national averages,

which is likely to be due to the presence of the Co-op and Sainsburys stores. The proportion

of floorspace within the comparison retail sector is commensurate with these average levels,

whilst floorspace occupied by service uses is slightly below average levels.

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Table H: Retail Floorspace Composition of Bude town centre, 2007 - 2009

Sector 2007 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average % UK Average (2008) %

Convenience 4636 22.5 4766 22.0 15.3 17.4

Comparison 10609 51.4 10851 50.1 51.8 49.1

Service 4701 22.8 4716 21.8 24.0 22.0

Vacant 557 2.7 1180 5.4 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 139 0.7 139 0.6 1.1 1.0

Total 20642 100 21652 100 100 100

Source: GOAD GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.50 There are a number of other land uses within the Primary Commercial Area (PCA) in Bude

town centre, as defined by the adopted North Cornwall Local Plan. Uses include a number of

hotel premises, commensurate with the attractiveness of Bude to tourists. In addition, there

are also a number of public houses, amusement centres and a nightclub. There is also a

library at The Wharf, adjacent to which are a museum and art gallery and The Parkhouse

Centre (which includes Bude-Stratton Town Council offices). In addition, there is the Bude

Haven recreation ground, which includes sports pitches. Finally, Bude also has a community

run cinema which shows films at The Parkhouse Centre on Ergue-Gaberic Way. The cinema

started in 2008 following the closure of the previous local independent cinema facility.

Retailer Representation

4.51 The vast majority of retailers and other businesses in the defined Primary Commercial Area

are local / independent operators, some of which are aimed at the tourism market. Multiple

retailers and service providers that do exist include Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Lloyds TSB.

Within the comparison retail sector, Bude town centre has a slightly lower than average

proportion of clothing and footwear retailers, however it has higher than average proportions

of sports/toys/hobbies, DIY and gifts shops. Within the service sector, businesses are

generally local independent traders and the town centre has a higher than average proportion

of food and drink uses, a lower than average proportion of health and beauty businesses and

a proportion of banks/financial services and estate agents which are similar to average levels.

4.52 There are also Co-op and a Sainsburys foodstores within the centre. Both stores are

relatively modest in size and sell a reasonably wide range of fresh, frozen and pre-packaged

convenience products. Both stores are observed to be popular shopping destinations and are

served by modest surface level car parks. Elsewhere in the convenience retail sector in Bude

town centre there are 5 bakers, 2 butchers, one green grocer, one off-licence and 6

newsagents/convenience stores.

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4.53 Outside of the town centre, there is a large (2,700sq m net sales) Morrisons store on Stucley

Road. This store is the largest food shopping facility in the Bude/Stratton area, selling a wide

range of convenience products and supplemented by a small comparison goods offer. The

store also posses a large dedicated surface level customer car parking facility.

Retailer Requirements

4.54 Our survey of retailer requirements in Bude indicated that there were 7 requirements in winter

2009/2010, comprising comparison goods retailers such as Fat Face, Peacocks, Pets at

Home, along with a requirement from a sandwich take away retailer and a bakery. In total,

these requirements equate to between 18,000-37,000sq ft of floorspace. By October 2010,

there were no published requirements for Bude.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.55 Vacancies in the defined Primary Commercial Area in Bude comprise 6% of all units, which is

well below the national average and below the average for selected Cornish town centres.

However, it should be noted that the number of vacant units has increased from the level

observed in the previous survey, although it is important to note that the 2007 survey was

undertaken in June and the 2009 survey was undertaken in November. Therefore, given that

Bude is a popular tourism destination, this increase is understandable, with land uses in the

centre susceptible to the tourism seasons. A similar pattern can also be found in relation to

the amount of floorspace which is vacant. This has almost doubled between the 2007 and

2009 land use surveys, although the proportion of vacant floorspace in Bude town centre

remains well below the national and Cornish average levels.

4.56 The vacant units are not concentrated in one particular area but rather distributed around the

Primary Commercial Area.

Accessibility

4.57 A number of bus services run through the Primary Commercial Area in Bude and provide

relatively high frequency services which links Bude to Exeter, Okehampton, Barnstaple,

Plymouth, Callington, Launceston and smaller villages within the neighbouring area. The

railway station in Bude closed in 1966.

4.58 With regards to access by car, Bude is situated at the far north of Cornwall and is linked to

Camelford and Wadebridge to the south by the A39. When driving to the centre there is both

on and off street parking available within and close to the Primary Commercial Area. Public

car parks within Bude include:

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• Crescent Car Park (shopper)

• Crooklets Car Park (coastal) – 320 spaces

• Post Office (shopper)

• Summerleaze (coastal)

• Summerleaze (shopper) – 61 spaces

• Wharf (coastal) – 64 spaces.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.59 The household survey identified the following key issues for Bude:

• 1.7% of survey respondents indicated that Bude was their main centre. The following

applies to those people who stated that Bude was their main centre.

• Apart from its proximity and convenience, which was cited by 44% of respondents, the

most popular ‘likes’ about the centre are: its coastal location (18%), pedestrian friendly

environment (13%), selection of multiple shops (10%) and selection of independent

shops (13%)s with other centres.

• 55% of respondent indicated that there was nothing that they disliked about Bude. The

main stated dislikes were: difficult parking (6%), poor selection of multiple shops (12%),

its business (5%) and the level of tourists (3%).

• Suggested improvements for the town centre included a greater choice of multiple

retailers, attracting larger retailers, the provision of a new cinema for the town and an

increased number of parking spaces.

4.60 Information on the shopping patterns/behaviour of the local population in Bude can be found

in Section 5 of this report.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.61 The Historic Characterisation report prepared by Cornwall Council does not include Bude. The

town itself has a pleasant character which is centred upon the two main beaches and the

resulting tourist trade. There is also a canal which runs close to the centre which links into the

harbour. The architecture within the town centre is predominantly Victorian and comprises of

two to three storeys with the town centre divided between three main streets. The main beach

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(Summerleaze) within the town is within walking distance to the Primary Commercial Area and

therefore dictates the types of goods which are sold.

Conclusions

4.62 Bude is a predominantly a centre that is focused on the tourism market and is therefore

subject to seasonal fluctuations in terms of vacancy rates and retail demand. The centre

clearly provides a niche/specialist role within the retail hierarchy and should be recognised as

such within the LDF (alongside its role in serving the local population). At the time of the

survey in November 2009, there were very few vacant premises with regards to the total

number of units, which shows the centre’s resilience to the fluctuations caused by the tourism

market. For a centre of this size, there is a minimal presence from national multiples and this

does not look likely to change in the near future with relatively few requirements. However,

generally for a centre of this nature, which is reliant upon the tourism market, it would appear

to be functioning relatively well.

St Ives Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.63 St Ives is one of the premier holiday destinations in Cornwall and is nationally and

internationally recognised for its artistic traditions and community, including a succession of

well known artists who over the last century have lived, worked and exhibited in the town.

This aspect of the town has been significantly reinforced by the opening of the Tate St Ives

Gallery in 1993. Situated on the north coast of the far west of Cornwall, it has a population of

9,866 (2001 Census).

4.64 The town provides a range of basic services to its population and surrounding area, but

tourism is the mainstay of the economy. Although there are no definitive figures for the

number of visitors to St Ives, the Cornwall Visitor Survey in 2008/2009 (Visit Cornwall)

showed that 43% of visitors to the county plan to visit the town, making it the most popular

destination for visitors to the county. The popularity of St Ives has led to a significant number

of shops and galleries in the main retail area and the importance of tourism to the town is

reflected by the number of outlets catering for the leisure market. The night time economy is

also an important sector within the town with a large number of restaurants, bars and cafés.

4.65 The interim planning policy for St Ives is included within the Penwith Local Plan (2004). There

is a large Town Centre Area within St Ives which extends around St Ives Bay from Chapel

Street and Tregenna Hill in the south to Porthmeor Beach to the north. The major

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concentration of retail and other commercial uses are within the central and southern parts of

this area, with the northern parts characterized by a higher incidence of residential uses and

the Tate St Ives Gallery. The adopted Local Plan proposals map also identifies a primary

shopping area (Policy TV-18), which covers High Street, Tregenna Place and Fore Street.

The primary shopping area typically provides retail uses which are available all year round as

oppose to other parts of the wider town centre which are seasonal based.

Diversity of Uses

4.66 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in November 2009. A copy

of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix E. This information from Experian Goad

and GVA survey date indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table I: Retail Composition of St Ives town centre, 2007 -2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 29 13.88 30 14.15 10.10 9.53

Comparison 117 55.98 111 52.36 48.57 43.23

Service 54 25.84 59 27.83 31.59 33.97

Vacant 8 3.83 11 5.19 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.48 1 0.47 0.68 1.24

Total 209 100 212 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.67 The above analysis indicates that the number of convenience uses within St Ives has risen

very slightly between 2007 and 2009 and remains well above both the national and Cornwall

average levels. With regards to comparison uses, these have fallen since 2007 from 56% of

total units to 52%. However, this is still is above average when compared with the Cornwall

and UK average. Conversely, the total number of service units has increased, although they

remain below the Cornwall and UK averages.

4.68 In relation to the distribution of floorspace between the retail and service sectors in 2007 and

2009, Table J below outlines the key data.

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Table J: Retail Floorspace Composition of St Ives town centre, 2007 -2009

Sector 2007 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 2583 15.5 2611 15.4 15.3 17.4

Comparison 9086 54.5 8733 51.4 51.8 49.1

Service 4515 27.1 4710 27.7 24.0 22.0

Vacant 427 2.6 873 5.1 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 74 0.4 74 0.4 1.1 1.0

Total 16685 100 17001 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.69 In line with the trends in the occupancy of retail units, there have been small increases in the

floorspace occupied by convenience retail and service uses and small decrease in the amount

of floorspace occupied by comparison retail uses. The amount of floorspace occupied by

convenience and comparison uses in St Ives is commensurate with the Cornish average

levels, although the amount of convenience floorspace is below the national average level and

the proportion of comparison floorspace is slightly above the national average. Whilst the

amount of service floorspace has increased slightly, the proportion of this floorspace

compared with the centre as a whole has remained relatively constant and also remains

above the national and Cornish averages.

4.70 In relation to other land uses which can be found within and around the edge of the town

centre in St Ives, the most famous is the Tate Gallery, which is located to the north of the

main town centre area. The Tate Gallery contributes to the overall attractiveness of St Ives

and its town centre and is also likely to add to health and financial performance of the town

centre. In addition to the Tate, there are a large number of public houses and hotels in the

town centre, plus the Guildhall (within includes tourist information provision), the Royal

Cinema (which has 3 screens and 430 seat capacity) and a number of churches/places of

worship.

4.71 Apart from being surrounded by the harbour and Portmeor Beach, the town centre also abuts

a number of tightly-knit residential streets and there remain a number of residential uses

interspersed with the commercial/retail premises in the town centre. In addition, St Ives also

has a leisure centre, located at Trenwith Burrows and possessing a pool and a gym.

Retailer Representation

4.72 There are a small number of national multiple operators in St Ives town centre. Retailers

include Boots, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Fat Face and Superdry clothing stores, plus a number

of the high street banks and building societies. In terms of convenience retailing, multiple

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provision in the town centre is small scale including two small Co-op stores. Independent

provision comprises a range of butchers, newsagents, greengrocers and bakeries, all of which

are clearly orientated towards the top-up food shopping sector.

4.73 Within the comparison goods retail sector, St Ives town centre has a proportion of clothing

and footwear retailers which is close to average levels and, given the tourist focus of the

centre, it is unsurprising that the centre has a very high proportion of crafts/gifts retailers along

with a higher than average proportion of jewellery shops. St Ives town centre has a lower

than average proportion of electrical, DIY and pharmacy outlets.

4.74 Whilst the proportion of service outlets in the service sector are lower than average levels, the

proportion of restaurant, café, fast food and take away outlets is noticeably higher than

average levels, whilst the proportion of health/beauty and banks/financial services is below

average levels.

4.75 Outside of St Ives town centre, there is a Tesco supermarket in Carbis Bay. The store

extends to 1,600sq m net sales and provides the main bulk food shopping destination in the

St Ives area, providing a reasonably wide range of convenience goods and supplemented by

a small comparison goods offer.

Retailer Requirements

4.76 During winter 2009/2010 there were 7 retailer requirements for St Ives, including demand from

Superdrug, Pizza Express, Laura Ashley, Rohan, Thorntons, Warrens bakery and subway.

These requirements totalled 10,000-21,000sq ft gross. However, by October 2010 there were

no published requirements for St Ives.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.77 Since the previous survey in 2007, the number of vacant units in St Ives town centre has

increased slightly. However, it should be noted that the 2007 survey was undertake in May

and the 2009 survey was undertaken in November and therefore it is very possible that the

small increase in vacancies can be explained by seasonal variations in tourist visits, with the

inevitable decrease in visits during the winter months.

4.78 Nevertheless, even the November 2009 vacancy rates fall well below the Cornwall and

national average level and therefore indicate a strong performing and attractive centre.

Vacancies are spread throughout the centre, with no particular concentration of vacant

properties.

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Accessibility

4.79 St Ives is situated on the west coast of Cornwall, located close to Hayle and the A30 trunk

road. When driving to the town centre, car parking is available at the following locations, which

during the peak holiday months can become very congested:

• Barnoon – 214 spaces

• Porthmeor – 36 spaces

• Station car park – 198 spaces

• Sloop car park – 36 spaces

• Island car park – 151 spaces

• Trenwith – 985 spaces

• Park Avenue – 76 spaces

• Porthgwidden – 103 spaces

• Wheal Dream – 22 spaces

• Westcotts Quay – 7 spaces

• Smeaton’s Pier – 30 spaces.

4.80 The railway station in St Ives is located a short walk to the south of the town centre and

provides half-hourly services which link the town to St Erth to the south, where changes can

be made to the main line between Penzance and areas to the east.

4.81 A regular bus service visits St Ives (via Carbis Bay), which links the town to Hayle, Camborne,

Redruth, Penzance and Truro. Due to the narrow street pattern, the service stops close to the

railway station. There are also other bus services which link St Ives and Carbis Bay to the

various holiday parks and camps in the local area.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.82 The household survey identified the following key issues for St Ives:

• Only 0.6% of survey respondents indicated that St Ives was their main centre. The

remainder of data outlined below relates to the information provided by these

respondents.

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• Other than being near and convenient (52%), the respondents found the coastal

location (23%) of St Ives to be its most attractive feature. Other positive features

included its attractive environment (8%), pedestrian friendly environment (4%) and

selection of independent shops (4%).

• Dislikes that were identified include the apparent poor selection of multiple retailers

(17%) and poor selection of independent shops (15%), plus difficultly in using parking

facilities (11%), tourists (4%) and business during the summer months (4%).

• Improvements that were identified which would encourage people to use the centre

more frequently including a greater choice of multiple retailers (17%), greater number

of independent shops (13%), new cinema (4%), less overcrowding (6%) and

additional parking spaces (11%).

4.83 Information of the shopping habits/behaviour of local residents in and around St Ives can be

found in Section 5 of this report.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.84 An historic characterisation for St Ives has been prepared by Cornwall County Council and

published in September 2005. The characterisation report splits the central and coastal parts

of St Ives into six character areas, two of which are relevant to this review of the health of the

town centre:

• Medieval Commercial Core: Church, Market Place and Fore Street – Historically, this

is the town’s primary urban area with church, market place and main commercial street.

Its urban pre-eminence weakens with the 19th Century rise of the rest of the commercial

town (see below) and the late 20th Century tourism magnet of the harbour. There is a

distinct difference in character between the northern and southern ends of Fore Street

with the southern end sharing more of the character of the 19th Century civic urban

rebuilding of High Street and Tregenna Place and Hill and the northern end retaining more

of the earlier built fabric and smaller scale of the 17th Century.

• Late 19th Century Commercial Core – The predominant character of this area derives

from its development as the civic, institutional and commercial centre of the town during

the late 19th Century. Architecture here reflects this redevelopment with many formally

designed urban buildings and polite architecture sited here. However, the area also

retains some sense of the smaller scale of originally residential vernacular buildings of the

late 18th and early 19th Century periods. Traffic levels in this area have a negative

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impact on the pedestrian experience and the area also contains a number of inappropriate

main modern buildings that detract from the quality of the streetscape.

Conclusions

4.85 St Ives is one of the most popular destinations for visitors to Cornwall and this status is

reflected in the level and range of retail, service and commercial uses which are present in the

town centre and the level of pedestrian footfall. The number of units and total level of retail

and commercial floorspace is well above the level which would be expected for a town of this

size, which is mostly due to the contribution to the local economy of tourism expenditure.

Vacancies within the centre are consistently low and there is a reasonable demand from retail

and service operators to operate within the centre. Overall, we can conclude that St Ives is a

very healthy centre, which has increased its financial performance and attractiveness through

an increasing appeal to the tourism industry.

Penzance Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.86 Penzance lies in south west Cornwall, approximately 10 miles from Lands End and is the

most south westerly town not only of Cornwall but of Britain as a whole. It sits on the north-

west shore of the spectacular sweep of Mounts Bay. The town is particularly noted for its sub

tropical trees and plants as well as fine 18th and 19th Century buildings, high quality

streetscapes and spectacular views. Penzance is a port, rail and coach route terminus and

also the major interchange for local rail, road and bus networks. Sea links with the Isles of

Scilly operate from Penzance Harbour and air routes from the heliport and nearby Lands End

Airport. The town is on the A30, the major spinal route through Cornwall linking to the M5 at

Exeter. The harbour is the most westerly major port in the English Channel, the first reached

from the Atlantic and the principle commercial port west of Falmouth.

4.87 These connections give Penzance a strategic importance that outweighs its remote location

(approximately 300 miles from London) and in the wider regional context. It is one of the

larger towns in Cornwall with a population in the wider urban area (including Newlyn) of about

20,255. The dominant influence of Truro, however, means that Penzance occupies the

second tier in the county’s urban hierarchy (Venue Score).

4.88 The adopted Local Plan identifies a Town Centre Area and a Primary Shopping Area within

Penzance. The Town Centre Area encompasses Chapel Street, Alverton Street, Bread

Street, Jennings Street, Market Place, Causewayhead, Market Jew Street, New Street and

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Albert Street. The Primary Shopping Area covers the southern part of Causewayhead,

Market Jew Street, Market Place and the Wharfside Shopping Centre.

4.89 Also within the adopted Local Plan, a number of areas in and around the defined town centre

are allocated for development:

• The area around Jennings Street has been allocated for potential improvements, to allow

better links between the harbour and Market Jew Street;

• The area around Bread Street is recognised as an area where the further introduction of

retail and service uses can be achieved, alongside ensuring that servicing arrangements

to properties along Market Jew Street are maintained; and

• The site of the former gas holder and adjacent former Cornwall Farmers premises are

allocated under Policy TV-A for redevelopment to provide land uses within Classes A1,

A2, A3, B1, B2, B8, C1, C3, D1 and D2, including at least 30 dwellings.

Diversity of Uses

4.90 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad and updated by GVA. The latest Experian survey is July 2008 and this has

been updated to a November 2009 base. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at

Appendix F. This information from Experian Goad indicates composition of the centre is as

follows:

Table K: Retail Composition of Penzance town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average %

Convenience 35 10.42 34 10.00 10.10 9.53

Comparison 179 53.27 179 52.65 48.57 43.23

Service 92 27.38 91 26.76 31.59 33.97

Vacant 28 8.33 34 10.00 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 2 0.60 2 0.59 0.68 1.24

Total 336 100 340 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.91 The above analysis indicates that the number of convenience uses has remained relatively

static since 2008 and their proportion of total units is the same as the Cornish town average

and slightly above the national average. The number of comparison units is unchanged over

the period 2008-2009 and is well above both the Cornish and national average levels. The

number of service units has also remained relatively static, although remains below the

national and Cornwall average levels.

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4.92 Table L below outlines the floorspace levels within the retail and service sectors in Penzance

town centre between 2008 and 2009. Again, this data has been taken from 2008 Experian

Goad data and updated by GVA.

Table L: Retail Floorspace Composition of Penzance town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average %

Convenience 5574 12.4 5435 12.1 15.3 17.4

Comparison 26570 59.2 26143 58.4 51.8 49.1

Service 9142 20.4 8965 20.0 24.0 22.0

Vacant 3159 7.0 3809 8.5 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 418 0.9 418 0.9 1.1 1.0

Total 44863 100 44863 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.93 In line with the trends in retail and service land uses in Penzance town centre between 2008

and 2009, the floorspace occupied by convenience, comparison and service uses has

remained relatively static. All of these sectors have reduced the amount of floorspace they

occupy very slightly, with the proportion of floorspace occupied by the convenience and

service sectors below average and the proportion of floorspace occupied by comparison retail

uses well above average. These characteristics for the comparison and service sectors are to

be expected as they mirror the proportion of units occupied, although the below average

proportion of convenience goods floorspace suggests that the convenience retail units which

do exist are generally small in size.

4.94 In relation to other uses within the town centre, the following are present:

• There is a Savoy Cinema located on Causewayhead. The cinema has 3 screens and

has a 310 person seating capacity.

• Penzance’s railway station is located at the north-eastern corner of the town centre,

adjacent to East Terrace. Close to the railway station is the town centre’s bus station

which also includes a tourist information office.

• Apart from the cafes and restaurants in the town centre, there are also a number of public

houses. These are generally found around the railway station, Market Place and Chapel

Street. A number of hotels and guest houses are also found in these locations.

• To the south of the core town centre area are further commercial uses, including food and

drink uses, along Wharf Road, Chapel Street and The Quay. A number of these uses are

linked to the nearby harbour area and will benefit from workers and visitors to the harbour

area.

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• On the western edge of the town centre boundary lies St Johns Hall, which is home to the

offices of Penzance Town Council and is also a music/arts venue and tourist information

centre.

• Elsewhere in Penzance, the town’s main leisure centre is located at St Clare to the north

of the town centre and includes an indoor swimming pool, sports gall, gym and outdoor

pitches. There is also the Jubilee Outdoor Pool located close to the Harbour/Promenade.

Retailer Representation

4.95 Penzance town centre has one of the highest concentrations of multiple retailers and service

providers in Cornwall. At present, comparison multiple retailers include Clarks, Curry’s,

Argos, New Look, WH Smith, Boots, Peacocks, Dorothy Perkins and Burtons. The majority of

these multiples are located along Market Jew Street and in the Wharfside Shopping Centre.

The majority of independent comparison goods retailers can be found along Causewayhead

and Alverton Street and interspersed with the multiple retailers along Market Jew Street.

Within the comparison goods retail sector, Penzance town centre has a higher than average

proportion of clothing and footwear retailers, along with a higher than average proportion of

furniture/floorcoverings, books/arts/crafts/stationery, electrical, gifts, pharmacy and

charity/pets goods stores.

4.96 Multiple convenience retailers include Iceland (in the Wharfside Shopping Centre), Co-op (on

Market Jew Street) and Holland & Barratt. The Iceland and Co-op stores are the largest

convenience goods retailers in the town centre. The Iceland extends to 470sq m net sales

area and the Co-op extends to 620sq m net sales. Given their size both stores can stock only

a modest range of convenience goods and the Iceland performs a niche frozen foods

shopping role. As a consequence, both of these stores will receive the majority of their trade

from top-up food shopping trips, which is reinforced by neither store having a dedicated

customer car park. In addition to the national multiple retailers, there are 10 bakers in the

town centre, plus one butcher, 3 greengrocers/fishmongers and 7 newsagents/small

convenience stores.

4.97 Within the service sector, a large number of the national high street banks and building

societies are represented. The majority of these are located in the central part of the town

centre. The majority of food and drink uses in the town centre are local independent traders,

although there is a Subway sandwich unit on Causewayhead and a Costa Coffee unit in the

Wharfside Shopping Centre. Within the service sector as a whole, Penzance town centre has

a lower than average proportion of restaurant, cafes, fast food and take away uses, which is

the also true for health and beauty uses, banks and financial services and estate agents.

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4.98 Outside of the town centre, the following large food and non-food retail facilities are available

in Penzance:

• On the eastern side of the Penzance urban area, there are two large supermarkets:

Morrisons and Tesco. The Morrisons store is located at Long Rock Business Park and

extends to 2,650sq m net sales area. The Tesco store is located on Branwell Lane and

extends to 2,300sq m net sales. Both of these stores provide the focus for main/bulk

food shopping trips in Penzance, selling a wide range of convenience goods

(supplemented by a smaller comparison goods offer) and each benefiting from an

adjacent surface level customer car park.

• To the south-west of Penzance town centre there are Lidl and Co-op stores in

Wherrytown. These stores, which extend to 620sq m net and 740sq m net respectively,

offer a moderate range of convenience goods and cater for a range of main and top-up

food shopping requirements, although they are unlikely to be successful in attracting main

food trips as the larger Morrisons and Tesco stores.

• Within the non-food retail sector, the Heliport Retail Park on the eastern side of the

Penzance urban area, close to the Tesco and Morrisons stores, accommodates B&Q,

Currys, Halfords and KFC retail units.

Yields and Rents

4.99 In relation to the financial characteristics of retail property in Penzance, we have obtained

data in relation to commercial yields on retail property. Table D outlines the yield for

Penzance between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends within surrounding towns and

other medium and large centres in Cornwall. Table D indicates that there has been a falling

(i.e. improving) yield in Penzance over recent years up to 2008 where it has seen a slight

increase. This trend has also occurred within the other town centres in Cornwall over the

same period. Previously (2007) Penzance was outperforming or equal to the other centres

with exception to Truro. The centre is now being outperformed in terms of yields by Falmouth

and Newquay.

4.100 Rental information for Zone A retail space in Penzance has also been obtained (Table E) and

indicates that rental levels were at £60/sq m in 2008. This level is less than half the rental

levels achieved in Truro city centre, although Penzance has outperformed St Austell and

Falmouth in recent years.

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Retailer Requirements

4.101 During winter 2009/2010 there were 18 known retailer requirements for new/additional

floorspace in Penzance. These requirements equated to between 88,000-272,000sq ft of

floorspace, although a sizable part of this figure was the requirement from TJ Hughes

(25,000-150,000sq ft). If this was removed from the upper end of the floorspace range, then

the other requirements totalled 120,000sq ft, which is still a high level of demand. At that

time, there were requirements from retailers such as Debenhams, TK Maxx, Pets at Home,

the Original Factory Shop, Monsoon and Laura Ashley. However, by October 2010 the

number of published requirements for Penzance had fallen to 3 and extended to between

2,000-3,500sq ft of floorspace. Historically, Penzance has had one of the larger levels of

retailer requirements in Cornwall, at similar levels to St Austell, Falmouth and Newquay, but

around half the level of Truro.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.102 In 2008, there were 28 vacant units in Penzance town centre. Our re-survey of the town

centre in 2009 indicates that vacant units have increased to 34 units. The proportion of

current vacant units in Penzance is similar to the Cornish average and slightly below the

national average. Within the 2007 Penwith Retail Study, the number of vacant units in the

town centre was recorded as 28 units in 2006, falling to 21 units in 2007. This trend in

vacancy rates indicates the inconsistent rate of occupancy and retailer demand within the

town centre.

4.103 In relation to the amount of floorspace which is vacant in Penzance, this has also increased.

The total proportion of vacant floorspace is now above the Cornish town centre average and

below the national average.

4.104 A survey of the town centre indicates that the vacant units are dispersed throughout the

centre, although a number of these vacancies occur along Market Jew Street which could be

a cause for concern given that this area is generally recognised as the primary retail area in

the town centre.

Accessibility

4.105 Given its size, accessibility to Penzance town centre is considered to be good. The A30 runs

to the north from the outskirts of the town at Long Rock. By private car, a number of routes

lead into the town centre and parking is available at the following locations:

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• Causewayhead – 55 spaces

• Clarence Street – 105 spaces

• St Erbyns – 178 spaces

• Greenmarket – 47 spaces

• Harbour - 800 spaces

• Penalverne – 103 spaces.

4.106 The main railway station in Penzance is located a short walk to the east of the core retail area

and provides local and national services connecting the town to London, Truro, Plymouth,

Exeter, Bristol and beyond.

4.107 In relation to bus provision, the main bus station is located close to the eastern edge of the

primary shopping area and accommodates high frequency bus services which connect

Penzance to the local villages surrounding the town plus, further a field, Bodmin, Camborne,

Falmouth, Helston, Lands End, Newquay, Redruth, St Ives, Hayle and Truro.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.108 The household survey has identified the following views regarding Penzance town centre:

• 5.6% of survey respondents indicated that Penzance was their main centre. The data

outlined below relates to the answers given by these respondents.

• Of those questioned, 61% most favoured the centre because of its proximity and

convenience. However, other key ‘likes’ for the centre included its coastal location (5%),

range of multiple shops (17%) and selection of independent shops (12%).

• Dislikes identified from those who use the centre, included a limited range of multiple

retailers (17%), selection of independent shops (8%), difficultly in parking vehicles (6%)

and expense of parking (5%).

• In response to the above dislikes, providing more multiple and independent retailers,

attracting larger retailers, refurbishing existing shopping facilities and providing more

parking facilities would encourage people to use the centre more often.

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State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.109 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Penzance town centre, the most

useful source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County

Council in September 2003. This report divides the central parts of Penzance into nine

different areas, five of which lie within (wholly or in part) the defined town centre area within

the Local Plan. We set out below a summary of the characteristics of these areas, along with

the recommendations of the Council regarding the future regeneration of these areas:

• Market Core - This area encompasses the eastern parts of Alverton Street and

connections with Market Jew Street and Queen Street. It is a busy historic commercial

and market focus and the meeting and crossing point of the town’s main streets. The

area is made up of several linked strongly enclosed places with a diverse collection of

substantial historic commercial and public buildings. The characterisation report indicates

the need to maintain the historic fabric within this area, along with enhancing the

permeability and public realm and the need to reassert the role of this area as the central

hub for the town centre.

• Market Jew Street – Market Jew Street is a late mediaeval expansion from the market

core which is now Penzance’s main shopping area, close to the main car park and bus

and railway stations. It has striking townscape qualities dominated by the façade of

Market House at the head of this rising street. The characterisation report notes that

despite the lively atmosphere and high quality of overall townscape, much of this street

has been poorly rebuilt in the later 20th Century and can be under-used and empty

outside normal shopping times. It also suffers from traffic congestion which has major

effects on the movement of pedestrians on its narrow pavements. As a result, the

characterisation report identifies the need to reinstate character and quality along Market

Jew Street, plus increasing evening and Sunday activity and resolution to the current

vehicle pedestrian conflict.

• Chapel Street – This area lies in the southern part of the defined town centre area and

exhibits extraordinarily fine historic streetscape with an assemblage of historic buildings of

very high distinction and charm. Chapel Street was formerly one of the main axes of the

mediaeval town and now presents one of the quieter areas within the town centre

underpinned by a range of predominantly quality uses (including specialist retailers and

antique shops).

• Causewayhead – This is a lively pedestrianised shopping street with some of the best

surviving historic shop fronts in Penzance. There is a diverse range of building styles and

heights but the street overall offers a strong sense of enclosure. The characterisation

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report identifies the need to increase the use of ancillary buildings and spaces within this

area, enhance the public realm, improve access and productivity, plus maintain the

historic fabric along Causewayhead.

• The Back Streets – Surrounding the Chapel Street and Market Jew Street areas, the

characterisation report has identified a number of secondary street surrounding the

historic core which are mostly narrow and strongly enclosed, with buildings reflecting

mixed residential commercial and small industrial uses. Parts of these areas are under-

used and in need of repair and the characterisation report identifies the need to improve

pedestrian links and activity, promote appropriate conversion and development and

increase the occupation of under-used buildings.

Conclusions

4.110 Overall, we consider that Penzance is a relatively healthy town centre which provides a wide

range of shops and services for the local population in the town and also attracts regular

visitors from across the District. The financial aspects of the town centre’s performance

appear to be at consistently good levels and there is a higher than average proportion of

comparison retailers. Whilst they continue to fluctuate, vacancies in the centre have

increased in recent years and there continues to be a need to focus upon ensuring that the

retail floorspace stock is appropriate to the needs of retailer requirements.

Camborne Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.111 Camborne is located towards the western part of Cornwall and is highly accessible due to the

proximity to the A30 trunk road. The town is most widely known for its mining heritage where

the town grew significantly following a mining boom in the late eighteenth century. The town

now has large areas of derelict land (former mining sites) which form part of a redevelopment

scheme being fronted by CPR Regeneration. As well as being highly accessible by car, there

is a railway station approximately 700m south of the town centre. This is located on the main

London to Penzance line.

4.112 These connections give Camborne a strategic importance that benefits its redevelopment

potential. It has a population of about 21,010 (2001 Census).

4.113 Camborne forms part of the wider CPIR area (Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth)

conurbation. It is recognised that there is strong leakage of retail expenditure from CPIR to

Hayle, Helston and Truro. Camborne performs a role as a local centre serving its immediate

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catchment. The town centre is centred upon Commercial Square which is pedestrianised. In

recent years, there has been redevelopment taking place on the periphery of the town centre.

4.114 The interim planning policy comprises of the Kerrier Local Plan (Revised Deposit Draft)

(2002). Whilst not adopted, this forms a material planning consideration until superseded by

the Cornwall LDF. It has also been intended to develop an Area Action Plan for the CPR area

however, due to the Government revoking the South West Regional Spatial Strategy, the

Council was unable to finalise the AAP. However the consultation and evidence base

developed during the development of the AAP will instead it will be reviewed and, where

appropriate, used in the development of a Town Framework. The Deposit Draft Local Plan

identifies both a Town Centre Area and a Shopping Core Area within Camborne. The purpose

of the Shopping Core Area is to encourage long-term development of a vibrant ground floor

level shopping frontage. The Town Centre Area encompasses Gas Street, Trelowarren Street,

Fore Street, Gurney’s Lane, Chapel Street, Cross Street, Union Street, north-western end of

Moor Street, Vyvyan Street, North Road, Trevithick Road, Church Lane and Basset Road.

The Shopping Core Area covers Church Lane, Trelowarren Street, Gurney’s Lane, the

northern part of Chapel Street, Gas Street and southern parts of both Fore Street and

Trevithick Road.

4.115 Also within the Deposit Draft Local Plan, the bus depot in Camborne is allocated under Policy

S5 as a Town Centre Shopping Opportunity Site. This is a 0.5 ha site and its redevelopment

could also incorporate a more comprehensive scheme utilising other existing buildings on the

Trelowarren Street frontage and on the site of the existing bus station.

Diversity of Uses

4.116 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (June 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in November 2009. A copy of the

updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix G. This information from Experian Goad

indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

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Table M: Retail Composition of Camborne town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average %

Convenience 25 12.89 23 11.92 10.10 9.53

Comparison 85 43.81 89 46.11 48.57 43.23

Service 61 31.44 63 32.64 31.59 33.97

Vacant 21 10.82 17 8.81 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 2 1.03 1 0.52 0.68 1.24

Total 194 100 193 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.117 The above data indicates that there was been a small decrease in the number of units

occupied by convenience goods retail uses between 2007 and 2009. At the time of the latest

survey there were 23 convenience goods uses in Camborne town centre, which represents

around 12% of all retail units in the town centre. This is above the Cornish and national

average levels. Over the period 2007 – 2009 there has been a small increase in the number

of units occupied by comparison goods retail and service uses. The proportion of units

occupied by comparison retail uses is 46%, which is below the Cornish average but above the

national average. The proportion of units occupied by service uses is commensurate with the

Cornish and national average levels.

4.118 Table N below outlines the amount and proportion of floorspace which is occupied by retail

and service uses, using the 2007 Experian survey and the 2009 GVA update.

Table N: Retail Floorspace Composition of Camborne town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average %

Convenience 8909 27.7 8603 27.1 15.3 17.4

Comparison 14288 44.4 12672 40.0 51.8 49.1

Service 6392 19.9 6931 21.9 24.0 22.0

Vacant 2360 7.3 3354 10.6 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 251 0.8 130 0.4 1.1 1.0

Total 32200 100 31690 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.119 In line with the decrease in convenience retail units, the amount of floorspace occupied by

convenience uses has decreased slightly. The proportion of floorspace occupied by

convenience uses is 27% which is well above Cornish and national average levels. This high

proportion is due to the inclusion of the Tesco and, to a lesser extent, the Iceland and Aldi

units in the Experian figures (although in policy terms the Tesco store lies on the edge of the

town centre). The proportion of floorspace occupied by comparison goods retailers in

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Camborne town centre has fallen noticeably, from 44% to 40% of total floorspace. A

contributor to this would have been the loss of the Woolworths unit, which remained vacant at

the time of the 2009 survey. The proportion of floorspace occupied by comparison retail uses

is now well below the Cornish and national average levels. The proportion of floorspace

occupied by service uses has increased from 20% to 22% in 2009 and is commensurate with

the national average and slightly below the Cornish average for this type of floorspace.

4.120 Having regard to other uses in the town centre, the Goad plan at Appendix G indicates the

following:

• The town’s main library is located in the southern part of the town centre, at the junction

of Cross Street and Trevenson Street.

• There are a number of dwellings within the southern peripheral parts of the town centre,

particularly along Cross Street, Union Street, the eastern end of Trelowarren Street and

Chapel Street. These areas also include a number of small scale office uses.

• There is a Bingo hall at the northern end of Chapel Street, close to Commercial Square.

To the rear of the Bingo hall use is the town’s main bus depot and bus station, which sit

between Chapel Street and Union Street, and to the south of Gas Street.

• Camborne Parish Church can be found at the western edge of the town centre, on

Church Street, close to the Aldi supermarket. There is also another place of worship on

Chapel Street and the Centenary Wesleyan Church at the eastern end of Trelowarren

Street, close to the Tesco supermarket.

• The majority of public houses and bars in Camborne town centre can be found towards

its western side, along Commercial Street.

• Until recently, Camborne town centre also possessed a ten pin bowling alley, located

above the Argos retail unit on Trevithick Road. However, this has closed and proposals

to turn this unit into retail use have not been successful.

• Finally, the nearest leisure centre is the Carn Brea Leisure Centre which can be found in

Pool and contains a swimming pool, gym and outdoor sports pitches.

Retailer Representation

4.121 Within Camborne town centre, there are relatively few national multiples given the size of the

town centre. Examples of multiples that do exist within the centre include: Superdrug, Dorothy

Perkins, WH Smith, Boots, and Argos. Like a number of other town centres in the South West,

Camborne has suffered as a result of the loss of the large Woolworths unit on Trelowarren

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Street. Those national multiple retailers which are present are located in the western part of

Trelowarren Street. Across the comparison goods sector as a whole in Camborne town

centre, the most recent survey finds a below average number of higher end stores such as

those selling clothes, shoes and gifts. The updated Experian data also indicates that there

are a higher than average proportion of books/arts/crafts stores, electrical goods stores,

sports/toys/hobbies and charity/pets stores in Camborne town centre.

4.122 Within the convenience retail sector, the national multiples present are Aldi, Iceland and

Costcutter. The Aldi store extends to 896sq m net and specialises in the sale of discounted

convenience goods, with a small area of the store given over to the sale of a regularly

changing comparison goods offer. The Iceland store is a specialist frozen food goods retailer,

with a net sales area of 434sq m. The Aldi store is located on Church Street, in the western

part of the town centre, and is served by a dedicated surface level car park, whilst the Iceland

store is located in the central part of Trelowarren Street. In relation to the remainder of the

convenience goods sector in Camborne town centre, the most recent survey finds 4 butchers,

8 bakers, two greengrocers, 2 off-licences and 1 newsagent/convenience store. The

proportion of butchers and bakers is well above average, whilst the proportion of

newsagents/convenience stores is below average.

4.123 There is a large Tesco supermarket, extending to 1924sq m net sales located at the eastern

end of Trelowarren Street. The Tesco store is included within the Experian definition of the

town centre, although it is exclude from the draft Kerrier District Local Plan and CPR AAP

town centre designations. This store is considered to make a contribution to the overall health

of the town centre through a number of linked trips between the store (and its adjacent large

surface level car park) and the core retail area. The Tesco sells a wide range of convenience

goods and a small range of comparison goods, and lies close to the Dolcoath regeneration

area which sits between the store and the former Kerrier District Council offices on the former

CompAir Holman factory.

4.124 Within the service sector, a number of the national high street banks (such as Natwest,

Lloyds, Halifax, Abbey/Santander and Barclays) are present and located in the central to

western parts of Trelowarren Street. The proportion of banks and other financial services in

the town centre is commensurate with average levels, whilst there are above average

proportions of estate agents and health/beauty service uses and below average levels of

restaurants/cafés/take-away uses.

4.125 Apart from the edge of centre Tesco store at Dolcoath, there are a number of other large

scale retail facilities across the Camborne, Pool and Redruth urban area. Beyond the Tesco

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in Redruth (please refer to Redruth health check section in this chapter), there is a large

collection of retail facilities in Pool, including:

• In 2005, Tesco Extra re-occupied the former Big W store in Pool. The current Tesco

store extends to 6,500sq m net sales area and provides the largest foodstore in the CPR

area, selling a wide range of both convenience and comparison goods, plus an in store

café. The store is served by a large surface level car parking facility.

• Elsewhere in Pool, there is a Morrisons store on Agar Road which extends to 2,800sq m

net. This store also sells a wide range of convenience goods, supported by a small range

of comparison goods.

• There is a Lidl store on North Roskear Road in Camborne. This is a relatively dated retail

unit and Lidl have secured planning permission for an on-site replacement store. This

consent has not been implemented and Lidl have recently applied for planning

permission for an off-site replacement store in Pool. This application remains

undetermined at the time of finalising this report.

• Camborne Retail Park, which is actually located in Pool, includes a large B&Q DIY unit,

plus ETS, Comet, Halfords, Carpetright and Homestyle units.

Yields and Rents

4.126 In relation to the financial characteristics of retail property in Camborne, we have obtained

data in relation to commercial yields on retail property. Table D outlines the yield for

Camborne between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends within surrounding towns and

other medium and large centres in Cornwall. This information indicates that there has been a

falling (i.e. improving) yield in Camborne over recent years and unlike Penzance and Truro,

this did not increase in 2008. In 2008, the centre was outperforming St Austell, Bodmin,

Redruth, Helston and Liskeard, although information for 2009 is not available.

Retailer Requirements

4.127 During winter 2009/2010, there were 4 retailer requirements in Camborne which, by October

2010, had dropped to zero. Previously requirements came from Pets at Home, Peacocks,

Subway and Warrens bakery and collectively they extended to between 9,000-19,000sq ft of

new floorspace. Historically, Camborne has had comparatively low levels of retailer

requirements, reaching a peak of 8 requirements in 2004-2007.

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Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.128 In 2007, there were 21 vacant units in Camborne town centre. The 2009 re-survey of the

town centre indicates that vacant units has fallen to 17. This indicates that vacant units had

fallen from 10.8% to 8.8% of all units in the town centre and therefore continues to be below

both Cornwall and national average levels. However, whilst the number of vacant units in the

town centre has decreased over the period 2007-2009, the amount of vacant floorspace has

increased. This is due to the loss of the Woolworths use, which has sent overall vacant

floorspace up from 2,360sq m to 3,350sq m. The proportion of vacant floorspace in

Camborne town centre is now around 10%, which is a similar level to the national average

and well above the Cornish average.

4.129 A survey of the centre indicates that vacant units are dispersed throughout the centre,

although the loss of the ten pin bowling alley and ground floor retail units adjacent to the

Argos has had a detrimental impact this part of the town centre. However, there is stronger

rate of occupancy along Trelowarren Street which accommodates the majority of the national

retailers.

Accessibility

4.130 Accessibility to Camborne town centre, although close to the A30, can be constrained by

congestion. By private car, three main routes lead into the town centre and parking is

available at the following locations:

• Rosewarne – 94 spaces

• Rosewarne extension – 94 spaces.

4.131 In terms of access by train, the main railway in Camborne is located a short walk to the south

of the core retail area and provides local and national services connecting the town to London,

Truro, Plymouth, Exeter and Bristol.

4.132 With relation to bus provision, the main bus station is located south of the core retail area and

accommodates high frequency bus services which connect Camborne to the local villages

surrounding the town, including Redruth, plus further a field to Penzance, St Ives, Truro,

Helston and Falmouth.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.133 The household survey identified the following key issues relating to the town centre:

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• 5.5% of survey respondents indicated that Camborne was their main centre. This is a

similar level to Falmouth and Penzance, which suggests that Camborne town centre has

a potentially large visitor base. The data outlined below relates to those survey

respondents who indicated that Camborne was their main centre.

• Common likes for the town centre included the range of multiple and independents as well

as the pedestrian friendly environment.

• Conversely, the poor selection of multiples and independents were also identified as

common dislikes. Other issues included difficult parking (9%) and 9% found the town

centre environment to be unattractive.

• Other than the most popular suggested improvements of the choice of multiple shops

(23%) and independent / specialist shops (17%), it was thought that developing new

shopping facilities (14%) would encourage those questioned to use the centre more

frequently, which is one of the highest levels for this type of response for all centres

across Cornwall.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.134 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Camborne town centre, the most

useful source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County

Council in June 2004. This report divides the central parts of Camborne into two different

areas, both of which cover the defined town centre within the Local Plan. We set out below a

summary of the characteristics of these areas, along with the recommendations of the Council

regarding the future regeneration of these areas:

• Church Town and Commercial Core – this is the heart of the commercial area and most

urban in form centred on the church and former rectory. The area also includes

Trelowarren Street, the town’s principle commercial street. Along Trelowarren Street there

are a combination of two storey and three storey buildings. The street is open to vehicles,

forming part of a one-way system. Commercial Square is located to the southern side of

Trelowarren Street’s western end. This is pedestrianised and forms the civic core. Further

shops are located on Cross Street in terraced buildings previously used as residential

dwellings. The Cross is a road junction which accommodates significant buildings

including the library, municipal offices and the former public assembly rooms. The

character area also comprises of back plot areas i.e. Gas Lane and Gurney Lane which

were designed as rear access service roads. An area to the north of Tyacks Hotel which

was formerly back plots now comprises of an irregular urban form accommodating a

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shopping precinct and an Aldi supermarket. Suggested recommendations for this

character area includes: reintegrating the church with surroundings; strengthen links

between Trelowarren Street and the surrounding town; enhance shop fronts and public

realm treatments; enhance gateways and focal points; and reinstate sense of place to

areas which are characterised by loss of grain. The recommendations also includes the

redevelopment of the bus station which is included as a local plan allocation.

• Industrial worker’s housing – this area comprises of densely packed rows of nineteenth

century terraced housing. Only its far western end is situated within the defined town

centre but the character area is predominantly residential with a scattering of corner

shops and pubs. In terms of recommendations for the area, it is suggested that the bus

station redevelopment respects the character area as well as the commercial core.

Conclusions

4.135 The health check indicators would suggest that Camborne town centre is performing relatively

well. Furthermore, there are signs of improvement with a decreasing vacancy rate. However,

there would appear to be a slight under provision of multiple retailers and there is a general

lack of supply of modern retail premises which can attract new retailers. The historic

characterisation study identified a number of public realm improvements which could improve

the attractiveness of the centre, whilst the main town centre redevelopment site (the bus

station) suffers from a number of constraints which may stop the site coming forward for

redevelopment in the short term. Overall, Camborne town centre has the potential to become

the focus for a large growing population in the CPIR area and should be afforded particular

focus in the CC LDF.

Redruth Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.136 Redruth is located towards the western part of Cornwall and highly accessible due to the

proximity to the A30 trunk road. Combined with Camborne and Pool, this area forms the

largest conurbation in Cornwall. Redruth currently has a population of 12,352. Redruth was

traditionally a market town and was significantly developed in the eighteenth century following

the mining boom in the area. The last mine (South Crofty at Pool) closed in 1998, although

there are current plans to reopen it.

4.137 The town is well linked to the strategic road network and also benefits from a railway station.

A new road, the Barncoose Bypass was recently constructed and opened in March 2008. This

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provides a new link to the Barncoose Industrial Estate and is intended to relieve traffic passing

through the town.

4.138 Redruth forms part of the wider CPIR area (Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth) which is

also covered by an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). It is recognised that there is strong

leakage of retail expenditure from CPIR to Hayle, Helston and Truro. Redruth performs a role

as a local centre serving its immediate catchment. The town centre is regarded as a historic

centre with numerous Listed Buildings.

4.139 The interim planning policy comprises of the Kerrier Local Plan (Revised Deposit Draft)

(2002). Whilst not adopted, this forms a material planning consideration until superseded by

the Cornwall LDF and specifically the CPIR AAP. The Deposit Draft Local Plan identifies both

a Town Centre Area and a Shopping Core Area within Redruth. The purpose of the Shopping

Core Area is to encourage long-term development of a vibrant ground floor level shopping

frontage. The Town Centre Area encompasses Station Hill, eastern part of West End, Bond

St, Station Road, Fore Street, Ford’s Row, Green Lane, Alma Place, New Cut and part of

Treruffe Hill, Clinton Road, Heanton Terrace, Basset St and Sea View Terrace. The Shopping

Core Area covers Fore St, Station Road, Station Hill, Ford’s Row and the southern end of

Green Lane. A Fringe Commercial Area adjoins to the Shopping Core Area to the west.

4.140 It is also understood that an Action Plan for Redruth town centre is being promoted by CPR

Regeneration, although this study has not progressed to a stage where definitive proposals

are available.

4.141 Also within the Deposit Draft Kerrier Local Plan, the following three sites are identified as a

shopping development opportunity site:

• Former Cattle Market, Fair Meadow, Station Hill (local plan ref. S0764) – 0.4 ha site which

formerly had planning permission (now expired) for a supermarket and shopping mall

development with car parking and ancillary residential use ;

• Post Office & Sorting Office (local plan ref S0766) – 0.2 ha site for mixed commercial/

residential; and

• Former Flowerpot Chapel, Fore Street, Redruth (proposal S0765) – 0.97 ha site.

Diversity of Uses

4.142 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey undertaken in June 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in November

2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix H.

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Table O: Retail Composition of Redruth town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 15 9.26 13 8.02 10.10 9.53

Comparison 60 37.04 60 37.04 48.57 43.23

Service 52 32.10 51 31.48 31.59 33.97

Vacant 34 20.99 37 22.84 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.62 1 0.62 0.68 1.24

Total 162 100 162 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.143 The above analysis indicates that convenience uses within Redruth town centre have

decreased slightly and have fallen further below both the Cornwall and UK average. This also

applies to comparison units which, whilst static between 2007-2009, occupy 37% of all units in

the centre which is well below the Cornwall average of 49% and the national average of 43%.

The proportion of service units is generally in line with both the Cornwall and UK average and

has remained relatively static since 2007.

4.144 The amount of floorspace within the different retail and service land use classes is outlined in

Table P below.

Table P: Retail Floorspace Composition of Redruth town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 4042 17.9 2731 12.3 15.3 17.4

Comparison 8872 39.4 9727 43.9 51.8 49.1

Service 5258 23.3 5490 24.8 24.0 22.0

Vacant 4116 18.3 3986 18.0 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 232 1.0 232 1.0 1.1 1.0

Total 22520 100 22166 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.145 The above data indicates a significant fall in the amount of floorspace occupied by

convenience retail uses and a noticeable rise in the amount of floorspace occupied by

comparison retail uses. This is primarily due to the closure of the Co-op store Fore Street in

recent years and its replacement by a Wilkinsons general household comparison goods store.

The proportion of floorspace occupied by convenience retail uses is now below the Cornish

and national average levels, suggesting that uses which are present are generally small in

size. The addition of the Wilkinsons use has improved the proportion of floorspace occupied

by comparison retailers from 39% to 44%. However, even with this addition, the proportion of

comparison goods floorspace remains below the Cornish and national average levels.

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4.146 The amount of floorspace occupied by service uses has increased slightly between 2007-

2009 and now stands at just under 25% of all floorspace. This is slightly higher than the

national and Cornish average levels.

4.147 Having regard to other uses in the town centre, the Cornwall Centre Library & Information

Centre lies on Alma Place in the southern part of the centre. Closeby are Redruth railway

station, a large Royal Mail postal sorting office (linked to the town’s main post office on Fore

Street), Redruth Community Centre and a Cornwall Council One Stop Shop all on Station

Road. To the east of the railway station, on the opposite side of the railway line, are Redruth

Methodist Church, the YMCA and residential uses. In the draft AAP, the town centre

boundary extends to the south of the railway line and includes the town’s main library plus

retail, service, commercial and residential uses along Bond Street.

4.148 In the north-western part of the town centre boundary, there is a selection of commercial,

retail and residential uses along Chapel Street, which has been designated as part of the

Redruth Corridor in the emerging Redruth Action Plan. This area also includes a number of

vacant and under-used sites, including the former Plumb Centre sites, which are available for

redevelopment. There is also a large public sector office building between Chapel Street and

the New Cut car park. The western part of the town centre also includes West End, which is

separated from the core retail area by the heavily trafficked Chapel Street, Penryn Street,

West End junction. This area is characterised by a collection of offices, dwellings, service

uses, a public house and retail uses.

4.149 Finally, there is a Regal Cinema in Redruth town centre, located at the western end of the

pedestrianised section on Fore Street. The cinema has four screens and a seating capacity

of approximately 1,000.

Retailer Representation

4.150 Within Redruth town centre, there are a small number of national multiples. Those retailers

who are present include Clinton Cards, M&Co, Shoe Zone, Specsavers, Superdrug,

Wilkinsons and Peacocks. The remainder of comparison uses are generally local / Cornish

retailers and we have already noted that the proportion of comparison retailers in Redruth

town centre is well below the national average. The updated Experian data indicates that the

majority of sub-categories of comparison goods uses in the town centre have proportional

representation below average levels. These include clothing, footwear, furniture, electrical

goods and gifts/luxury goods. The only areas where provision is commensurate or higher

than average levels is in the DIY/hardware, chemist and charity/pets goods sectors.

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4.151 Up until recently, convenience retail provision in Redruth town centre was dominated by

Iceland and Co-op stores. However, the Co-op has now closed and been replaced by a

Wilkinsons, leaving the Iceland as the anchor convenience goods retailer. The Iceland

extends to 455sq m net sales area and specialises in the sale of frozen food goods. Beyond

this store, there are 5 bakers, 2 butchers, 3 greengrocers/fishmongers and one

newsagent/convenience store in the town centre.

4.152 Within the service sector, Redruth town centre accommodates a number of the high street

banks and building societies (including Natwest, HSBC, Halifax and Lloyds) and a range of

food/drink, health/beauty, estate agency and travel agency uses which are generally in line

with average levels.

4.153 Outside of the town centre, the main out of centre retail facility is the Tesco store on Tolgus

Hill. This store extends to 2,200sq m net and provides the main bulk food shopping

destination in Redruth, selling a wide range of convenience goods supplemented by a smaller

comparison goods offer. The store is served by a large dedicated customer car parking

facility. Other out of centre stores in the CPR urban area are covered in the Camborne health

check section in this chapter.

Yields and Rents

4.154 Table D outlines the yield for retail commercial properties in Redruth between 2003 and 2008,

compared with the trends within surrounding towns and other medium and large centres in

Cornwall. This data indicates that there has been a falling (i.e. improving) yield in Redruth

over recent years and unlike Penzance and Truro, this did not increase in 2008. However,

generally the centre does not perform particularly well and has the highest yield of all the

centres surveyed along with St Austell, Bodmin, Helston and Liskeard.

Retailer Requirements

4.155 Historically, Redruth has had low levels of retailer requirements and has been less attractive

to retailers than Camborne. During winter 2009/2010 there were 3 requirements for Redruth

(see Appendix C) which totalled between 2,000-3,700sq ft of new floorspace. By October

2010, there were no known retailer requirements for Redruth.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.156 In 2007, there were 34 vacant units in Redruth town centre, which equated to 21% of all retail

units. The re-survey of the town centre in 2009 indicates that vacant units have increased to

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37 units (23% of total retail unit provision). This is significantly above both the national and

Cornwall average levels and is clearly a cause for concern for the ongoing health of the town

centre. Whilst the amount of vacant floorspace has not risen over the same period, it still

comprises 18% of all retail/service floorspace in the town centre and is also well above the

Cornish and national average levels.

4.157 A survey of the centre indicates that typically the vacant units are dispersed throughout the

centre with vacancies occurring both on the periphery of the centre and also along the core

retail area on Fore Street, which is a cause for concern.

Accessibility

4.158 Redruth benefits from its proximity to the A30 and therefore has good links by private car to

Camborne and Pool, as well as Hayle and Penzance. Falmouth is also linked to Redruth by

the A393 running to the south east. A number of roads lead into the town centre and parking

is available at the following locations:

• Flowerpot Chapel – 128 spaces

• New Cut – 54 spaces

• New Cut extension – 182 spaces

• Station Hill – 177 spaces [not listed as Cornwall Council car park and therefore assume

private ownership].

4.159 There is a railway station located within Redruth, a short walk to the south of the shopping

core area and provides local and national services connecting the town to London, Truro,

Plymouth, Exeter and Bristol.

4.160 In relation to bus provision, the main bus station is located south of the shopping core area

and provides high frequency bus services which connect Redruth to the local villages

surrounding the town, including Camborne, plus further a field to Penzance, St Ives, Truro,

Helston, Falmouth and St Agnes.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.161 The household survey identified the following key issues for Redruth town centre:

• 3.8% of survey respondents indicated that Redruth town centre was their main centre.

This is a lower level than Camborne (5.5%) which provides a useful comparison. The

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data outlined below relates to those respondents who stated that Redruth was their main

centre.

• The majority of those who use the centre do so because of its convenience (55%). Other

key ‘likes’ for the town included the selection of multiples (8%), the pedestrian friendly

environment (6%), cheap parking (5%) and competitive prices (4%). 33% of respondents

noted that there was nothing that they liked about the centre, which is one of the highest

levels for this type of response for all centres across Cornwall.

• With the exception of respondents disliking the poor selection of multiple (33%) and

independent shops (20%) within Redruth, the other most disliked features of the town

were its topography (13%) and pedestrian environment (6%). The level of negative

responses regarding the selection of shops in Redruth was one of the highest across all

centres in Cornwall.

• In line with the scale of negative attitudes towards, the focus of improvements which

would encourage a greater number of visits to the town centre is a greater choice of

multiples (43%), new shopping facilities (28%), an improved range of

independent/specialist shops (28%) and 18% wanted to see existing shopping facilities

refurbished.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.162 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Redruth town centre, the most useful

source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County

Council in June 2004. This report divides the central parts of Camborne into three different

areas, with two of the areas only partly covered by the defined town centre as identified in the

Draft Deposit Local Plan. We set out below a summary of the characteristics of these areas,

along with the recommendations of the Council regarding the future regeneration of these

areas:

• Fore Street – this is the town’s principle commercial street. It is a medieval market street

on a steeply sloping hill with a pedestrianised area at one end. There is an irregular build

line with irregular spaces created by set back properties. It is considered within the

characterisation study that the quality, diversity and rich architectural quality detail of Fore

Street’s buildings create an outstanding and vibrant streetscape. There are many notable

landmark buildings and features. However, the historic character of Fore Street has been

diminished by recent streetscape schemes.

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• Alma Place and the remnant medieval townscape – This area fronts onto the back

plots of both sides’ of Fore Street where such plots have experienced different levels of

development. To the north of the area, the back plots have largely been amalgamated,

losing the historic urban grain with development that is considered inappropriate in the

characterisation study. To the south, the townscape is typically more intact with key

features retained. To the north of Fore Street, the back plots are typically now utilised as

un-landscaped car parks. To the south of Fore Street, the area is thought to have

remained more integrated with the town with some deliberate redevelopment to link

between the railway and Fore Street.

• 18th and 19

th civic expansion – until the late 19

th century, the west end of town served as

the financial and administrative quarter of Redruth and provided an important commercial

continuation of Fore Street. There now stands impressive buildings within this area which

reflect its previous importance. The characterisation study has identified that the level of

traffic detracts from the quality of the streetscape.

Conclusions

4.163 Overall, the health check indicators would suggest that Redruth town centre is under

performing. This is clearly represented by the very high vacancy rates and the lack of demand

for retail space within the centre. In terms of the retail composition, there is a significant

under-provision of comparison units and few multiple retailers to encourage footfall. High

yields further demonstrate that the town suffers from comparatively low investor confidence

levels and requires further investment in order to improve its retail offer. However, the town

does benefit from excellent transport links, with access to a railway station and the proximity

of the A30 for those travelling by car. We would support the need for a more detailed focus

on the town centre, as currently being undertaken by the Redruth Action Plan. Detailed

consideration will need to be given to the ability of the town centre (and the surrounding area)

to attract retailers, service providers and other businesses to augment the centre’s offer,

including the quality of existing premises, the deliverability of key town centre and edge of

centre sites and the realism needed in planning for the future health of the centre (when faced

within the dominance of Truro as a comparison goods shopping destination and competition

from more local facilities in Pool and Camborne).

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Liskeard Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.164 Liskeard is located in the eastern part of Cornwall with links to Plymouth using the A38 trunk

road. The town has a population of approximately 8,478 (2001 Census). The town

accommodates the previous Caradon District Council offices (Luxstowe House, now occupied

by Cornwall Council). The town itself has a shopping area which typically serves the local

catchment. The town is well known for its weekly traditional markets. Recent retail

development is predominantly out-of-centre development including Morrison’s, Pets at Home,

Argos and Homebase.

4.165 The town has a railway station which is situated on the main London to Penzance Cornish

Main Line as well as the Looe Valley branch line.

4.166 The interim planning policy for Liskeard is contained within the Caradon District Local Plan

First Alteration (adopted August 2007) with its policies forming a material planning

consideration until the Cornwall LDF is adopted. The Local Plan identifies a Shopping Core

Area which includes Windor Place, Baytree Hill, Fore Street, Market Street, the eastern side

of Barras Street and the north of Barn Street.

4.167 The Local Plan also includes a Town Centre Improvement area:

• Bay Tree Improvements (Policy LISK 5) – policy to introduce a phased scheme to

improve the appearance and reduce the current confusion in the road system. This

includes closing sections of road and providing paved areas with seats and trees.

Diversity of Uses

4.168 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated April 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in November 2009. A

copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix I. This information from Experian

Goad and our update indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

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Table Q: Retail Composition of Liskeard town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 16 11.76 16 11.59 10.10 9.53

Comparison 62 45.59 65 47.10 48.57 43.23

Service 40 29.41 40 28.99 31.59 33.97

Vacant 17 12.50 16 11.59 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.74 1 0.72 0.68 1.24

Total 136 100 138 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.169 The above analysis indicates that convenience uses within Liskeard town centre have

remained static between 2007 and 2009. There are 16 units in the town centre occupied by

convenience goods retailers and this is equivalent to 11.6% of all units in the town centre.

Therefore, the proportion of convenience uses in the town centre is slightly above the national

and Cornish average levels.

4.170 The number of comparison units has increased slightly between 2007 and 2009 and now

stands at 65 units. This is equivalent to 47% of all units in the town centre and is

commensurate with the Cornish average and above national average levels for this type of

retail use. Between 2007 and 2009, the number of service uses in the centre has remained

static at 40 units. This is equivalent to 29% of all units and is slightly below average levels.

4.171 Table R below sets out the distribution of floorspace within Liskeard town centre, for both the

April 2007 Experian survey and our update in November 2009.

Table R: Retail Composition of Liskeard town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 3948 20.7 3948 20.9 15.3 17.4

Comparison 7785 40.8 7795 41.2 51.8 49.1

Service 5518 28.9 5621 29.7 24.0 22.0

Vacant 1672 8.8 1375 7.3 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 177 0.9 177 0.9 1.1 1.0

Total 19100 100 18916 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.172 In line with the trends highlighted in the analysis of retail and service unit occupancy in

Liskeard town centre, the amount of floorspace occupied by convenience, comparison and

service uses has remained relatively static between 2007 and 2009. The proportion of

floorspace occupied by convenience goods retailers is above the national and, to a greater

extent, the Cornish average levels. The same if true for floorspace occupied by service uses,

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whilst the proportion of floorspace occupied by comparison goods retailers is noticeably below

Cornish and national average levels.

4.173 In relation to other land uses within Liskeard town centre, outside of the defined shopping core

on the adopted Local Plan proposals map, the Echo Centre (a publicly run resource centre) is

located in the north-western part of the centre adjacent to the former Passmore Edwards

Hospital site. Within this area of the town centre, close to the junction of Barras Place and

West Street, is Liskeard Public Hall (which is also home to Liskeard Town Council), whilst on

The Parade is Webb’s House (which accommodates the offices of the Cornish Times).

4.174 The south-western part of the town centre includes Liskeard Cattle Market, which currently

remains operational, and also includes a public surface level car park. Elsewhere in this area,

the is Liskeard Methodist Church and a mixture of residential, public house and other

commercial uses along Barn Street. In the eastern and northern parts of the town centre,

outside of the shopping core area, are a mixture of residential, retail, hotel and service uses,

along Church Street and Pound Street. Finally, the Liskeard Museum / Art Gallery / Tourist

Information Centre is located on Pike Street.

4.175 Liskeard also has a leisure centre, the Lux Park Leisure Centre, which is located on Coldstyle

Road and contains a swimming pool, sports hall, gym and outdoor sports pitches.

Retailer Representation

4.176 Within Liskeard town centre, there are very few national multiples including Boots and M & Co

clothing, a modest sized Co-op foodstore and a EuroSpar foodstore (formerly a Somerfield

foodstore). In addition, there is a selection of the national high street banks and building

societies.

4.177 Both the Co-op and EuroSpar foodstore units accommodate sales areas of approximately

700sq m net apiece and sell a modest selection of fresh, refrigerated, frozen and pre-

packaged convenience products (plus a very small range of comparison goods). Both stores

a car parking areas to the rear, although they are likely to be more popular for top-up food

shopping trips rather than a significant amount of main/bulk food shopping trips. The

remainder of the town centre’s convenience goods retail sector includes 3 bakers, 1 butcher,

3 greengrocers/fishmongers, one off-licence and 3 newsagents/convenience stores.

4.178 Within the comparison sector, whilst there are very few national multiple retailers, the overall

proportion of units occupied by comparison goods retailer is similar to the national and

Cornish averages levels. As a consequence, the majority of retailers comprising this total are

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local independent traders, including companies such as HBH Woolacotts who have premises

in other Cornish towns such as Wadebridge, Bude and Bodmin. Looking across the various

sub-categories of comparison retail provision, Liskeard like many other smaller centres in

Cornwall has a lower than average proportion of clothing and footwear retailers, plus a similar

trend for furniture/carpets/textile retailers. However, Liskeard town centre has a higher than

average proportion of electrical , DIY, books/arts/crafts and sports/toys/hobbies retailers.

4.179 Within the service sector, the total proportion of units is slightly lower than average and apart

from a number of banks/building societies comprises local independent traders. Whilst the

town centre has higher than average proportions of banks and financial services and, to be

greater extent, estate agents and auctioneers, the town centre has a noticeably lower than

average proportion of restaurants, cafes, fast food and take away uses and, to a lesser extent,

a lower than average proportion of health and beauty uses.

4.180 Outside of Liskeard town centre there is a large Morrisons store on the eastern edge of the

town, close to the A38. The extends to 2,300sq m net sales area and provides the focus for

main bulk food shopping trips in Liskeard. Close to the Morrisons store is a recently

developed retail park (Liskeard Retail Park) which accommodates large Homebase, Argos

and Pets at Home stores.

Yields and Rents

4.181 In relation to the financial characteristics of retail property in Liskeard, we have obtained data

in relation to commercial yields on retail property. Table D outlines the yield for Liskeard

between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends within surrounding towns and other

medium and large centres in Cornwall. This information indicates that there has been a falling

(i.e. improving) yield in Liskeard over recent years. The yield has improved from 10 in 2004 to

7% in 2008. However, largely because of the size of the centre and retail catchment, it is one

of the lowest performing centres (from the yield information available) along with St Austell,

Bodmin, Redruth and Helston.

Retailer Requirements

4.182 Now that Pets at Home has occupied a unit in the out of centre retail park, there were 4

retailer requirements for new floorspace in Liskeard. These include Peacocks, Superdrug,

Warrens bakery and Subway and total 7,700-13,700sq ft gross. As shown in Appendix C, by

October 2010, there were no known retailer requirements in Liskeard.

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Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.183 The number of vacant units in the town centre fell slightly between 2007 and 2009, although

the proportion of vacant units remains the same as the national average (approximately 12%)

and slightly higher than the Cornish average. The amount of vacant floorspace also fell

slightly over the same period and the proportion of vacant floorspace now lies mid way

between the Cornish average and the national average. With regards to the distribution of

vacant units, these are dispersed throughout the centre, including both primary and secondary

retail uses, including a concentration of vacant units in Baytree Court. In addition, the former

petrol filling station at the junction of Barras Street and Baytree Hill presents a particularly

negative visual feature for a core part of the town centre.

Accessibility

4.184 Liskeard is highly accessible to the neighbouring settlements. The A38 provides transport

options to the east and west with good links to Plymouth. In terms of accessing the town

centre, a number of routes are available by private car and parking is available at the following

locations:

• Westbourne – 230 spaces

• Cattle Market – 216 spaces

• Upper Sungirt – 81 spaces

• Lower Sungirt – 85 spaces

• Rapsons – 120 spaces.

4.185 The main railway station in Liskeard is located south of the core retail area. Liskeard is

located on the main Penzance to London line with access to Plymouth, Exeter and beyond,

whilst there is also a branch line to Looe.

4.186 In relation to bus provision, the main bus terminus is on Barras Street in the centre of the core

retail area. The town is well served by local services to nearby towns but with apparent limited

access to neighbouring villages. The bus services link Liskeard with Bodmin, Callington,

Launceston, Plymouth, St Austell and Truro.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.187 The Cornwall Household Survey identified the following key issues for the town centre:

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• 2.5% of survey respondents indicated that Liskeard was their main centre. The data

below is based upon the views of these respondents.

• Of those that consider Liskeard as their local centre, 13% liked the selection of multiples

and 9% the choice of independents. 4% of respondents liked the ease of parking within

the centre.

• A higher proportion of survey respondents (24%) disliked the choice of multiple shops and

services in Liskeard than the proportion who felt it was a positive aspect about the centre.

Other dislikes include, the difficulty in parking (5%), the number of charity shops (3%), the

unattractive environment (4%) and the level of parking charges (4%). Only 6% of

respondents indicated that they felt the selection of local independent shops and services

was poor, which is very low compared to other centres in Cornwall.

• The most popular suggestions for improving the centre included a greater choice of

multiple retailers (24%), independent shops (10%), introduction of a new large

supermarket (5%), introduction of new places to eat and drink (4%) and the development

of a new cinema (6%).

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.188 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Liskeard town centre, the most

useful source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County

Council in July 2005. This report divides the central shopping area of Liskeard into two areas.

We set out below a summary of the characteristics of these two areas, along with the

recommendations of the Council regarding the future regeneration of these areas:

• Central Commercial Zone: the market area – This is historically one of the most

important parts of Liskeard where the original medieval streets are lined with mainly

eighteenth and nineteenth century good quality buildings. The commercial core is still part

of the principal shopping area in the town with a busy thriving atmosphere. The main

issues identified in the characterisation report concern the under utilisation of upper floors

of retail premises and the under utilisation of spaces including the area known as Sun Girt

just to the south of Pondbridge Hill which is currently used as a car park. It is

recommended that overdevelopment on back plots should be avoided so as to retain the

historic character.

• Central Commercial Zone: The Parade and its Environs. This part of Liskeard

contains a large number of significant buildings in a variety of architectural styles and

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materials. The townscape is planned, and on a grand scale. Although bisected by the

main route through the town it is not dominated by the traffic. In terms of issues, the report

identifies that the two roundabouts at either end of The Parade have overcomplicated

signage and impede pedestrian flow. Areas identified for potential development include

the Post Office and the Alldays convenience store.

Conclusions

4.189 Overall, Liskeard town centre exhibits moderate levels of vitality and viability. It has a

relatively modest level of retail and service facilities, the proportions of which are not to

dissimilar to national and Cornish average levels, albeit that the amount of service uses are

slightly below average. However, vacant units in the centre are reasonably high when

compared with other centres in Cornwall and there are relatively few national multiple

retailers. In addition, Liskeard has had a comparatively low level of retailer requirement and

those national multiple retailers who have shown an interest in the town in recent years have

been accommodated in out of centre locations (Homebase, Argos and Pets at Home).

Indeed, the performance of the centre is clearly influenced by the performance of the out of

centre retail facilities in the town and this study (and associated planning initiatives) should

give consideration to how the health of the centre can be improved alongside future

retail/population growth in the town and its catchment area.

Newquay Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.190 Newquay lies in Mid-Cornwall (former Restormel District) on the west coast. The town is

particularly noted as a tourist destination for young families and groups. Newquay has an

airport, railway station and bus terminus which all cater for the tourist trade with up to 100,000

people visiting the town during the summer. The town lies approximately 7 miles from the

A30, the major spinal route through Cornwall linking to the M5 at Exeter.

4.191 The adopted Restormel Local Plan (2001) comprises the interim planning policy until

superseded by the relevant parts of the Cornwall LDF. The Town Centre area covers a large

area with a number of streets. The defined Prime Shopping Area incorporates Bank Street,

Central Square, East Street.

4.192 Policy N14 in the Local Plan identifies four redevelopment areas in and around Newquay town

centre:

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• (1) Station Parade / Oakleigh Terrace

• (2) Rear of Morfa Hall

• (3) East Street

• (4) East Street Bus Station.

4.193 Policy N16 allocates a further 2.8ha of land bounded by Manor Road, Marcus Hill, and Mount

Wise for redevelopment for shopping, commercial leisure and community uses. Within the

supporting text in the Local Plan it identifies the importance of encouraging the expansion of

town centre facilities, particularly shopping, in order to attract major multiples and indoor

tourism related facilities that will help extend the season. Policy N30 allocates land currently

occupied by the former Camelot Cinema, The Towan Promenade and the cliff and foreshore

between these areas and the Harbour for Leisure Related Uses (excluding amusement

arcades).

4.194 The Newquay Bus Station Redevelopment Concept Brief SPD was adopted in 2004 by

Restormel Council and is a material planning consideration for planning applications in this

area. The bus station is identified above as one of the four Newquay Redevelopment Areas.

The southern area of the site is designated as Prime Shopping Area. It is proposed that the

redevelopment (to be named Towan Square) should become the primary civic space within

the town centre. The SPD proposes ground floor shops and cafes with residential

development above.

Diversity of Uses

4.195 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated November 2008) and updated by GVA Grimley in November

2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix J. The information from the

Experian data and subsequent GVA update indicates the following land use composition of

the centre:

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Table S: Retail Composition of Newquay town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 25 10.82 25 10.64 10.10 9.53

Comparison 118 51.08 113 48.09 48.57 43.23

Service 84 36.36 87 37.02 31.59 33.97

Vacant 3 1.30 9 3.83 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.43 1 0.43 0.68 1.24

Total 231 100 235 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.196 The above analysis indicates that convenience uses within Newquay town centre have

remained static since the last survey in 2008. At the time of the most recent survey, there

were 25 units in the town centre which equates to 10.6% of all units in the Experian town

centre land use survey. This is slightly above both the national and Cornish average levels.

Between 2008 and 2009, the number of comparison retail uses fell from 118 to 113 units.

This equates to 48.1% of all surveyed units and is commensurate with the Cornish average

and higher than the national average.

4.197 Service uses have increased slightly between 2008 and 2009. There are now 87 units

occupied by service uses, which is 37% of all surveyed units in the town centre. This is well

above the Cornish average and, to a lesser extend, the national average for the proportion of

these uses in a town centre.

4.198 Table T below sets out the quantum of floorspace occupied by convenience, comparison and

service uses in Newquay town centre across the period 2008 to 2009.

Table T: Retail Floorspace Composition of Newquay town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 6819 20.8 8045 23.5 15.3 17.4

Comparison 17494 53.3 15682 45.8 51.8 49.1

Service 7869 24.0 8120 23.7 24.0 22.0

Vacant 353 1.1 2127 6.2 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 297 0.9 297 0.9 1.1 1.0

Total 32832 100 34271 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

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4.199 Apart from the retail and service land uses recorded by the Experian land use survey, the

defined town centre boundary in Newquay is drawn across a wide area, within which the

following uses can also be found:

• There are a large number of public houses within and around the town centre, which is

unsurprising given the tourist function of the town centre. These are scattered throughout

the town centre area, although the majority can be found in the secondary retail areas

outside of the core shopping streets. Within these areas, and also surrounding the town

centre boundary are also a large number of hotel and guest house uses.

• Generally speaking, those areas included in the defined town centre boundary in the

Local Plan to the west and to the south of Manor Road are residential in nature, with very

few other uses within the terraced streets. This is also true for areas in the eastern part

of the town centre to the south of East Street (Seymour Avenue and Michell Avenue, for

example).

• The central-southern part of the town centre boundary is dominated by the Mount Wise

and Manor Road public car parks, adjacent to which are Mount Wise Public Gardens, St

Michael’s Church and Cornwall Council’s Newquay One Stop Shop.

• Within the eastern part of the town centre, retail and service uses become increasingly

interspersed with public houses, bars and hotels. In addition, the town’s main railway

station lies adjacent to the Co-op foodstore. The station is accessed via Tolcarne Road,

which also provides access to the town’s Police Station.

• To the north of the town centre boundary is the waterfront and beaches in Newquay.

Within this area further bars, public houses, hotels and tourism related uses can be

found, including the Blue Reef aquarium.

4.200 In addition, and in line with Newquay’s popular tourism / leisure destination role, the town also

has a number of leisure facilities. These include a sports and community centre, which

contains a gym, sports hall and all weather outdoor pitches. Waterworld at Trenance Leisure

Park contains a swimming pool, whilst the leisure park also contains a tennis facility. There

are also ten pin bowling alleys at Porth Lodge and Hotel California.

4.201 A new cinema is also currently being developed in the town centre. It is located on the former

Vic Bars and Victoria Bingo site and will provide Newquay with a modern multi-screen cinema

facility.

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Retailer Representation

4.202 Within Newquay town centre, there is a relatively large number of national multiple retailers

and service provided, no doubt boosted by the role and profile of Newquay as one of

Cornwall’s most popular tourist destinations.

4.203 Within the convenience retail sector, Sainsburys now occupy the former Somerfield foodstore

in the north-western part of the town centre boundary. The store has a net sales area of

1,400sq m and sells a reasonably wide range of convenience goods and a small comparison

goods offer. The store is located adjacent to a surface level car park which has capacity for

approximately 170 vehicles. As already noted, there is also a Co-op store on Oakleigh

Terrace. This store is also served an adjacent surface level car park and extends to 1,200sq

m net. The final large foodstore in Newquay town centre is an Aldi store on Cliff Road. This

store is a relatively recent addition to the town centre retail economy and specialises in the

sale of discounted convenience and comparison goods. This store is located below a

Travelodge hotel use. Elsewhere in the town centre, convenience retail uses are much

smaller scale and include 10 bakers units, 2 greengrocers/fishmongers, one off-licence and 7

newsagents/convenience stores.

4.204 Within the comparison retail sector, there are a number of national multiple retailers. At the

time of the most recent survey, multiple retailers included Boots, Superdrug, New Look,

Dorothy Perkins, Argos, Clarks, Curry’s and numerous surf wear specialists, including Animal,

Quicksilver, Fat Face and Rip Curl. The majority are located on Bank Street and Fore Street.

As already noted, the proportion of comparison goods retail uses in the town centre is higher

than the national and Cornish averages. The key contributing retail sectors to this are clothing

stores, gift shops, sports shops.

4.205 Within the service sector, it has already been noted that Newquay town centre has an above

average proportion of such uses. By far the largest contributor to this is the amount of

restaurants, cafes, fast food and take away food outlines, who collectively occupy almost one

quarter (23%) of all retail/service uses in the town centre. This is compared with a national

average of 15%. In contrast, the proportion of health & beauty uses and banks & financial

services are lower than average levels.

Yields and Rents

4.206 Table D outlines the yield for Newquay between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends

within surrounding towns and other medium and large centres in Cornwall. The data indicates

that there has been a falling (i.e. improving) yield in Newquay up to 2008 where it has seen a

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slight increase. This trend has also occurred within the other town centres in Cornwall over

the same period. Newquay is now performing third highest in Cornwall alongside Falmouth, in

terms of investor confidence.

4.207 Rental information for Zone A retail space in Newquay has also been obtained and indicates

that rental levels were at £60/sq m in 2008 (Table E). This level is less than half the rental

levels achieved in Truro city centre, although Newquay has outperformed St Austell and

Falmouth in recent years.

Retailer Requirements

4.208 Despite being smaller than Truro, Penzance and Falmouth, Newquay has historically attracted

a comparatively high level of retailer requirements. Between 2004 and 2007 there were over

30 requirements for Newquay, which was better than St Austell and comparable to Penzance

and Falmouth. Indeed, whilst all centres in Cornwall have seen the level of retailer

requirements decrease since 2007, the rate of reduction in Newquay has been much slower in

Newquay and during winter 2009/2010 the town was outperforming even Truro in terms of the

number of requirements. One of the main reasons for this trend is the popularity and

resilience of Newquay as a tourism destination. During winter 2009/2010 the scale of retailer

requirements was between 38,000-87,000sq ft gross and included retailers such as

Peacocks, TK Maxx, Pizza Express, Monsoon and Laura Ashley.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.209 In 2008 there were 3 vacant units in Newquay town centre. This had risen to 9 units by the

time of our re-survey of the town centre in 2009. Therefore, at the time of the most recent

survey just under 4% of units in the town centre were vacant. Whilst an increase in vacancies

occurred between 2008-2009, the proportion of vacancies in Newquay is still three times

lower than the Cornish average and four times lower than the national average. It should also

be noted that Newquay, like any other seaside/costal settlement will be vulnerable to an

increase in vacancies during the winter months when the number of tourists decreases

significantly.

Accessibility

4.210 Accessibility to Newquay town centre is considered to be good. By private car, there is one

main route from the A30 (A392) which does experience congestion during the summer

months. Town centre parking is available at the following locations:

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• Albany Road – 31 spaces

• The Harbour – 31 spaces

• Mount Wise – 173 spaces

• Oakleigh – 153 spaces

• St Georges – 95 spaces.

4.211 There is a railway station located in the town centre and therefore within walking distance to

the core retail area. This provides local and national services connecting the town to London,

Truro, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol and beyond through the connection at Par.

4.212 In relation to bus provision, the main bus station is located at Manor Road which runs parallel

to the main shopping area on Bank Street. There are regular local services to Falmouth,

Truro, St Austell, Exeter and surrounding villages as well as national connections.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.213 The household survey identified the following key issues for Newquay town centre:

• 2.2% of survey respondents indicated that Newquay was their main local centre. The

data contained below relates to the responses received from this groups of respondents.

• 25% of respondents indicated that they liked Newquay’s coastal location, with 5% of

respondents indicating that they liked the choice and selection of multiple shops. One

third of respondents indicated that there was nothing that they liked about Newquay town

centre, which is comparatively high compared with other town centres in Cornwall.

• Common dislikes regarding Newquay town centre included the poor selection of multiples

(18%), the lack of safety / personal security (14%), unattractive environment (9%) and the

limited range if independent shops (11%).

• The three most popular improvements to persuade people to visit Newquay more often

were improving the choice of multiple shops (26%), improving the range of independent

shops (14%) and the provision of a new cinema (11%). Attracting larger retailers (9%),

developing new shopping facilities and clean shopping streets (both 8%) also received

high levels of support.

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State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.214 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Newquay town centre, the most

useful source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall Council

in September 2003. This report divides the central parts of Cornwall into eleven different

areas, four of which lie within (wholly or in part) the defined town centre area within the Local

Plan. We set out below a summary of the characteristics of these areas, along with the

recommendations of the Council regarding the future regeneration of these areas:

• Central Commercial Core – This area is defined as the historic core of the town and the

principal commercial area. The area includes Bank Street, Central Square and Fore

Street and comprises of a curving main street with a diverse range of historic buildings.

The level of signage and street furniture is believed to detract from the historic character

of this area.

• Industrial Area – this area includes an area known as The Whim which now

accommodates the Sainsbury’s supermarket. This area previously comprises of terraced

housing which was cleared for industrial use and parts later utilised for retail. Another part

of this area contains the railway station area which includes land formerly used for related

storage and the town’s initial gas works now largely left undeveloped and used primarily

for un-landscaped car parks.

• Secondary Commercial West (Lower Fore Street, Gover Lane and Beach Road) –

This area is identified within the report as a transitional area between the central

commercial core and the harbour related uses. The area occupies secondary retail uses

with roads, pavements and plot widths wider than in the central commercial core. There is

a rising topography northwards. The built environment shows a blend of elements, with

smaller domestic scaled properties (predominantly two-storey) displaying high levels of

architectural detailing. The report identifies a number of extensions, alterations and

conversions which are regarded as unsympathetic to the character of the area. Aspects

such as amusement arcades, stage-set retail frontages and street clatter are all identified

as elements which detract from the area’s character.

• Secondary Commercial East (East Street, Cliff Road) – This area runs from the

eastern end of Bank Street along the length of East Street to Cliff Road. The area forms

one of the main approach routes to the town centre and accommodates the main

secondary shopping area with surf-related retail units, gift shops, cafes and theme

restaurants. The quality of the surviving historic buildings is thought to be impeded by

unsympathetic ground floor retail conversions, modern shop fronts, excessive signage

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and general street clutter. The area contains some notable focal points within the

townscape.

Conclusions

4.215 Newquay is performing relatively well according to the health check indicators. The town

benefits from being a popular tourist destination and in response to this, there are a good

selection of multiple retailers and independent shops and vacancy levels have traditionally

been low. The tourist function of the town is also a contributing factor to the slightly higher

than average proportion of service uses. The centre benefits from good range of comparison

and convenience goods retailers, boosted by the recent additional of an Aldi discount

foodstore (to supplement the existing Sainsburys and Co-op stores) although main/bulk food

shopping provision is dominated by the out of centre Morrisons store.

4.216 One notable health check indicator is the number of retailer requirements which Newquay has

been able to attract. The number of requirements for Newquay have, in recent years, been

the same as and sometimes higher than St Austell, Falmouth and Penzance and not too far

behind Truro. Whilst current requirement levels in Newquay and other centres are very low,

these recent trends indicate the popularity of Newquay to retail and service operators. As a

consequence, and whilst requirements may not return the levels seen in recent years, we

consider that there is clear potential for Newquay town centre to build upon its current

performance in the future via new retail developments and the allocated sites in the Restormel

Local Plan and further sites identified in the Cornwall LDF should be the basis for this growth.

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Falmouth Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.217 Falmouth is situated on the south coast of Cornwall. The town is particularly noted for its

maritime history and remains one of the main ports in Cornwall. The docks were established

in the 1860s and have benefited from investment over recent years. The town has a

population of approximately 21,635 (2001 Census).

4.218 Falmouth is popular as a tourist destination and is now widely associated with University

College Falmouth which attracts students to the town.

4.219 The train station at Falmouth is located on the Maritime line which connects to Truro. The

main road into the town is the A39 which provides connections to Truro and the A30 beyond.

4.220 The Carrick Wide District Local Plan (comprises the interim planning policy) identifies a Town

Centre Restraint Area, Central Shopping Area and Prime Shopping Frontage. The Central

Shopping Area encompasses Arwenack Street, Church Street, Market Street, Market Strand,

High Street, Webber Street, Killigrew Street and the eastern end of Berkeley Vale. The Prime

Shopping Frontage is defined as frontages along Church Street and Market Street. The Town

Centre Restraint Area is a much larger area encompassing residential and commercial uses.

4.221 Also within the adopted Local Plan, three areas are identified as being suitable for

redevelopment for retail/commercial purposes:

• Webber Street

• The Quarry / Ex-Riders Garage

• Church Street Car Park.

4.222 Furthermore, there is proposed additional car parking at the car park on Cambeltown Way, at

the car park adjacent to Vernon Place and the Town Quarry Car Park.

4.223 The Town Quarry / Ex-Riders Garage site is on the periphery of the central area. However,

the local plan identifies the site as a redevelopment opportunity which could incorporate a

significant increase in town centre car parking, improve the townscape and improve

pedestrian access to the Moor area. The Webber Street / Killigrew Street site is identified as

an opportunity to generate significant townscape improvement, in particular on the Webber

Street elevation. Church Street can come forward for redevelopment providing alternative car

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parking can be provided. It has been identified that this site could be redeveloped to provide

retail/commercial development, also incorporating open space.

4.224 Policy 7B of the Local Plan therefore states that planning permission will be granted at the

above sites for retail / office / leisure (Use Classes A1, A2, A3, B1 and D2) subject to defined

criteria being met.

4.225 Policy 7C refers to The Moor in Falmouth Town centre which currently provides open space

and subject to appropriate traffic management measures, has the potential to be utilised as an

open air market.

Diversity of Uses

4.226 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated November 2008) and updated by GVA Grimley in November

2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix K. This information from

Experian Goad indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table U: Retail Composition of Falmouth town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 24 9.0 23 8.6 10.10 9.53

Comparison 131 48.9 134 50.2 48.57 43.23

Service 91 34.0 88 33.0 31.59 33.97

Vacant 20 7.5 20 7.5 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 2 0.8 2 0.4 0.68 1.24

Total 268 100 267 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.227 Between 2008 and 2009 the number of convenience uses in Falmouth town centre decreased

from 24 to 23. This latest figure equates to 8.6% of all surveyed units in the town centre,

which is slightly lower than the Cornish and national average levels. Over the same period,

the number of units in comparison use increased from 131 to 134. This represents a

proportion of 50% of surveyed units, which is higher than the Cornish average and, to a

greater extent, the national average. Between 2008 and 2009 the number of units occupied

by service uses decreased from 91 to 88. This latest figure indicates that service uses occupy

around one third (33%) of all surveyed units in the town centre, which is commensurate with

the national average and slightly higher than the Cornish average.

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4.228 In addition to updating the occupancy of units within the town centre, our 2009 update to the

November 2008 Experian data has also updated the distribution of floorspace across the

various land use sectors. The 2008 and 2009 data is summarised below.

Table V: Retail Floorspace Composition of Falmouth town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 4199 12.0 4041 11.5 15.3 17.4

Comparison 18562 52.9 18311 52.3 51.8 49.1

Service 10479 29.9 10136 28.9 24.0 22.0

Vacant 1505 4.3 2211 6.3 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 325 0.9 325 0.9 1.1 1.0

Total 35070 100 35024 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.229 Across the convenience, comparison and service retail sectors, the amount of floorspace

which is occupied has decreased very slightly between 2008 and 2009. The proportion of

floorspace occupied by convenience uses is 11.5% which is below the national and Cornish

average levels. The proportion of comparison goods floorspace in the centre is 52%, which is

commensurate with the Cornish average and higher than the national average. At the time of

the most recent survey, 29% of the surveyed units were in service use, which is higher than

both the Cornish and national average levels.

4.230 Apart from the retail and leisure uses covered by the Experian survey, there are a number of

other land uses within and surrounding the defined Central Shopping Area in the adopted

Carrick Local Plan:

• On Berkeley Vale in the western part of the Central Shopping Area is the Phoenix

cinema, which has one screen and a 200 person seating capacity. Opposite this use,

part of the former Riders garage site (which is allocated in the Local Plan for

redevelopment) has now been redeveloped for residential flats and which lie between the

Argos store and the Quarry car park.

• Close to the junction of Killigrew Street and Webber Street is Falmouth’s main library,

which also includes a museum and art gallery. This part of the town centre also

accommodates a number of public houses which are located alongside a number of

cafés, restaurants and bars.

• The majority of the Central Shopping Area runs in a north to south direction along the

edge of the harbour. As a consequence a number of the land uses which are

intermingled with the primary retail and service uses in this area are related to the nearby

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harbour. These include sailing accessories stores, warehousing uses and a number of

dwellings. Prince of Wales pier and Fish Strand Quay are also located in this area, which

allow access to a number of boat trips around the harbour and links to nearby coastal

settlements along the coast.

• On the southern edge of the town centre, beyond the Trago Mills retail store, are further

maritime related uses and the Falmouth National Maritime Museum, which is surrounded

by a number of retail, service and other leisure uses, along with substantial car parking

areas.

• Falmouth town centre also has a cinema facility located in The Poly on Church Street.

This cinema has one screen and a 200 person seating capacity.

• There is also a ten pin bowling alley (Ocean Bowl) located on Pendennis Rise, which

incorporates 12 lanes.

Retailer Representation

4.231 Falmouth town centre has a reasonable selection of multiple retailers in Cornwall. Those

retailers present include Clarks, WH Smith, Marks and Spencer, Boots, Peacocks, Clarks,

Bon Marche, Argos, New Look and Superdrug. The majority of these multiple retailers are

located on Market Street. There is also a large Trago Mills retail store located on Bank Place

in the southern part of the town centre. Overall, as already noted, Falmouth has a higher than

average proportion of comparison uses, although the amount of floorspace occupied by

comparison goods uses is commensurate with average levels, suggesting that the units which

are present in the town centre are smaller than average. Within the comparison retail sectors,

Falmouth town centre has a higher than average proportion of clothing/footwear,

books/arts/crafts, gift shops, sports goods retailers and variety/catalogue stores.

4.232 The convenience retail sector in Falmouth town centre includes a modest sized Tesco Metro

store, which is located on Killigrew Street. The extends to circa 700sq m net and provides a

modest range of convenience goods. The store does not have a dedicated customer car park

and, as a consequence, is likely to be orientated to top-up and smaller scale main food

shopping trips. Elsewhere in the town centre, there is an Iceland store on Berkeley Vale

which extends to 430sq m net. This specialises in the sale of frozen convenience goods and

performs a top-up food shopping role. In addition to these national multiple stores, there are 9

bakers, 1 butches, 3 greengrocers/fishmongers and 4 newsagents/convenience stores in the

town centre.

4.233 Within the service sector the proportion of uses is commensurate with the national and

Cornish average levels. The constituent parts of this total provision include 53

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restaurants/cafes/fast food/take-away uses, which comprise 20% of all units in the centre,

against an average level of 15%. This higher than average level of food and drink uses is

balanced against a slightly lower than average levels of health/beauty, estate agency and

financial services uses in the town centre.

Yields and Rents

4.234 In relation to the financial characteristics of retail property in Falmouth, we have obtained data

in relation to commercial yields on retail property. Table D indicates that there has been a

falling (i.e. improving) yield in Falmouth over recent years up to 2008 where it has seen a

slight increase along with the other centres. The centre is only out-performed by Penzance

and Truro.

4.235 Rental information for Zone A retail space in Falmouth has also been obtained and indicates

that rental levels were at £40/sq m in 2009 (Table E), following a fall from £50/sq m in 2008.

From the information we have on rental levels, Falmouth has the lowest rental values

alongside that of St Austell. However, this is only compared to a total of 5 centres. There is a

considerable difference in rental values compared to that of £130/sq m in Truro for 2009.

Retailer Requirements

4.236 During winter 2009/2010 Falmouth had 16 requirements, which totalled between 76,000-

255,000sq ft gross of new floorspace (see Appendix C). However, 25,000-150,000sq ft of this

total was from TJ Hughes, a department store operator, and if this was removed then the

other requirements totalled 51,000-105,000sq ft gross, which is still one of the higher levels of

requirements at that time. By October 2010, as shown in the data at Appendix C, the number

of retailer requirements for Falmouth had fallen to one (Card Factory, 1,000-2,000sq ft gross).

Historically, Falmouth has had one of the higher levels of retailer requirements across

Cornwall, peaking at around 30 requirements in 2006.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.237 In 2008, there were 20 vacant units in Falmouth town centre and our re-survey of the town

centre in 2009 identifies that this rate has remained static. Vacant units comprise 7.5% of the

total units surveyed, which is below national and Cornish average levels. The amount of

vacant floorspace has increased between 2008 and 2009, from 4.3% to 6.3% of total

floorspace in the centre, and this latest version lies slightly above the Cornish average but

below the national average for vacant floorspace.

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4.238 A survey of the centre indicates that typically the vacant units are dispersed throughout the

centre with the exception of Market Street which has the lowest vacancy rate in the town

centre.

Accessibility

4.239 Access to Falmouth town centre is limited, with just one main route in and out of the town.

Parking is available at the following locations:

• The Dell – 105 spaces

• Grove Place – 168 spaces

• Well Lane – 37 spaces

• Church Street – 168 spaces

• The Moor - 35 spaces

• The Town Quarry – 281 spaces.

4.240 The main railway station in Falmouth is located a short walk to the south of the core retail

area. Falmouth is not on the main line, but provides connections to Truro. From here the

services link to Penzance and to Plymouth, Exeter and beyond.

4.241 In relation to bus provision, the main bus station is located in the town centre. There are

regular bus services serving neighbouring villages and also further afield to Truro, Penryn,

Helston, Camborne and Redruth.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.242 The household survey identified the following issues relating to the town centre:

• 5.9% of survey respondents indicated that Falmouth town centre was their main local

centre. The views of this group of respondents is outlined below.

• 62% most liked the town centre because it was near and convenient whilst 14% liked the

coastal location, 13% liked the selection of independent retailers and 5% liked the

pedestrian friendly environment. Only 10% of respondents indicated that there was

nothing they liked about Falmouth town centre, which is low (i.e. positive) compared with

other centres.

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• In terms of dislikes, common responses included difficult parking (23%, which is very high

when compared with other centres in Cornwall), expensive parking (11%), limited range of

multiples and independents and 10% disliked the poor pedestrian environment in the

town.

• In terms of improvements to the town centre which would encourage a greater amount of

visits, 10% requested the development of new shopping facilities, 7% suggested the

refurbishment of existing facilities, 17% suggested additional multiple retailers, 14%

suggested additional independent/specialist retailers, 5% suggesting attracting larger

retailers and 15% identified greater levels of pedestrianisation within the town centre.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.243 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Falmouth town centre, the most

useful source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County

Council in May 2005. This report divides the central parts of Falmouth into six different areas,

five of which lie within (wholly or in part) the defined town centre restraint area, as defined

within the Local Plan. We set out below a summary of the characteristics of these areas,

along with the recommendations of the Council regarding the future regeneration of these

areas:

• Main Commercial Axis - This area is Falmouth’s primary commercial and retail area

which incorporates High Street through to Market Strand (including Webber Street and

Lower Killigrew Street), Market Street, Church Street and Arwenack Street. It is the most

historic urban area within the town and typically comprises of narrow streets on varying

alignments, enclosed by prominent historic buildings (mostly three-storey). The report

identifies that the character of the individual areas making up to the Commercial Axis

varies significantly. The area has numerous connections through to the Waterfront area

and the side and rear elevations of buildings along these connections are identified as

often unattractive. The report also identifies that much of the public realm provision in the

area is poor with regards to signage, road markings, cluttered street furniture etc. Some of

the shop fronts could be improved to enhance the historical character of the area. Traffic

levels are identified as a further issue with regards to conflict with pedestrians. The report

concludes that the area would benefit from a detailed review of the public realm, leading

to a comprehensive management plan. Furthermore, uses should be encouraged which

are appropriate to the high quality and profile of the area. Particular sites identified for

potential redevelopment include the former King’s Hotel site (adjoining Prince of Wales

Pier) and the Tesco’s site in lower Killigrew Street.

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• The Moor – This is Falmouth’s civic centre and former market area accommodating a

cluster of large historic institutional buildings. It was the site of Falmouth’s principal market

with the space then effectively becoming Falmouth’s central town square. The area has

been the subject of an environmental enhancement and traffic management scheme

which has resulted in the creation of a public ‘piazza’. The former provision of car parking

has been reduced in the area. The character area now has an increasing focus on leisure

and associated retail uses. The report identifies conflicting uses in the form of a tyre

depot, amusement arcade and furniture and white goods warehouses. The report

concludes that despite the environmental improvements, it is not regarded that the strong

character of the area is being fully utilised. It is recommended therefore that future

planning would benefit from viewing the area as a whole. Further recommendations

include the refurbishment of the historic Drill Hall and designation of an appropriate use,

the improvement of other buildings within the character area, review of street signage,

reduce the dominance of traffic movement and review the hard and soft landscaping in

the area.

• The Waterfront – This area is more than 2km long and has played a key role in the

historic origins and development of the town. The report identifies the area as an asset

with immense charm and character. However, there is a significant degree of modern

intervention which is regarded as inappropriate to the area’s character. The waterfront is

viewed as a key area for regeneration with proposals for further expansion of the maritime

economy and talk of proposals for a major ‘Falmouth Harbourside’ development in the

area south of the Prince of Wales pier. Issues identified include:

1. Significant issues of maintenance and presentation affecting parts of the waterfront;

2. Several underused buildings and vacant plots therefore scope for commercial and

residential use

3. Later development often inappropriate in terms of massing and scale;

4. Potential for development on the landward side of Fish Strand Quay parking area.

• The Cliff – This area represents secondary expansion from Falmouth’s historic core.

Whilst some historic fabric remains, large parts of the area are degraded. Significant

potential for regeneration.

• The Terraced Suburbs – Although within the defined town centre ‘restraint area’ this

area comprises of residential high density housing which overlooks the commercial core.

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Conclusions

4.244 Overall, Falmouth would appear to be performing well in a number of areas. The town itself is

popular with both tourists and local residents, whilst indicators of financial performance

suggest that it is also popular with investors. There are however, some areas where

Falmouth town centre could improve its performance: reducing vacancy levels, providing

modern retail units to attract new occupiers and expand the amount of convenience goods

retail provision within the centre. Whilst the number of vacant units in the town centre has not

increased in recent years, the amount of space which is vacant has increased. The

proportion of vacant floorspace is now above the Cornish average level and the failure of

Falmouth town centre to benefit from a reduction in the number of vacancies may stem from

the lack of modern retail premises to attract and retain businesses. In relation to its

convenience goods retail offer, Falmouth town centre is not able to compete with the out of

centre ASDA and Sainsburys stores in nearby Penryn, with existing provision in the town

centre limited to a modestly sized Tesco and small niche operators.

Helston Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.245 Helston is situated at the northern end of the Lizard Peninsula and is the most southerly town

in Cornwall and Britain. The town is located on the River Cober and historically

accommodated an inland port. The population of the town is 10,578. The town is now a

popular destination for tourists.

4.246 The town is located off the A394 which links to Truro and the B3287 and B3303 which links to

CPR and the A30. There is no railway station at Helston.

4.247 The interim planning policy comprises of the Kerrier Local Plan (Revised Deposit Draft)

(2002). Whilst not adopted, this forms a material planning consideration until superseded by

the Cornwall LDF. This identifies the town centre as that which incorporates Meneage Street,

The Parade, Wendorn Street, Coinagehall Street, Church Street and western ends of Penrose

Road and Wendron Street.

4.248 Also within the adopted Local Plan, the following site is identified for potential retail

development:

• Angel Yard, Tyacke Road (Local Plan site ref. S0762) – this 0.7ha site had planning

permission for a supermarket that was approved in 1985 (2000 sq m retail unit and 180

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car parking spaces). This permission was implemented but was not built out. The area

has potential for a more efficient use of land by comprehensive redevelopment for retail

and car parking with ancillary first floor provision for office, leisure and residential use.

There may be opportunities to expand this site by the incorporation by agreement of the

adjoining backland and rear areas of adjoining properties should there be a need.

Diversity of Uses

4.249 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey date January 2008) and updated by GVA Grimley in November 2009.

A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix L. This information from Experian

Goad indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table W: Retail Composition of Helston town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 15 11.19 15 11.36 10.10 9.53

Comparison 63 47.01 62 46.97 48.57 43.23

Service 46 34.33 46 34.85 31.59 33.97

Vacant 9 6.72 8 6.06 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.75 1 0.76 0.68 1.24

Total 134 100 132 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.250 The above analysis indicates that convenience, comparison and service uses within Helston

town centre have remained relatively static over the period 2008-2009. There are 15

convenience uses in the town centre and these comprise 11.4% of all surveyed units, which is

slightly higher than the Cornish and national average levels. Comparison goods retail uses

comprise 47% of all surveyed units, which is higher than the UK average and slightly below

the Cornish average. Service uses occupy 35% of all units in the centre, which is higher that

both the national average and Cornish average levels.

4.251 Experian data on floorspace across the different retail and service land uses has also been

updated by the GVA survey update in November 2009. This is shown in Table X below.

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Table X: Retail Floorspace Composition of Helston town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 3484 14.6 4274 17.9 15.3 17.4

Comparison 12626 52.8 12718 53.2 51.8 49.1

Service 6057 25.3 5974 25.0 24.0 22.0

Vacant 1486 6.2 687 2.9 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 260 1.1 260 1.1 1.1 1.0

Total 23913 100 23913 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.252 Table X above indicates that there has been a modest rise in the amount of convenience

goods floorspace within Helston town centre between January 2008 and November 2009. At

the time of the latest survey, convenience goods retailers occupied 18% of all surveyed

floorspace in the town centre, which is commensurate with the national average and higher

than the Cornish average. The amount of floorspace which is occupied by comparison goods

retailers has also increased slightly and, at the time of the latest survey, occupied 53% of

floorspace. This is higher than both average levels. Between 2008 and 2009 there has been

a very small decrease in the amount of floorspace occupied by service uses, although the

proportion of floorspace occupied by service uses in Helston town centre remains above both

national and Cornish average levels.

4.253 In relation to other land uses in the town centre, Coinagehall Street contains Helston

Methodist Church, along with a selection of public houses. The Guidhall lies on Market Place,

close to the junction of Coinagehall Street and Meneage Street and to the rear of this building

lies Helston Museum and art gallery. Moving eastwards along Wendron Street there is the

Merlin cinema which has 2 screens and a 140 person seating capacity. Along Meneage

Street there are further public houses and at its southern end are car sales showrooms, a

small number of residential uses, whilst to the east of Meneage Street is the town’s mail

library and health centre which share a car park with the nearby Co-op foodstore.

4.254 Helston also has a leisure centre, which is located on Church Hill and contains a pool, gym,

floodlit outdoor multi-use games area and a sports hall.

Retailer Representation

4.255 Within Helston town centre, there are a small number of multiple retailers. Within the

comparison retail sector retailers present include Peacocks, Superdrug, Boots, WH Smith and

New Look. The remainder of comparison retailers are local independent traders. Within the

comparison sector, the proportion of footwear and mixed/general clothing stores is above

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average levels, although the proportion of womens/girls/childrens stores are below average.

Helston town centre has higher than average proportions of arts/crafts/books stores, electrical

stores and variety/department stores. There are also higher than average proportions of

charity, pets goods and other comparison stores.

4.256 Multiple convenience retailers within the town centre include Co-op (converted from a former

Somerfield store) and smaller niche/convenience stores such as Londis (which also includes a

Post Office counter) and 6 bakers, 2 butchers, one greengrocer, one off-licence and a

newsagent. The Co-op store, which is accessed via Trengrouse Way, is the largest food

shopping facility in the town centre. It has a net sales area of 1,000sq m net and sells a

moderate range of convenience products and a small area devoted to comparison gods sales.

Given its size compared with other stores in the town centre, this facility is likely to attract a

mixture of main food and top-up food shopping trips, although it is unlikely to be successful as

the out of centre Tesco and Sainsburys stores in attracting high levels of main food shopping

trips. The other (smaller) convenience retailers in the town centre are orientated to top-up

food shopping trips.

4.257 Within the service sector, the vast majority of traders are local independent businesses. The

Experian data, as updated in November 2009, indicates that Helston town centre has a

proportion of banks/financial services and estate agency uses which are above average

levels, the proportion of health/beauty uses are in line with average levels and the proportion

of restaurants, cafes, fast food and take away uses is below average levels.

Yields and Rents

4.258 Table D outlines the yield for Helston between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends

within surrounding towns and other medium and large centres in Cornwall. This indicates that

there has been a consistently decreasing (i.e. improving) yield in Penzance. Having regard to

the latest available data, Helston is now performing at a similar level to that of St Austell,

Redruth, Bodmin and Liskeard.

Retailer Requirements

4.259 During winter 2009/2010 Helston attracted 5 retailer requirements including Card Factory,

Pets at Home, Specsavers, Subway and Warrens bakery. These requirements totalled

between 6,000-25,000sq ft new floorspace. By October 2010, there were no known retailer

requirements in Helston.

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Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.260 Between 2008 and 2009, the number of vacancies in the town centre reduced from 9 to 8

units. This represents a reduction in the proportion of vacant units from 7% to 6%, both of

which are below national and Cornish average levels. Moreover, whilst there was a small

reduction in the number of vacant units, vacant floorspace reduced by around half between

2008 and 2009. The latest survey data indicates that only 3% of all surveyed floorspace in

the town centre was vacant, which is noticeably lower than both the Cornish and, to a greater

extend, the national average levels. A survey of the centre indicates that the vacant units are

not concentrated in one particular area.

Accessibility

4.261 Given its size, accessibility to Helston town centre is considered to be relatively good. By

private car, a number of routes lead into the town centre and parking is available at the

following locations:

• Trengrouse Way – 185 spaces

• Trengrouse Way Extension – 52 spaces

• Tyacke Road – 81 spaces

• Cattle Market – 32 spaces

• Fairground – approx 200 spaces

4.262 Helston does not have a railway station with the nearest station situated at Camborne. The

town centre is served by a series of on-street bus stop from which links can be made with

regular local services as well as further a field to Camborne, Redruth, Penzance, Truro and

Plymouth.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.263 The household survey identified the following key issues relating to the town centre:

• 4.6% of survey respondents indicated that they considered Helston to be their main local

centre. Of these people, three-quarters liked the centre because of its proximity and

convenience, 8% liked the ease of parking, 11% liked the choice/selection of independent

shops, although only 5% liked the selection of multiple shops.

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• 22% of respondents disliked the choice of independent shops in Helston town centre,

24% disliked the choice of multiple shops and 9% noted the perceived difficultly in parking

as a particular dislike. Over a quarter (26%) of respondents thought that nothing in

particular could be done to improve Helston to encourage them to visit more often. The

most popular suggestions included improving the choice of multiple shops (26%),

improving the range of independent/specialist shops (24%), refurbishing existing shopping

facilities (11%) and developing new shopping facilities (11%).

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.264 The historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall Council in 2002 provides a useful

assessment of the built environment within the town centre. This report divides the town into 8

sections, four of which lie within (wholly or in part) the defined town centre area within the

Local Plan. Below is a summary of these areas:

• Coinagehall Street – This area is historically the major axis of the planned medieval town

and retains a sense of being at the heart of the settlement. The street and spaces at the

rear of the buildings projects a sense of space and movement and combined with the

slope of the street creates a striking urban space.

• Central Market Place – This area is the physical heart of the historic town, centred on

staggered cross roads and is a busy central node for both pedestrian and vehicles. The

Guildhall is an important visual focus within the town. There is a strong sense of enclosure

generated by the presence of tall buildings and narrow streets and pavements. However,

the area can be difficult to navigate for pedestrians due to the heavy traffic flow. Access to

the Guildhall is particularly difficult with the current street arrangement. The cross roads is

cluttered by signs and street furniture.

• Post Medieval Expansion – Wendron Street – The far western end of this area falls

within the defined town centre with the majority of Wendron Street comprising residential

units. It is considered that only the area closest to the Central Market Place shares in the

strong urban character of the historic core of the town. The street is the historic route from

Helston towards Penryn and Truro and is now a one-way street. The area within the town

centre comprises of some significant public landmark buildings and there are secondary

retail and commercial uses. Close to the central Market Place, the pavements are

extremely narrow and pedestrian movement is therefore difficult.

• Post Medieval Expansion – Meneage Street – This area is the busy commercial focus

of the town with many attractive buildings and historic shopfronts in a diversity of forms

and styles. There is a strong sense of enclosure due to the narrow pavements and road,

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the presence of on-street parking and the majority of buildings set hard on to the back

edge of the pavement. The area has been opened up slightly around the road junctions as

a result of traffic engineering schemes. The northern end of Meneage Street is the busiest

part of the town and now accommodates the majority of the principal shops and during the

day there is considerable activity along its narrow pavements. There is a one-way flow of

traffic directed towards Market Place which can present significant difficulties for

pedestrians waiting to cross.

Conclusion

4.265 Helston is performing relatively well taking into account its limited accessibility, although its

remoteness (and lack of nearby competition) is likely to a reason why the town is performing

well. The financial indicators suggest that the health of the town centre is improving. This is

further demonstrated by a falling vacancy rate. The environmental assessment in the

characterisation report indicates that the town does experience heavy traffic flow which

causes conflict for pedestrians and vehicles which could be mitigated further. There is a

reasonable range of convenience and comparison goods retailers, including a Co-op (formerly

Somerfield) store which serves both main and top-up food shopping trips. The impact of the

new Sainsburys store and the enlarged out of centre Tesco stores on the health of the town

centre should be monitored over the coming years, particularly in relation to the centre’s ability

to attract a range of shopping and service trips.

4.266 In addition, as part of the package of mitigation measures secured by the former Kerrier

District Council from the Sainsburys and Tesco schemes is the funding for a new town centre

manager for Helston town centre. The centre manager must be active in promoting the centre

and assisting existing businesses.

St Austell Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.267 St Austell is situated in mid Cornwall on the south coast. The town has a population of 22,658

(2001 census) which was the highest in Cornwall from the 2001 census. The economy of the

town benefits from the tourism industry, largely due to its advantageous coastal position and

nearby attractions including the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan. St Austell has

historically been the centre for the China Clay industry and is, along with Newquay, one of the

two major towns in the former Restormel Borough. In recent years, efforts have been made to

diversify the local economy and this remains an important objective of Council policy.

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4.268 St Austell is the administrative centre for the former Restormel Borough and its town centre

and surrounding area contains a number of the main Council administrative functions and

other public services. The adopted Local Plan designates a formal town centre boundary

under Policy 56. This boundary includes a large area, at the centre of which is main shopping

and commercial heart to the town. In brief, apart from the primary shopping areas (which are

outlined below), the defined boundary incorporates:

• a number of mixed residential and commercial areas to the south, east and west of the

main commercial heart. A number of these areas are defined in the Local Plan as ‘areas

of special character’.

• There are a number of commercial office uses to the west of the shopping area, on the

opposite side of Trinity Street, along with further commercial uses on East Hill including a

car dealership.

• To the north of the main centre is a large multi-level surface car park, along with a large

area occupied by Mid Cornwall College.

• To the east of the commercial core is a mixed commercial area which acts as a link

between the main shopping area and St Austell railway station.

4.269 Within the town centre boundary, the adopted Local Plan also defines a primary shopping

area under Policy 57. The defined primary frontages in the centre extend along Fore Street,

Aylmer Square, Old Vicarage Place, Vicarage Hill, Chandos Place, Victoria Place, Church

Street and Duke Street. Within this area, Policy 57 seeks to retain Class A1 retail uses.

Beyond the defined primary frontages, there are further retail uses located along Market

Street, East Hill, Bodmin Road, High Cross Street, South Street, Truro Road, Trinity Street

and West Hill. Towards the periphery of these areas, retail and service uses are very much

secondary in nature and provide a transition from the heart of the town centre to other land

uses such as education, residential and other commercial businesses. Within Market Street,

North Street and Bodmin Road, Policy SA12 of the adopted Local Plan encourages small

scale shopping development.

4.270 With regards to St Austell’s town centre, this has experienced significant regeneration in the

form of the White River Place development which opened in October 2009. This development

is directly in response to Local Plan Policy SA14 which identified a large area on the south

western edge of the town centre focused on Aylmer Square for redevelopment which also

includes the multi-storey car park on Trinity Street. The development accommodates a multi-

screen cinema (4 screens and a 790 person seating capacity), retail units, bars, cafes and

restaurants and an underground 550 space car park and 69 residential units. This

development is designed to enhance both the retail and the leisure offer of the town centre

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both during the day and the evening. Retail units which have opened within the development

include Wilkinson, Bon Marche, New Look and Peacocks.

4.271 In line with the opening of White River Place, a weekly farmers market was launched on

Market Street which takes place every Saturday.

4.272 The town has its own railway station which provides services to Truro, Penzance, Plymouth

and London as well as links to other parts of the South West. The bus station is located

opposite the railway station and provides local bus services as well as link to the Eden Project

and national services. In terms of road access, the town is served by the A390 which by-

passes the town to the south or alternatively by the A391 from Bodmin or the A3058 from

Newquay.

4.273 Also within the adopted Local Plan, land between Beech Road, East Hill and High Cross

Street is identified for a mixture of retail, office, leisure and housing development (Policy

SA13).

Diversity of Uses

4.274 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated 2008) and updated by GVA Grimley in October 2010. A copy of

the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix M. This information from Experian Goad

indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table Y: Retail Composition of St Austell town centre, 2008-2010

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 15 9.3 17 9.4 10.10 9.53

Comparison 63 38.9 71 39.2 48.57 43.23

Service 57 35.2 58 32.0 31.59 33.97

Vacant 26 16.1 33 18.2 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.6 2 1.1 0.68 1.24

Total 162 100 181 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.275 The above data shows the change in retail and service land uses in the town centre following

the opening of the White River Place shopping centre. It indicates that convenience,

comparison and service uses have all increased, although whilst there has been a noticeable

increase in comparison uses they remain below the Cornish and national averages.

Convenience uses now occupy 9.4% of all units, an increase in two units since 2008, which is

in line with the national average and slightly below the Cornish average. Since 2008, service

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uses have only increased by one unit and the proportion of service uses in the centre remain

commensurate with average levels.

4.276 The amount of floorspace within the different retail and service land use categories is outlined

in Table Z below. It should be noted that the floorspace associated with the White River Place

shopping centre is not included as no data is available from Experian.

Table Z: Retail Floorspace Composition of St Austell town centre, 2008-2010

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 41500 17.4 42200 17.7 10.10 9.53

Comparison 111200 46.5 110500 46.3 48.57 43.23

Service 60100 25.1 54500 22.8 31.59 33.97

Vacant 24000 10.0 28800 12.1 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 2300 1.0 2700 1.1 0.68 1.24

Total 239100 100 238700 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.277 The above data indicates that the small increase in floorspace occupied by convenience

goods operators since 2008 allows this sector to occupy around 18% of all floorspace in the

town centre. This is well above the Cornish and national average levels for this type of

floorspace. Leaving aside the floorspace introduced by the White River Place centre, 46% of

floorspace in the town centre is occupied by comparison goods retailers. This is above the

national average and close to the Cornish average. If the White River Place floorspace is

taken into account, then St Austell town centre is likely to have a proportion of comparison

floorspace which is also above the Cornish average as well. The proportion of floorspace

occupied by service uses is, excluding the White River Place centre, well below average

levels. Given the food and drink uses which are now accommodated in the new shopping

centre, it is likely that this proportion will now be closer to the Cornish and national average

levels.

4.278 Having regard to other land uses in the town centre, there is a 4 screen cinema within the

White River Place shopping centre development, which is a similar number of screens to the

facilities in Truro and Redruth, whilst the seating capacity of the new St Austell facility (790) is

higher than Truro (581 seats) but smaller than Redruth (1,000 seats). Elsewhere in the town

centre, the historic part of the centre is centred around Holy Trinity Church, adjacent to which

is the historic Market House which has seen a significant number of closures in recent

months. This (eastern) part of the town centre also includes a number of solicitor and

financial services land uses, plus the town’s main post office (and postal sorting office).

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4.279 In terms of other land uses, Polkyth Leisure Centre is located on Carlyon Road and contains a

swimming pool and indoor sports courts. In Par there is a sports and recreation ground which

accommodates a running track and sport pitches. Immediately to the north of the town centre

is Ozzel Bowl, which is a ten pin bowling alley with 8 lanes.

4.280 To the east of St Austell are the settlements of St Blazey and Par. This area is heavily

influenced by the mineral extraction industry and Par Docks has historically been a significant

local employer. Shopping facilities in St Blazey and Par comprise a small number of units

along Fore Street, Station Road and Bridge Street in St Blazey, St Austell Road in St Blazey

and a Somerfield store on Middleway. The largest concentration of retail and commercial

uses can be found along the northern end of Station Road and around its junction with Church

Street/Fore Street. An analysis undertaken for the 2007 St Austell Retail Study found that

there were a high number of convenience uses in St Blazey and Par. There is a Somerfield

store which extends to 750sq m and provides a limited range of convenience products,

including refrigerated and frozen goods, plus beers/wines/spirits and fresh produce. The store

is served by a surface level car park and the household survey has confirmed that this store

serves both main and top-up food shopping trips, albeit orientated towards the top-up end of

the shopping spectrum. Other convenience uses include a bakery and number of small

convenience stores, one of which is associated with a petrol filling station and a further two

have Post Office counters.

Retailer Representation

4.281 Within St Austell the range of retailers and service providers has been significantly boosted in

by the opening of the White River Place shopping centre. National multiple retailers in the

comparison goods sector include Wilkinsons, TK Maxx, Sports World, H Samuel Jeweller, WH

Smith, Boots, New Look, Argos, Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Accessorize, Clinton Cards, Clarks

Shoes and QS Clothing. Within the town centre’s comparison goods sector, the proportion of

clothing retailers is comparable with average levels, as are jewellery, chemists/opticians and

gift shop uses. The proportion of DIY/hardware, sports, toys and florist uses is below average

levels.

4.282 Within the service sector, there are a number of high street banks including Natwest,

Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Cheltenham & Gloucester and HSBC. The remainder of the service

sector generally comprises local independent operators although the White River Place centre

has attracted Frankie & Bennies and Costa Coffee. The proportion of estate agents, banks

and financial services in St Austell town centre are well above average levels, whilst the

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proportion of food and drink uses, including restaurants and cafés is well below average

levels.

4.283 Multiple convenience retailers in the town centre include Iceland and Lidl, both of which serve

a top-up food shopping function. Other national multiple convenience retailers include

Holland & Barrett. The remainder convenience retail provision includes small local

independent traders which also serve a top-up food shopping function.

4.284 Outside of the town centre there are a number of supermarkets, including a Tesco store at

Daniels Lane to the east of the town centre. The store currently extends to 2,652sq m net

sales and provides a wide range of convenience goods and a limited area devoted to the sale

of comparison goods. However, planning permission exists to extend the store to 5,921sq m

net which will wider the convenience and comparison goods ranges available in the store.

There is also a large ASDA store located on Cromwell Road, which is also to the east of the

town centre. This store extends to 5,500sq m net and provides a wide range of convenience

and comparison goods. Both the Tesco and ASDA stores are observed to be very popular

shopping destinations, with frequent congestion in the car parking areas and around the

checkouts at peak times. In addition to these two large stores there is also a Co-op foodstore

at West Hill which extends to around 1,000sq m net.

Yields and Rents

4.285 Table D outlines the yield for St Austell between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends

within surrounding towns and other medium and large centres in Cornwall. This indicates that

there has been a falling (i.e. improving) yield in St Austell since 2003, although historically St

Austell has had one of the yields of the main centres in Cornwall. This suggests potentially

weak investor confidence, possibly as a result of the protracted development process for the

White River Place town centre retail development scheme. However, unlike some of the other

centres, St Austell did not experience an increasing (i.e. worsening) yield in 2008, which may

be due to the increasing investor confidence surrounding the town centre as the town centre

retail scheme finally neared completion.

4.286 Rental information for Zone A retail space in St Austell has also been obtained and indicates

that rental levels were at £40/sq m in 2009, falling from £50/sq m in 2008 (see Table E). This

is less than half the rents achieved in Truro and is also under below the rental levels being

achieved in Newquay.

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Retailer Requirements

4.287 During winter 2009/2010, there were 13 retailer requirements in St Austell, which totalled

between 50,000-100,000sq ft gross. A number of these requirements were from retailers and

service providers who had not secured space in the White River Place retail development,

although subsequent to this survey TK Maxx have now occupied a unit. Historically, retailer

requirements in St Austell have peaked at around 25-30 during 2004-2007, most likely

encouraged by the development of White River Place. However, by October 2010, the

number of requirements had fallen to 3 and totalling 3,000-5,500sq ft gross. This is in line

with drop experienced by other centres, although is to be expected for St Austell given that a

number of on-going requirements would have been satisfied by the White River Place

development.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.288 In 2008, the number of vacant units in the town centre stood at 26 and represented 16% of all

surveyed units in the town centre. This was well above average levels. At the time of our

latest survey in October 2010, after the White River Place centre commenced trading, the

number of vacancies had increased to 33 (18% of all units in the town centre). This is well

above the Cornish vacancy average of 10% and the national average of 12%. Vacancies

occur across all parts of the centre, including within the White River Place centre and there

has been a considerable amount of changes in occupation across the centre since 2008. This

is to be expected, given the scale of the White River Place shopping centre and the effect that

it will have had on the performance and layout of the town centre. However, the scale of

vacancies in the town centre, including the recent closures within the Market House, will

continue to be a cause for concern and the extent of natural capacity of the town centre

(following the introduction of White River Place) could lead to parts of the town centre falling

out of retail and service use.

Accessibility

4.289 The town is well served by local roads, making the town easily accessible by car. Once within

the town centre, there are a number of public car parks:

• West Hill Short Stay – 42 spaces

• West Hill Long Stay – 113 spaces

• Burton House – 15 spaces

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• North Street – 40 spaces

• Priory – 308 spaces

• Sedgemoor – 108 spaces

4.290 In terms of rail access, the railway station is located a short distance to the east of the core

retail area. St Austell is located on the main line railway with access to Penzance, Exeter and

London.

4.291 The bus station is located adjacent to the railway station to the east of the town centre. Some

services are also available from the Trinity Street bus stop which is located within the town

centre. There are frequent bus services as well as connections to Newquay, Plymouth and

Truro and National Express services nationwide.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.292 The household survey identified the following likes, dislikes and suggested improvements:

• 5.7% of all survey respondents indicated that St Austell was their main local centre. This

level is similar to Falmouth, Penzance and Camborne, and around half the level achieved

by nearby Truro. The summary data provided below relates to the responses given by

those people who stated that St Austell was their main centre.

• It should be noted that the survey was undertaken in 2008 when the town centre was

subject to disruption as a result of the construction of the White River Place retail scheme.

As a consequence, the results of the survey are likely to be skewed and may present a

more negative view of the town centre. It is recommended that a new survey is

undertaken in the future in order to compare and contrast customer views and behaviour

with the 2008 results.

• The most common reason that people liked the centre was its proximity to where they live

and its convenience (41%). However apart from 8% who noted that they liked the choice

and selection of national multiple shops, there were very few other ‘likes’ recorded by the

survey. Indeed, 44% of respondents noted that there was nothing that they liked about St

Austell which is significantly in excess of similar responses for other large centres across

Cornwall. This low level of positive responses lead on to a range of dislikes about the

centre including 10% noting the difficult parking, 5% noted the poor pedestrian layout,

33% noting the poor selection of multiple shops and 12% noting the unattractive

environment. In terms of suggested improvements to the centre, these centre largely on a

number of the facilities which will be provided as part of the White River Place

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development (including new cinema, more multiple operators, more parking provision and

larger retailers).

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.293 The historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County Council in 2002 provides a

useful summary of the environmental issues in the town centre. This divides the central parts

of St Austell into seven different areas, five of which are within (wholly or in part) the defined

town centre area within the Local Plan. We set out below a summary of the characteristics of

these areas, along with the recommendations of the Council regarding the future

regeneration of these areas:

• Central Church Area – This is the historic centre of the town and is the nodal centre in

terms of the road pattern. Within this area there is a concentration of diverse, high quality

buildings and attractive streetscapes and green spaces. The opportunities identified for

this area include public realm improvements, enhancing the setting of key historic

structures and the retention of the historic street setting and surfaces through a traffic

management scheme.

• Fore Street – This is the main commercial street and historic east-west routeway though

the town. The area accommodates a concentration of three-storey buildings set close to

the pavement edge which result in a high degree of enclosure and urban density.

Opportunities for the area include reinforcing its importance within the urban hierarchy,

capitalise on the strong urban qualities of the street, improve the shopfronts and enhance

the quality of the surviving historic fabric.

• Western Gateway – This area includes the junction of five major routes into the town

centre which are enclosed by several significant buildings. Regeneration opportunities

include the enhancement of the gateway to the urban core, reinstatement of a tighter

urban grain and the redevelopment of an important corner plot. Globe yard is identified as

a potential development opportunity.

• Industrial River Valleys – This area is now the focus for light industrial activity,

residential development and green areas. Heritage-led regeneration for the area includes

the sympathetic conversion and continued use of robust industrial buildings, the

promotion of further research into the historic importance of the area and enhanced links

to the countryside. Therefore, there are considered limited opportunities for town centre

regeneration in this area.

• 18th and 19

th Century Urban Expansion – This area includes many of the town’s public,

civic and religious buildings as well as residential terraces and cottages. However, decline

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in the 20th Century has resulted in vacant and underused buildings, brownfield sites and

car parks. The opportunities for regeneration include: enhancement of the approach to the

town centre; urban greening and public realm improvements; renovation and reuse of key

historic buildings and; high quality redevelopment of brownfield sites.

Conclusions

4.294 Overall, St Austell town centre is a centre with considerable potential given its place as the

town with the largest population in the County (2001 Census). It has a reasonably good range

of convenience, comparison and service uses, including a number of national multiple

retailers and service providers. The recent completion of the White River Place has had a

significant positive effect upon the health of the centre and has been able to attract a number

of new retailers to the centre, which will boost its health (which has suffered in recent years

during the new development’s construction). On-going monitoring of the health of the centre

will provide a very useful picture of the boost which White River Place has had on the overall

performance of the centre.

Launceston Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.295 Launceston is situated in the east of Cornwall, only 2 miles from the Devon border, and is

situated immediately north of the A30 trunk road. The 2001 census recorded the town as

having a population of 7,135. The town has been developed on the side of a hill and therefore

has steep inclines leading into the town centre.

4.296 In terms of economic development, the town has undergone significant business development

at its periphery and the town attracts tourists due to its historic character and heritage.

4.297 With regards to accessibility, the town is highly accessible by private car with access straight

onto the A30. Public transport however, is more limited, with no railway station at the town.

4.298 Until a LDF for Cornwall is adopted, the saved policies from the North Cornwall Local Plan

(1999) are still a material planning consideration. The adopted Local Plan identifies a Primary

Commercial Area. This includes; the southern end of Tower Street; High Street, Blindhole, the

south western parts of Ridgegrove Hill and Exeter Street; Southgate Street; Madford Lane

and; Westgate Street.

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4.299 Also within the adopted Local Plan, Policy LAU5 proposes environmental improvements on

the High Street and around the War Memorial.

4.300 In assessing the diversity of uses, this has taken into account information obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated June 2007) and an update which was undertaken by GVA

Grimley in November 2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix N.

This information from Experian Goad indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table AA: Retail Composition of Launceston town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2008 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 16 10.96 15 10.42 10.10 9.53

Comparison 64 43.84 61 42.36 48.57 43.23

Service 49 33.56 50 34.72 31.59 33.97

Vacant 14 9.59 15 10.42 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 3 2.05 3 2.08 0.68 1.24

Total 146 100 144 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.301 The above data indicates that between 2007 and 2009 there was a fall on one unit in

convenience retail use in Launceston town centre. This reduced the proportion of

convenience uses in the town centre from 11% to 10.4%, which remained above both the

Cornish and national average levels. The number of comparison retail uses in the town

centre also reduced between 2007 and 2009, from 64 to 61 units. The latest survey indicates

that 42.4% of all surveyed units in the town centre were in comparison retail use. This

proportion is slightly lower than the national average and also below the Cornish average.

Over the period 2007-2009, the number of service uses in the town centre increased by one

unit, allowing service uses to occupy 34.7% of all surveyed units in the town centre. This

proportion is higher than both the national and, to a greater extent, the Cornish average

levels.

4.302 The distribution of floorspace amongst the retail and service sectors, plus vacant floorspace,

in both 2007 and 2009 is shown in Table AB below.

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Table AB: Retail Floorspace Composition of Launceston town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2008 2009

Sq m % Sq m %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 1756 11.5 1654 10.9 15.3 17.4

Comparison 6968 45.5 6540 43.3 51.8 49.1

Service 4394 28.7 4450 29.5 24.0 22.0

Vacant 1709 11.2 1979 13.1 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 483 3.2 483 3.2 1.1 1.0

Total 15310 100 15106 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.303 The trends in change in floorspace levels between 2007 and 2009 shown in Table AB mirror

the direction of change in retail units shown in Table AB above. In particular, the proportion of

floorspace occupied by convenience retail uses has fallen to 10.9% in 2009. This proportion

is now well below the Cornish and national average levels for convenience floorspace within

town centres, indicating that the convenience units which are present are relatively small in

size. The amount of floorspace occupied by comparison retail uses has also fallen and now

comprises 43.4% of all surveyed floorspace in the town centre. This is also well below the

Cornish and national average levels. Finally, the amount of floorspace occupied by service

uses has risen very slightly and comprises 29.5% of floorspace in the centre. This is above

Cornish and national average levels.

4.304 Having regard to other land uses in the town centre, as defined by the Primary Commercial

Area (PCA) in the adopted North Cornwall Local Plan, this includes St Mary Magdalen Chruch

on Church Street and Launceston Castle abutting the northern edge of the PCA. In the

eastern part of the town centre lies in the Market House Shopping Arcade, which includes a

tourist information unit. Moving southwards through the town centre, the majority of public

houses, including the White Hart Hotel, and office uses are located in the southern part of the

centre, along Broad Street, Westgate Street, Southgate Place and Exeter Street. The Town

Hall & Guildhall lies on Western Road in the south-western part of the centre, whilst the

Library lies to the south of Madford Lane.

4.305 Elsewhere in the town centre, Launceston has a leisure centre: the Phoenix Leisure Centre.

This facility has a swimming pool, gym, indoor courts and an all weather pitch.

Retailer Representation

4.306 There are a limited number of multiple retailers present within Launceston. The 2009 survey

identified those present in the comparison sector include Boots the Chemist, WH Smith,

Superdrug and M & Co clothing. The remainder of traders are local independent businesses

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and as a whole the updated Experian data for the town centre suggests that it has a lower

than average proportion of clothing/footwear, furniture/floorcoverings, variety/department

stores and sport/toys/hobby shops. The town centre has a proportion of DIY,

books/arts/crafts, gift shops, chemists/opticians, florists and charity/pet shops which are either

commensurate or higher than the national average.

4.307 Within the convenience retail sector, the largest foodstore is a Co-op (formerly Somerfield) on

Broad Street. This store has a limited net sales area, extending to 210sq m, which sells a

limited range of pre-package and refrigerated convenience products. Due to its size and

range of products, the Co-op is orientated towards a top-up food shopping role. The

remainder of the town centre is also likely to perform a top-up food shopping role, which small

shop units accommodation butcher, baker, greengrocer, off-licence and newsagent uses.

4.308 In terms of services, there are a number of high street banks represented, including HSBC,

Barclays, Lloyds, Natwest and Halifax and the proportion of banking and financial services

uses in the town centre is twice average levels. In relation to other parts of the service sector

in Launceston town centre, the proportion of cafés, restaurants, take aways and fast food

outlets is around twice thirds of the size of average levels, whilst health/beauty, estate

agencies and travel agents are generally in line with average levels.

4.309 Outside of the town centre, there is a significant amount of retail provision within the

Launceston urban area. Within the convenience retail sector, there is a Tesco store on

Tavistock Road which extends to 2,400sq m net sales area. This is the largest foodstore in

Launceston and attracts the vast majority of main/bulk food shopping trips from the local area.

Apart from the Tesco, there is a 929sq m net Lidl store at Launceston Retail Park which sells

a limited range of discounted convenience and comparison goods. Also, there is a 900sq m

net Co-op store on Newport Industrial Estate, which sells a moderate range of convenience

goods and serves a main and top-up food shopping function. Within the comparison goods

retail sector, Launceston Retail Park includes a Focus DIY store, plus retail units occupied by

Argos, Shoefayre and Co-op Homemaker.

Retailer Requirements

4.310 During winter 2009/2010 there were 6 retailer requirements in Launceston (Pets at Home,

Peacocks, the Original Factory Shop, Specsavers, Subway and Warrens). These totalled

18,000-37,000sq ft gross (see Appendix C). None of these requirements remained at the time

of our re-survey in October 2010.

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Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.311 In 2007, there were 14 vacant units in Launceston town centre. Our re-survey of the town

centre at the end of 2009 identified a slight increase to 15 units. Vacant units therefore

comprise 10.4% of the total number of surveyed units is slightly above the Cornish towns

average but slightly below the UK average. In terms of vacant floorspace in the town centre,

this has also risen and at the time of the most recent survey vacant floorspace occupied 13%

of the total surveyed floorspace, which is higher than the national average and 2½ times

higher than the Cornish average. However, it should be noted that a significant contributor to

the amount of floorspace is a vacant unit on Exeter Street (No.5) which extends to 1,000sq m.

If this unit was removed from the statistics, the number of vacant units would not decrease

significantly but the overall proportion of floorspace would. This would indicate that whilst

there may be a level of vacancies in the town centre which is commensurate with the average

levels, the majority of vacancies which do exist are relatively small in size.

Accessibility

4.312 Launceston is well positioned and is highly accessible by private car. The adjacent A30

provides good road links east and west, whilst several other local roads serve the

neighbouring towns. However, roads into the town centre are congested at peak times.

Parking is available in the town centre at the following locations:

• Walkhouse Shoppers – 62 spaces

• Castle Street – 23 spaces

• The Square – 19 spaces

• Cattle Market (shopper) – 166 spaces

• Cattle Market (long-term) – 269 spaces

• Pannier Market – 36 spaces

4.313 With regards to rail services, there is no mail line railway station at Launceston (although

there is a tourist steam railway). The nearest station is located at Liskeard approximately 16

miles to the south.

4.314 The main bus terminus at Launceston is located at Westgate Street, a short walk from the

east of the town centre. There are regular buses to the wider Launceston conurbation and to

nearby settlements at Bude, Callington, Okehampton, Exeter, Liskeard, Newquay, Plymouth

and Wadebridge.

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Customer Views and Behaviour

4.315 The customer household survey identified the following issues pertinent to Launceston town

centre:

• 2.2% of survey respondents indicates that Launceston town centre was their main local

centre. The data below relates to the responses given by these survey respondents.

• Two thirds of respondents indicated that they like Launceston town centre due to its

proximity and convenience. Other ‘likes’ include the choice and multiple (12%) and

independent (6%) shops and the pedestrian friendly environment (4%).

• The most disliked feature of Launceston was the poor selection of multiple shops (19%),

followed by difficult parking (14%), the selection of independent shops (8%) and

expensive parking (7%).

• Despite 30% of respondents stating that nothing in particular could be done to persuade

them to visit Launceston more often, the three most popular improvements that would

bring them to the town more often were improving the range of multiple shops (17%),

more parking spaces (type unspecified) (11%) and improving the range of

independent/specialist shops (8%).

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.316 The historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall Council in 2005 provides a useful

summary of the town centre environment and identification of schemes to enhance its overall

attractiveness. The Commercial Core identified in the study relates to the town centre

(Primary Commercial Area). This area is identified as the historic and commercial core of the

town, accommodating the main shopping area and tourist attractions. Due to the survival of a

large number of historic buildings and medieval wall, the area has a unique historic character.

The layout of the town centre incorporates a dynamic street pattern with superior views. The

study identifies the following improvements as that which could enhance the attractiveness of

the town centre:

• Extend the opening hours of the castle to cater for an increasing number of winter visitors;

• Limit the parking in the town centre area to reclaim space for pedestrians and other

activities;

• Investigate a shopfront scheme based on the town square area;

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• Restore the historic open space known as Upper Walk and encourage its use as a public

amenity.

• Reinstate the historic route of Northgate Street;

• End the traffic priority at the foot of Castle Street and resurface; and

• Encourage the use of alleyways to improve pedestrian access and connectivity.

Conclusions

4.317 The health check indicators suggest that Launceston is performing relatively well as a town

centre. However, there are obvious constraints in terms of the topography of the town, traffic

congestion running through the centre and limited opportunities for substantial redevelopment

due to its historical importance. The historic nature of retail units in the town centre is also

likely to constrain the ability for some retailers to locate in the town centre, which may

contribute to the current vacancy levels in the centre. However, the centre does benefit from

its location directly onto the A30 trunk road which improves accessibility for both local

residents and visitors to Cornwall.

4.318 A major challenge facing Launceston town centre is the competition posed by out of centre

convenience and comparison goods floorspace in the town. Outside of the town centre, there

are three medium to large foodstores, whilst the town centre provides only small scale top-up

food shopping provision. There is also a large retail warehouse park which has attracted

national multiple retailers which have not been able to be accommodated in the town centre.

Saltash Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.319 Saltash is located in east Cornwall, on the west coast of the River Tamar. According to the

2001 census, the town has a recorded population of 14,964. The A38 runs to the north of the

town and links Cornwall with Devon over the River Tamar (toll). The town has a railway station

close to the town centre and this provides links to Cornwall as well as London Paddington.

Due to the Tamar Bridge, the town is closely linked with Plymouth.

4.320 Until a LDF for Cornwall is adopted, the saved policies from the Caradon Local Plan First

Alteration (2007) still form a material planning consideration. The Local Pan defines an area

of Small Dwellings and Town Centres (Policy HO12) which is situated in the eastern part of

the town, adjacent to the Tamar Bridge. The town centre is focused in and around Fore Street

and Lower Fore Street with the Shopping Core (Policy ALT7) fronting both sides of Fore

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Street. The eastern part of the centre that extends to the coastline is designated as a

Conservation Area. There are no allocations for major development within the town centre.

4.321 Also pertinent (as background information) to the town centre health check, is the refusal by

the former Caradon District Council of an outline application for the erection of a Class A1

foodstore (Sainsbury’s) and associated facilities at the existing football ground located on

Callington Road (Ref. 07/01808/OUT). This was refused on the 16th October 2008 due to

insufficient demonstration of retail need and the potential impact on the vitality and viability of

the town centre. Furthermore, the loss of a sporting facility in what is deemed an accessible

location was an additional reason for refusal.

4.322 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Experian Goad (survey dated November 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in November

2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix O. This information from

Experian Goad indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table AC: Retail Composition of Saltash town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 10 10.75 10 10.75 10.10 9.53

Comparison 43 46.24 42 45.16 48.57 43.23

Service 29 31.18 30 32.26 31.59 33.97

Vacant 11 11.83 11 11.83 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 0 0 0 0 0.68 1.24

Total 93 100 93 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.323 The retail composition of the town centre has remained relatively constant since 2007.

Convenience uses remain constant at 10 units, which is equivalent to just under 11% of all

surveyed units and slightly above the national and Cornish average levels. The number of

units occupied by comparison goods retail units decreased by one from 43 to 42 in 2009 and,

at the time of the most recent survey, 45% of all surveyed units were occupied by comparison

uses. This proportion is slightly higher than the national average and slightly below the

Cornish average. The number of units occupied by service uses has increase by one from 29

to 30 in 2009 and these type of uses occupy 32.3% of all surveyed units.

4.324 The amount of floorspace occupied by convenience, comparison and service uses, plus

vacant floorspace in Saltash between 2007 and 2009 is summarised in Table AD below.

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Table AD: Retail Composition of Saltash town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 2044 15.6 2044 15.5 15.3 17.4

Comparison 5621 42.8 5472 41.5 51.8 49.1

Service 4209 32.1 4366 33.1 24.0 22.0

Vacant 1245 9.5 1310 9.9 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 0 0.0 0 0.0 1.1 1.0

Total 13119 100 13192 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.325 The trends in floorspace occupied by retail and service uses, plus vacant floorspace, mirror

the trends in land uses outlined in Table AD above. In particular, there is no change in the

level of floorspace occupied by convenience retail uses and these uses occupy 15.5% of all

surveyed floorsapce, which matches the Cornish average and is slightly below the national

average, indicating that convenience uses in Saltash town centre may occupy comparatively

small units when compared to the national average.

4.326 In relation to comparison goods stores, the amount of floorspace that they occupy has fallen

slightly between 2007 and 2009 and, at the time of the most recent survey, equated to 41.5%

of all floorspace surveyed in the town centre. This proportion is noticeably below the Cornish

(52%) and national average levels (49%). In relation to service uses, the latest survey

indicated that they occupied 33% of floorspace, which is 1% higher than the 2007 survey

results. This proportion of floorspace is higher than the Cornish and national average levels.

4.327 In relation to other uses in the town centre, the town centre boundary within the adopted

Caradon Local Plan is drawn tightly around the retail and leisure uses in the western part of

the centre. Apart from the retail and service uses in the western part of the town centre there

are a small number of residential dwellings, plus office uses and a dental surgery, plus a

Royal Mail sorting office. Moving eastwards along the linear centre in Saltash, St Nicholas

Parish Church and the Guildhall are located on Lower Fore Street.

4.328 The eastern part of the centre, as defined by the Local Plan, lies outside of the area covered

by the Experian survey. This area, to the east and south of where Fore Street connects to the

A38 Tamar Bridge, is characterised by residential uses and a small number of retail, service

and commercial uses, and therefore is a likely candidate for exclusion from the town centre in

any future site allocation documents for the Cornwall LDF.

4.329 Elsewhere in the town, Saltash Leisure Centre is located on Callington Road and includes

swimming pool and gym facilities.

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Retailer Representation

4.330 Saltash town centre’s comparison goods retail offer is dominated by local independent

traders, supplemented by a small number of national multiple retailers (including Superdrug

and Lloyds Pharmacy). This is largely due to the size of the centre and the proximity of

Plymouth to the east. In terms of the wider comparison goods sector in the town centre, there

is a below average proportion of clothing and footwear stores, although the proportion of

stores selling furniture/carpets, electrical, DIY and arts/crafts/books/stationery and chemists

goods is the same or, in some instances, higher than average levels.

4.331 Within the service sector, a number of national high street banks are represented and

banks/financial service uses occupy a proportion of units around 50% higher than average

levels. In addition, the proportion of estate agents is also almost twice average levels and

health/beauty uses are commensurate with average levels. However, restaurant café and

other food and drink service uses are around two-thirds of average levels.

4.332 Within the convenience goods retail sector, Saltash town centre has a small Co-op store on

Fore Street which extends to 500sq m net sales. The store has a small customer car park to

the rear, although its size and product range suggests that it is unlikely to cater for all

main/bulk food shopping trips and is more likely to function as a top-up food shopping

destination. The remainder of the convenience goods retail sector in the town centre

comprises 2 bakers, one butcher, 2 greengrocers, an off-licence and one newsagent.

4.333 The largest retailers in Saltash are located outside of the town centre close to the edge of the

urban area. There is a Waitrose on Tamar View, close to the A38, which has a 2,780sq m net

sales area and provides the main bulk food shopping facility in the town. There is also a

1,000sq m net Lidl discount foodstore, also on the northern side of the town, which has

opened in recent years and provides a complementary function to the Waitrose store,

focusing upon top-up food shopping trips rather than catering for all main/bulk food shopping

needs. Finally, there is also a Focus DIY retail unit located on Avery Way which extends to

just over 3,000sq m.

Retailer Requirements

4.334 During winter 2009/2010 there were just 3 retailer requirements for Saltash (Peacocks,

Subway and Warrens bakery). These requirements totalled between 5,700-7,700sq ft of new

floorspace. These requirements were not present at the time of our re-survey in October

2010, although in July 2010 a planning application was submitted to the Council for a new

Tesco supermarket on land adjacent to the Carkeel roundabout on the A38. This proposed

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store has a net sales area of 2,272sq m. The application was undetermined at the time of

finalising this report.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.335 The number of vacant units in the town centre has remained unchanged since 2007. This

equates to just under 12% of the total town centre units which is in line with the UK average

but slightly above the Cornish town average. A survey of the town centre has not identified an

obvious concentration of vacant units, although the overall level of vacancies indicates that

Saltash could be struggling to attract and retain retailers and other businesses at the same

rate as other main town centres in Cornwall.

Accessibility

4.336 Saltash is considered to be accessible due to its unique links with Devon to the east across

the River Tamar. The A38 is passes over the River Tamar on the Tamar Bridge which is toll

route when crossing east to Plymouth. In addition, there are ferry services available nearby at

Torpoint. The railway also crosses the River Tamar and therefore provides the town with links

to Plymouth and the wider south west of England. When driving to the town centre, this is

located just off the A38 as you enter the town from Plymouth, making the centre relatively

accessible.

4.337 In terms of parking, there are public car parks available at the following locations:

• Alexandra Square – 64 spaces

• Culver Road – 70 spaces

• Belle Vue (East) – 71 spaces

• Belle Vue (West) – 45 spaces

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.338 The household survey identified the following issues relating to the town centre:

• Within the household survey, only 0.9% of all survey respondents indicated that Saltash

was their main local centre. This is unsurprising given the size of the town and its

proximity to Plymouth. The data contained below relates to the answers given by those

people who stated that Saltash was their main centre.

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• Apart from being near and convenient (59%), respondents in Saltash felt that it was the

selection of independent shops (16%) rather than the selection of multiple shops and the

pedestrian friendly environment (both 11%) that they liked most about the town centre.

• Difficult parking was identified as a common dislike (11%) along with the choice of

multiple and independent shops (19% and 11% respectively).

• The respondents in Saltash identified that the provision of a new large supermarket (11%)

would encourage them to visit the town more often, along with improved provision of

multiple and independent shops (both 16%).

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.339 The historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall Council in 2005 provides a useful

summary of the state of the town centre environmental quality in Saltash. This study divides

the town into four character areas, one of which is directly relevant to the town centre. Old

town as an area is the commercial heart of the town and includes a diverse collection of

architectural styles and significant buildings. The street pattern of the centre is still

representative of its medieval layout. The study identified the following regeneration initiatives

for the Old Town area:

• Regenerate the shopping area by reinstating / restoring historic shopfronts and good

consistent design of modern shopfronts;

• Encourage new independent and specialist shops;

• Reinvigorate the Fore Street environmental scheme;

• Landscaping of the car parks to improve the gateway to the town;

• Improve the appearance and functionality of the alleyways to encourage greater

pedestrian movement;

• Rationalisation of the existing signage;

• Encourage the restoration of the historic buildings and find new sustainable uses along

Lower Fore Street through a grant scheme;

• Enhance gateways at either end of Fore Street;

• Regenerate the redundant buildings behind Fore Street; and

• Include Fore Street as part of the defined Conservation Area to recognise and preserve its

special character.

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Conclusions

4.340 Saltash possesses a small town centre, whose size has been constrained by the proximity

and dominance of Plymouth which lies on the opposite side of the River Tamar (via the A38).

Because of the relative proximity of Plymouth, Saltash town centre has very few multiple

retailers and has concentrated upon the provision of small scale independent retail and

service uses, and focuses on day to day retail and service provision. The largest facility in the

town centre is a modest sized Co-op foodstore, which caters for top-up food shopping trips.

Not only does Saltash town centre face intense competition from nearby Plymouth, but it also

has to compete with large scale retail uses outside the town centre (Waitrose, Lidl and

Focus). These constrain the attractiveness of the town centre to customers and businesses

alike and this issue has been examined in detail during a recent proposal to build a

Sainsburys store in Saltash, which was refused due to its impact upon the health of the town

centre.

Hayle Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.341 Hayle is located on the north coast of Cornwall. The town and harbour have grown around

the Hayle Estuary situated at the south of St Ives Bay, with the long linear urban area of

modern Hayle concentrated around the earlier settlements of Foundry, Penpol, Copperhouse

and Phillack. The main A30 trunk road skirts the southern margins of the town and the main

London to Penzance railway line also runs through Hayle, with a branch line from nearby St

Erth to St Ives. Since the early years of the 20th Century, Hayle has experienced

considerable industrial decline with an associated legacy of derelict sites and ailing port

facilities. The town now suffers from serious economic and social deprivation and is a priority

for strategic spatial investment. The future of the harbour area will be the key driver for the

regeneration of Hayle.

4.342 Within Hayle, the adopted Local Plan defines two Town Centre Areas: along the eastern side

of Penpol Terrace in the Hayle Foundry area (opposite the harbour area) and along Fore

Street, Market Square and Copper Terrace in the Copperhouse area. The Local Plan does

not identify any primary shopping areas in Hayle. Within Hayle, there is one significant

allocation retail-related allocation in the Local Plan, within the harbour area. Policy TV-D of

the Local Plan allocates the South Quay / Foundry Yard, North Quay and East Quay areas for

a mixture of uses including Classes A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B8, C1, C3, D1 and D2. Part of this

area, known as Foundry Farm, has already been developed. In terms of any proposed retail

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uses within this area, the Local Plan requires new provision to be integrated with the existing

Foundry part of the defined Town Centre Areas. In addition to the main harbour allocation,

the adopted Local Plan allocates an area of land to the south for a heritage centre, craft

workshops and ancillary retail outlets.

4.343 An outline planning application for the whole of the harbour area was submitted to the former

Penwith District Council in 2007 and PDC subsequently resolved to grant planning

permission. The scheme comprised a mixed use development with a significant amount of

comparison retail floorspace and a smaller amount of convenience retail floorspace. Planning

permission was finally issued in 2010.

4.344 Subsequent to the original harbour outline planning application, significant interest from the

national grocery supermarket sector has emerged. In late 2009, an outline planning

application by the owners of the harbour (ING) was submitted for a large supermarket unit.

Around the same time, Sainsburys submitted an application for a large supermarket at Marsh

Lane, which lies in an out of centre location adjacent to the West Cornwall Retail Park which

contains Next, Marks & Spencer and Boots retail units. This retail park represents the most

recent retail investment in Hayle in recent years. Both the original ING and Sainsburys

applications were withdrawn although, the Sainsburys proposals have been resubmitted. In

addition, there is also a current application for a Morrisons store on the existing Jewsons

builders merchants site adjacent to the ING-owned harbour site. At the time of finalising this

report, the Morrisons and Sainsburys applications remain undetermined and a re-submitted

ING foodstore application and an application from ASDA (on the existing rugby club ground)

were also expected.

4.345 Information on the diversity of uses within the two centre boundaries has been obtained from

GVA Grimley surveys of the centres in October 2010 The data is summarised in Tables AE

and AF below.

Table AE: Retail Composition of Copperhouse (Hayle) town centre, 2010

Sector 2010

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average

(2008) %

No %

Convenience 5 13.2 10.10 9.53

Comparison 12 31.6 48.57 43.23

Service 19 50.0 31.59 33.97

Vacant 2 5.3 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 0 0.0 0.68 1.24

Total 38 100 100 100

Source: GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

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Table AE: Retail Composition of Foundry (Hayle) town centre, 2010

Sector 2010

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average

(2008) %

No %

Convenience 6 18.2 10.10 9.53

Comparison 13 39.4 48.57 43.23

Service 12 36.4 31.59 33.97

Vacant 2 6.1 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 0 0.0 0.68 1.24

Total 33 100 100 100

Source: GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.346 The latest (October 2010) land use survey of both centres in Hayle indicates that they both

have a relatively high proportion of convenience retail uses, which are above national and

Cornish levels. 32% of units in Copperhouse are occupied by comparison goods retailers,

whilst the corresponding proportion for Foundry is 39%, both of which are noticeably below

average levels. In contrast the proportion of units occupied by service units in both centres is

well above average levels.

4.347 The town centre boundaries in Hayle are drawn relatively tightly and therefore the boundaries

contain relatively few other uses. Those that are present include a number of public houses

and office uses in Copperhouse, the White Hart Hotel in Foundry and a number of residential

uses adjacent to retail/service uses along Penpol Terrace. The majority of uses surrounding

both town centres are residential in nature, although Foundry centre lies adjacent to the main

harbour area including South Quay (which is current subject to proposals for redevelopment).

Retailer Representation

4.348 The vast majority of retailers and other businesses in both parts of the defined Town Centre

Areas in Hayle are local and independent operators. Multiple retailers and service providers

that do exist include Spar, Lloyds Bank, Alliance Pharmacy, Forbouys Newsagent and Moss

Pharmacy. There is also a Co-op store within the Copperhouse defined town centre, which

extends to 995sq m net and sells a moderate range of fresh, frozen and pre-packaged

convenience products. The store is observed to be a popular shopping destination and is

served by a large surface level car park.

4.349 Outside of the defined town centres in Hayle, out of centre retail provision congregates around

the eastern side of town close to the A30. Adjacent to the A30 Loggans Moor junction is West

Cornwall Retail Park, which accommodates Boots, Costa Coffee, Next and Marks & Spencer

retail units whilst there is also a 1,000sq m net Lidl discount foodstore at Carwin Rise. All of

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these facilities are highly accessible from the A30 and are served by large surface level

customer car parks.

Retailer Requirements

4.350 The main retailer requirements in Hayle are from national grocery operators, as demonstrated

by the current planning applications from Morrisons on the Jewsons site close to Hayle

Harbour, the Sainsburys proposal at Marsh Lane close to the A30 Loggans Moor roundabout

and a forthcoming proposal from ASDA at Hayle Rugby Club close to the A30. There is also

a proposal by ING for a foodstore at South Quay in Hayle Harbour which currently is not

associated with a particular operator. There are no known requirements from non-food

operators for floorspace in Hayle.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.351 Within our latest land use survey of the two town centres in Hayle, we have found two

vacancies in each centre. This represents 5-6% of all units in each centre, which is relatively

low and is below the national and Cornish average levels.

Accessibility

4.352 Vehicle access to Hayle is excellent with the A30 running around the southern edge of the

urban area and providing good links to Camborne, Pool and Redruth to the east and

Penzance to the west. The presence of the A30 has undoubtedly led to the success of the

West Cornwall Retail Park and encouraged the current range of supermarket proposals.

4.353 A number of bus services run through both defined shopping centres in Hayle and provide

relatively high frequency services which link these areas to Penzance, St Ives, Camborne,

Redruth and Truro. The main railway station in Hayle is also within easy walking distance of

the Foundry defined shopping area, although not all trains using this line stop at Hayle.

4.354 Both on and off street parking is available within the Foundry and Copperhouse areas,

including the Co-op car park and Foundry Square. There are 57 long stay spaces in Foundry

and 89 long stay spaces in Copperhouse.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.355 The customer survey identified the following key issues pertinent to Hayle town centre:

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• 1.2% of survey respondents indicated that Hayle was their main local centre. These

respondents noted that, apart from its convenience/proximity, its coastal location (18%)

and friendly environment (6%) were the main positive benefits alongside the selection of

multiple (13%) and independent (11%) shops.

• Dislikes about the town centres in Hayle included parking provision, the lack of choice of

shopping facilities and the level of traffic congestion.

• Along with the usual responses which note the need to provide more multiple and

independent shops, 10% of survey respondents indicated that a new supermarket would

encourage them to visit Hayle more often. Other respondents indicated that more leisure

facilities and larger retailers would also encourage people to visit more often..

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.356 In recent years, Hayle has benefited from improvements to its townscape through grant-aided

investment, including the Hayle Townscape Initiative. Cornwall County Council have also

prepared an historic characterisation report for Hayle with the central parts of the town split

into four character areas which are summarised below:

• Copperhouse – Copperhouse is the commercial heart of Hayle and retains a market

house (built in 1839) and a good collection of 19th Century shop fronts. Historically an

intensely industrial area, this use has reduced over time but an industrial character is

retained in the surviving elements including the canal and dock, the continued

warehouse/manufacturing uses on the former industrial sites and in the strong grid pattern

of industrial housing on the land rising to the south of Copperhouse Pool. The historic

characterisation report identifies the need to enhance and better define the key urban

spaces within Copperhouse along with the enhancement of the special character of the

area through public realm improvements.

• Foundry – Foundry Square forms the most impressive urban set piece of the town. The

scale and detailing of the surrounding architecture displays a grandeur and distinctly

urban character not matched to the same extent elsewhere in Hayle. Foundry forms a

secondary commercial focus in the town, particularly important for banks, post office,

cafés and local shops. The important remains of the foundry complex represent the best

surviving industrial group in the town and one of the best in Cornwall. The international

importance of Harvey’s Foundry makes the survival and ongoing regeneration of the

complex all the more important in the context of Cornwall’s world heritage status.

However, the foundry complex has been derelict and under-used for a long period of time

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and the Foundry Square area is dominated by traffic. There are also a number of

inappropriate buildings that detract from the quality of the townscape and public realm

treatment of this area is often low quality.

• The Harbour – The harbour has in the past been the economic powerhouse of the town.

The estuary was the reason the industrial companies established here and therefore the

reason the town developed here. The estuary and the three channels that flow into it at

this point have been extensively manipulated and modified with the extensive engineering

that has gone on to create the current arrangement of quays and wharfs, canal channels,

sluicing ponds and causeway roads. The harbour complex is a remarkable piece of

engineering and this area is the focus for the regeneration of Hayle.

• Penpol – This area forms a middle ground between the two historic settlements of

Copperhouse and Foundry. An 18th Century focus around Merchant Curnow’s Quay is

located at the west end of Hayle Terrace. Mid-19th Century terraces built for the

professional classes were developed here to take advantage of the picturesque views

over the harbour.

Conclusion

4.357 Historically, Hayle has experienced decline associated with its industrial and maritime sectors.

As a result, this has led to low levels of growth within the retail and commercial sector in the

two defined centres of the town and the town is dominated by local independent operators.

There are a handful of multiples including a modest Co-op store in the Copperhouse area

which caters for top-up food shopping and some main-food requirements. Vacancies in Hayle

are considered to be low and are below the national average. In recent years, a retail park

has been developed on the edge of the town and this has introduced three national retailers

into the town and will have improved the town’s overall market share. Overall, we have not

highlighted any significant weaknesses with the health of Hayle, although it is clear that the

centres in the town are under-performing compared to other nearby centres.

Wadebridge Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.358 Wadebridge is located on the Camel Estuary in North Cornwall. The town is located

approximately 5 miles east of Padstow and 11 miles north west of Bodmin. The town has

experienced significant change since the A39 was diverted around the town in 1991 and the

town centre partly pedestrianised. The 2001 census identifies a recorded population of 6,222.

The main route serving the town is the A39. In terms of rail accessibility, the railway station in

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Wadebridge closed in 1967. The nearest train station is located at Bodmin. The former railway

is now utilised as the Camel trail which encourages tourists to visit the town.

4.359 Until a LDF for Cornwall is adopted, the saved policies from the North Cornwall Local Plan

(1999) are still a material planning consideration. The adopted Local Plan identifies a Primary

Commercial Area, in which its southern half is also designated as a Conservation Area. The

Primary Commercial Area for Wadebridge includes Eddystone Road, Goldsworthy Way, Park

Road and the northern part of The Platt. The Local Pan does not identify primary shopping

frontage within the centre.

4.360 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been obtained from

Cornwall Council (survey dated 2008) and updated by GVA Grimley in November 2009. The

retail composition of the centre is as follows:

Table AG: Retail Composition of Wadebridge town centre, 2008-2009

Sector 2008 2009

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average

(2008) %

% No %

Convenience 15 10.64 14 10.69 10.10 9.53

Comparison 78 55.32 72 54.96 48.57 43.23

Service 44 31.21 40 30.53 31.59 33.97

Vacant 4 2.84 5 3.82 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 0 0 0 0 0.68 1.24

Total 141 100 131 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.361 Between 2008 and 2009 the number of convenience goods uses decreased by one unit, from

15 to 14. This represents a proportion of just under 11% of all surveyed units in the town

centre, which is slightly higher than the national and Cornish average levels. Over the same

period, the number of comparison goods uses decreased from 78 to 72 units. This is

equivalent to 55% of all surveyed units. This is noticeably higher than the Cornish and

national average levels. Service uses have also decreased over the same period, from 44 to

40 units. At the time of the latest survey, service uses occupied around 30.5% of units in the

town centre, which is now slightly below the Cornish and national average levels.

4.362 Having regard to other land uses in the town centre, the following are present:

• In the northern part of the centre there are a number of motor vehicle repair and parts

uses adjacent to Goldsworthy Way and Eddystone Road. Within this area, there are also

a number of bicycle hire uses, which are located close to the route of the Camel Trail.

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• To the east of Eddystone Road, part of the Eddystone Road Industrial Estate has been

redeveloped several years ago to provide a mixture of retail, commercial and residential

uses.

• In the southern part of the centre, there is a Regal cinema located on The Platt. The

cinema has two screen and a seating capacity of around 300 people. Close by is the

John Betjeman Centre on Southern Way and the Town Hall on The Platt, whilst there is a

mixture of retail, commercial and residential uses along Polmorla Road.

• There is also a leisure centre in Wadebridge. It is located to the east of the town centre

on Gonvena Hill and contains a swimming pool, indoor sports hall and outdoor sports

courts.

Retailer Representation

4.363 Wadebridge town centre has a large number of independent retailers and a small number of

national multiples present. In the comparison sector, national multiple retailers include Boots

and Animal Clothing stores and there is also a branch of the local electrical retailer HBH

Woolacotts. A similar pattern also emerges in relation to service uses, with a number of the

national high street banks present and the remainder of uses run by local independent

traders.

4.364 Within the convenience retail sector, the two largest retailers are Co-op and Lidl. The Co-op

store lies at the junction of Molesworth Street and The Platt and extends to 1,100sq m net

sales. The store serves both a main food and top-up food shopping function and benefits

from an adjacent surface level car park. The Lidl store lies on the northern edge of the town

centre, adjacent to Goldsworthy Way and possesses a net sales area of 930sq m. The store

specialises in the sale of discounted convenience goods and also has a small area devoted to

comparison goods sales. This store also benefits from an adjacent dedicated customer car

park. Elsewhere in the town centre, the convenience retail sector includes a Spar

convenience store, 2 butchers, 2 bakers, an off-licence, two newsagents, a health food shop,

a fishmonger and a confectionery store.

4.365 Outside of the town centre, there is a large Tesco supermarket located at the western edge of

the urban area on West Hill. The store extends to 2,300sq m net sales and sells a wide range

of convenience goods, supplemented by a small amount of comparison goods sales. The

store is served by a large surface level customer car park and provides the most popular

main/bulk food shopping destination in Wadebridge. As a consequence, the Tesco store is

very popular with both local residents and tourists visiting the area.

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4.366 At the time of finalising this report, Cornwall Council were considering three planning

applications for additional retail floorspace in Wadebridge. The first application is for an

extension to the Tesco store at West Hill. This application proposes the provision of an

additional 848sq m of net sales area, divided between additional convenience and

comparison goods floorspace. The second application has been made by Morrisons for a

new store at Bodieve Park on the eastern edge of the urban area. The proposed Morrisons

store extends to 2,120sq m net and forms part of a wider mixed use proposal. The final

application has been made by Sainsburys and proposes a 2,909sq m net supermarket at

Higher Trenant Road close to the Morrisons proposal on the eastern side of the Wadebridge

urban area. All proposals remain undetermined.

4.367 In terms of other retailer requirements in Wadebridge, our survey during winter 2009/2010

found 5 requirements, totalling 8,000-20,000sq ft gross. The requirements were from Pets at

Home, Subway, Laura Ashley, Warrens bakery and the British Heart Foundary (for a charity

shop).

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.368 There were only 5 vacant units identified in our 2009 survey, which represents 4% of the total

retail unit stock in the town centre. Whilst this is an increase from 4 vacancies in the previous

2008 survey, the number/proportion of vacancies in Wadebridge town centre is significantly

below both the national and Cornish towns average levels and is an indicator that the centre is

able to attract and retain retailers and other businesses. A survey of the centre indicates that

there are no obvious concentrations of vacant units in the town centre.

Accessibility

4.369 The A39, which bypasses Wadebridge town centre to the north, provides access to

Wadebridge for the neighbouring towns to the east and west. The A389 provides links to both

the A30 and A38 at Bodmin. There are five main routes into the town centre by private car

and parking is available at the following locations:

• Goldsworthy Way – 57 spaces

• Polmorla Road – 197 spaces

• Co-operative customer car park.

4.370 With regards to rail services, Wadebridge does not have a railway station. The nearest

national mainline railway station is at Bodmin Parkway, approximately 11 miles to the south

west.

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4.371 In terms of bus provision, Wadebridge bus station is located on Southern Way, within walking

distance to the south east of the core retail area. Shoppers can also use bus stops on The

Platt. The town is served by local buses which run frequently to Camelford, St Columb Major,

Padstow, Bodmin and less frequent services to Newquay, Okehampton and Exeter.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.372 The household survey identified the following issues relating to the town centre:

• 2% of survey respondents indicated that Wadebridge was their main local centre. This is

an equivalent level to Launceston and Newquay and slightly lower than Bodmin. The data

contained below relates to the responses given by those people who have stated

Wadebridge as their main centre.

• Around 50% of respondents indicated that they like Wadebridge due to its proximity and

convenience. 23% indicated that they like the range of multiple shops and 19% like the

range independent shops. 4% of respondents like the ease of parking and 7% like the

friendly environment.

• Almost two thirds (66%) of respondents stated that they disliked nothing about

Wadebridge, which is high (i.e. a positive aspect of the centre) when compared with other

centres in Cornwall. Those who did identify concerns included difficult parking (8%),

followed by the poor selection of multiple shops (4%).

• The three most popular suggestions for improvements that could be made to encourage

people to visit Wadebridge more often were more parking spaces (7%), improving the

choice of multiple shops (6%) and reducing the cost of parking (4%).

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.373 Wadebridge does not form part of the wider historic characterisation study which was

undertaken by Cornwall Council. With regards to its environmental quality, the core town

centre retail area is concentrated in and around Molesworth Street, The Platt and surrounding

streets. There is pedestrian priority scheme in place along Molesworth Street and the

environment has experienced noticeable improvements in recent years in terms of public

realm works. Molesworth Street is the most attractive street in the town centre, whilst areas to

the north are more industrial in nature and provide lower density development.

4.374 The Local Plan recognises that previously, the town centre had witnessed an accumulation of

advertisements in the town centre which has now been addressed by an Area of Special

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Control. Excluding Molesworth Street, the town centre does experience heavy traffic flows and

as a result there is a perceived conflict between pedestrians and vehicles.

Conclusion

4.375 Wadebridge is considered to be a healthy and attractive town centre and is clearly a popular

focus for both the local population and tourists visiting the area. The centre has a good range

of retail and service uses, with the convenience retail sector anchored by Co-op and Lidl

stores and a proportion of comparison goods retailers (which are generally local

independents) which is higher than national and Cornish average levels. Vacancies in the

town centre have been low in recent years, indicating that there is a good level of demand for

retail and commercial premises and there is a good degree of investor confidence in the

centre. In terms of its convenience goods shopping function, the town centre Co-op does

attract some main food shopping trips although the centre is likely to be attract a higher than

of top-up food shopping trips as the out of centre Tesco store at West Hill attracts the majority

of main/bulk food shopping trips.

4.376 The town centre also benefits from the route of the Camel Trail, a cycle route which links

Wadebridge to Padstow and Bodmin. The Camel Trail runs through the town centre and

allows tourists to stop off in the centre and visit/use its facilities. The route through the town

centre does require cyclists to share the main highway with motor vehicles, which is an area

where potential improvements could be made, as is the provision of additional bicycle parking

facilities, which would make the town centre a more attractive stop-off destination for tourists.

Bodmin Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.377 Bodmin is located in North Cornwall and has access to both the A30 and the A38 as main

routes running through Cornwall. The focus for retail activity within the town is Fore Street and

Honey Street. This area is characterised by retail and service outlets, including a number of

national multiples. The majority of the town centre falls within a conservation area.

4.378 The Local Plan was formally adopted in April 1999 and sets out North Cornwall District

Council policies for the district up to 2006. Whilst this timeframe has now passed, a number

of the policies in the Local Plan have been saved and continue to be used by CC for

development management purposes. The Plan defines the town centre as the Primary

Commercial Area and this incorporates Fore Street, the southern side of Dennison Road, Turf

Street, Crockwell Street, Market Street and Chapel Lane.

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4.379 The Local Plan also allocates land to the south of Fore Street for car parking (which has now

been provided), a pedestrian priority scheme for Fore Street and environmental improvements

to Mount Folly. There are no proposals or allocations for retail development in the Plan. Also,

the Town Leat, which is the main watercourse taking surface water from the built up areas of

the town to the River Camel and which runs through the town centre, is subject to its own

policy within the Local Plan which prevented allocated and other sites from coming forwards

until improvement works have been undertaken.

4.380 In recent years, there have been a number of regeneration initiatives in Bodmin. In 2007 a

Town Centre Framework Plan was published which set out a range of potential

redevelopment proposals for sites in and around the centre. These included retail-led mixed

use development between Fore Street and Dennison Road, a new multi-storey car park and

residential development to the south of Fore Street, mixed use development at St Petroc’s

Gateway to the east of Honey Street and further development along Dennison Road. Bodmin

is now subject to a town-wide masterplan, which is likely to include further initiatives for the

town centre and surrounding area.

4.381 4.259 Information on the diversity of uses within the town centre boundary has been

obtained from Experian Goad (survey dated June 2007) and updated by GVA Grimley in

November 2009. A copy of the updated Goad Plan is contained at Appendix P. This

information from Experian Goad indicates composition of the centre is as follows:

Table AH: Retail Composition of Bodmin town centre, 2007-2009 Sector 2007 2009 Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average

(2008) %

% No %

Convenience 12 8.11 13 8.90 10.10 9.53

Comparison 70 47.30 69 47.26 48.57 43.23

Service 50 33.78 45 30.82 31.59 33.97

Vacant 15 10.14 18 12.33 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.68 1 0.68 0.68 1.24

Total 148 100 146 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.382 Our land use survey indicates that there has been a small rise in the number of convenience

uses within Bodmin town centre since 2007. However, the proportion of convenience uses

(8.9%) remains below the national (9.5%) and Cornish (10.1%) averages. Comparison uses

have declined by one unit since 2007 and are commensurate with the Cornish average and

above the national average. The number of service uses has declined by five units since

2007 and are now below the national and Cornish averages.

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4.383 Table AI below provides the distribution of floorspace occupied by retail and services, plus

vacant floorspace, in Bodmin town centre between 2007 and 2009.

Table AI: Retail Floorspace Composition of Bodmin town centre, 2007-2009

Sector 2007 2009 Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK Average

%

Sq m % Sq m %

Convenience 1617 7.9 1895 9.4 15.3 17.4

Comparison 11093 54.1 10721 53.4 51.8 49.1

Service 6290 30.7 5741 28.6 24.0 22.0

Vacant 1254 6.1 1486 7.4 4.9 10.5

Miscellaneous 242 1.2 242 1.2 1.1 1.0

Total 20496 100 20085 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD and GVA Grimley. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.384 The amount of floorspace occupied by convenience retail uses has increased over the period

2007-2009 and, at the time of the latest survey, convenience uses occupied 9.4% of

floorspace. This is well below Cornish and national average levels, indicating that the

convenience uses which are present are comparatively small. The amount of floorspace

occupied by comparison retailers has decreased very slightly. The proportion of floorspace is

around 53% of town centre floorspace, which is slightly above the Cornish average and, to a

greater extent, the national average. The amount of floorspace occupied by service uses has

decreased by around 500sq m between 2007 and 2009, leading to a fall in the proportion of

town centre floorspace occupied. At the time of the latest survey, service uses occupied by

28.6% of all floorspace which remains above both Cornish and national average levels.

4.385 Having regard to other land uses in the town centre, the western end of the centre (at Lower

Fore Street) contains the town’s main library along with a number of residential uses and

public houses. To the north of the core retail area in the town centre, between Fore Street

and Dennison Road, are a petrol filling station, former Court buildings, a doctors surgery,

former car sales showroom sites, plus further residential accommodation hotels and public

houses. At the eastern edge of the town centre lies St Petroc’s Church, to the south of which

are car hire and former vehicle repair premises and a church hall at Church Square. Bodmin

Town Council’s officers are located on Turf Street (close to Priory Park) opposite which is

Mount Folly Square which contains Shire Hall (the former County Court in Bodmin and now a

tourist information centre and museum) and the Bodmin Town Museum.

4.386 Elsewhere in the town, Bodmin has the Dragon Leisure Centre which is located on Lostwithiel

Road and provides a modern facility including swimming pool, tennis courts, outdoor pitches,

squash courts, gym and an all weather pitch.

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Retailer Representation

4.387 Within Bodmin town centre, there are a number of national multiple retailers, including Millets,

Dorothy Perkins, Mackays, Clarks Shoes, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Boots, WH Smith and

Superdrug. Within the wider comparison retail sector, Bodmin town centre has a proportion of

clothing/footwear retail outlets which is close to average levels, whilst the proportion of

chemists, charity shop, electrical and arts/crafts/book outlets is above average levels. The

proportion of variety/department store and DIY retail outlets are well below average levels.

4.388 Apart from the usual high street banks and building societies, service sector in Bodmin town

centre comprises local independent operators. The updated Experian data suggests that

Bodmin town centre as a proportion of food and drink uses and travel agency services which

are lower than average levels. In contrast, health and beauty uses and estate agents are

above average levels.

4.389 Within the town centre, the convenience retail sector is relatively small when compared with

the Sainsburys, ASDA and Morrisons supermarkets located outside the centre. Within the

centre, convenience retail provision is generally small scale, focusing upon top-up food

shopping, although the recent additional of an Iceland frozen foods store has improved the

range of provision. Sainsburys occupy a store (formerly a Somerfield) to the north west of the

town centre. The store extends to 1,900sq m net sales and provides a reasonably wide range

of convenience products supplemented by a smaller comparison goods offer. The ASDA and

Morrisons stores are the largest supermarkets in Bodmin and are located on the eastern side

of the urban area, extending to 3,200sq m net and 2,300sq m net respectively. These stores

are the dominant main/bulk food shopping destinations in the town and are served by large

surface level customer car parking areas. Finally, planning permission was recently granted

for a Lidl discount foodstore on the former Police Station site on Priory Road to the east of the

town centre. This store is currently being constructed and will, when complete, provide a net

sales area of 1,070sq m.

4.390 Within the comparison goods retail sector, Bodmin Retail Park is located on Launceston Road

in the eastern part of the urban area, between the ASDA and Morrisons stores. The retail

park includes Carpetright, Furniture Warehouse, Homebase and Halfords uses. There is also

an unimplemented planning permission for retail warehouses on the western side of the urban

area on Dunmere Road, plus an unimplemented consent for retail warehousing adjacent to

the northern edge of the ASDA store on Launceston Road.

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Rents and Yields

4.391 Table D outlines the yield for Bodmin between 2003 and 2008, compared with the trends

within surrounding towns and other medium and large centres in Cornwall. The data indicates

that there has been a falling (i.e. improving) yield in Bodmin with the yield, at the time of the

most recent survey, in line with yields in St Austell, Redruth, Helston and Liskeard. The centre

is being outperformed, in terms of yields, by other towns with Cornwall but unlike a number of

the towns did not experience an increase in yields in 2008.

Retailer Requirements

4.392 During winter 2009/2010 there were 7 retailer requirements in Bodmin, totalling between

13,000-30,000sq ft gross new floorspace (Peacocks, Pets at Home, Subway, Warrens,

Superdrug and Mountain Warehouse). See data at Appendix C to this report. Historically,

Bodmin has had modest levels of retailer requirements compared with the other main centres

in Cornwall, although the town was able to attract 17 retailer requirements during 2005 and

the level of requirements has been between 10-20 between 2003 and 2007. At the time of

our re-survey in October 2010, the number of requirements in Bodmin had fallen to one (Card

Factory).

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.393 Our land use survey in 2009 indicated that approximately 12% of town centre units were

vacant which is above national and Cornish average level. Since 2007 there has been an

increase in the number of vacant units (10% of units in 2007) which suggests that the centre

is failing to attract and retain businesses. A survey of the centre indicates a concentration of

vacant units on Honey Street and parts of Fore Street. Arising out of the previous Town

Centre Framework Plan work, there is a concern that vacancies in the centre are rising due to

the lack of modern available units, the poor standard of the existing stock and the lack of

investment in the centre.

Accessibility

4.394 Bodmin town centre is accessible via a number of different local routes. The proximity of the

A30 and A38 to the town provides road links to nearby towns and the strategic road network.

When arriving at the town centre, there are a number of places to park:

• Denison Road – 62 spaces

• Fore Street Short Stay – 46 spaces

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• Fore Street Long Stay – 46 spaces

• Berrycombe Road – 32 spaces (plus adjacent Sainsburys store shoppers car park)

• Priory Park – 150 spaces

4.395 In terms if rail access, Bodmin train station is located over a mile outside of the town and

therefore beyond reasonable walking distance. Both local and national services are provided,

connecting the town to London, Truro, Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol and beyond. Bodmin Parkway

is linked to the town centre via the Bodmin and Wenford Steam Railway (a tourist based

railway which runs on an infrequent basis).

4.396 With regards to bus provision, the main bus stops are located close to the Shire Hall at Mount

Folly to the south east of the primary shopping area and operates high frequency bus services

which connect Bodmin to the local villages surrounding the town. Furthermore, regular buses

connect Bodmin to Liskeard, St Columb Major, Padstow and Wadebridge.

Customer Views and Behaviour

4.397 The household survey identified these key issues for the town centre:

• 2.5% of survey respondents indicated that Bodmin was their main local centre. This is

around the same level as Liskeard and above the levels for Newquay, Launceston and

Wadebridge. The information outlined below relates to the responses given by those

people stating that Bodmin was their main centre.

• The selection of multiple retailers (13%), the selection of independent shops (6%) and the

ease of parking (4%) were identified as common ‘likes’ beyond the usual

proximity/convenience responses (64%). The main dislikes about the centre include the

poor selection of multiple shops (21%), poor selection of independent shops (19%),

expensive parking (5%), difficulty parking (6%), unattractive environment (9%) and lack of

leisure/cinema facilities (2%).

• Apart from improving the choice of multiple shops (30%) it was suggested that the

provision of a new cinema (17%) and improvement to the range of independent shops

(16%) may persuade respondents to visit the centre more often.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.398 The majority of the town centre falls within a conservation area, which extends from the Old St

Lawrence’s Hospital to the west, running eastwards along Higher Bore Street and St

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Leonard’s into Lower Bore Street, Fore street, including the area around the Priory and

Church Square and then running south-eastwards along Mount Folly Square, Turf Street, St

Nicholas and ending up in Bodmin Barracks.

4.399 Mount Folly Square forms the historic civic administration heart of the centre accommodating

landmark buildings such as Shire House Hall and the public rooms. To the north of Fore

Street is a pay and display car park along with a mixture of pre and post war developments

along with Dennison Road which is characterised by a mix of residential, retail and

underutilised land.

4.400 The focus for retail activity in Bodmin is within the mixed use town centre, particularly along

Fore Street. The Bodmin Town Centre Development Brief looks to extend the prime retail area

of Fore Street and a connected series of routes to establish a ‘retail circuit’ and help meet

expressed demand for new retail floorspace in the town centre.

4.401 The historic extent of Bodmin town centre continues to be relatively well defined, with the

character of almost all of the central area deriving strongly from the survival of historic

buildings and the distinctive historic street layout. For the pedestrian the primary impression of

the town as ‘one long street’ is still essentially the same as that of sixteenth-century.

4.402 The town centre contains a significant number of listed buildings, with a particular

concentration in Fore Street and Honey Street. The town also has a number of Scheduled

Ancient Monuments, including St Petrcoc’s Church.

4.403 Traffic congestion and air quality, particularly on Dennison Road, are major issues for the

town. An Air Quality Management Area (‘AQMA’) has been identified covering the majority of

the central area. Addressing the unacceptable levels of pollution as a result of traffic

congestion is an identified key priority for the town.

4.404 Recent investment has helped to improve the public realm around some of the key buildings

within the centre, such as Shire Hall, however, other landmark building such as St Petroc’s

Church and the library suffer from a poor quality setting.

Conclusion

4.405 Bodmin town centre has long been recognised a requiring further investment and the recent

Town Centre Framework Plan outlines a number of potential development options to boost its

health. The centre has a range of convenience and comparison retail operators including a

number within the national multiple sector, although the convenience retail sector is focused

towards top-up food shopping. In recent years, vacancies in the centre have been rising and

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there is concern that the standard of available units does not meet the requirements of

national multiple and other retailers/businesses. Alongside its potential for significant levels of

residential development growth in the coming years, Bodmin’s town centre has the potential to

regenerate and expand and every effort should be made to deliver new retail development on

the identified sites in the Town Centre Framework Plan.

Padstow Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.406 Padstow is situated on the western banks of the Camel Estuary in west Cornwall and located

within the former North Cornwall District Council administrative boundary. It lies approximately

6 miles west of Wadebridge, 9 miles north east of Newquay and 9 miles north west of Bodmin.

The main roads into the town comprise of A359 (to Wadebridge) and the B3276 (to

Newquay).

4.407 As a town, it is one of the premier tourist destinations in Cornwall with a specialist niche

surrounding the fishing industry and eating establishments. Padstow is situated around a

pleasant harbour with a quayside area that is designated as a Conservation Area. The

influence of tourism is most pronounced in and around the harbour.

4.408 The town does not benefit from a train station and is therefore reliant on access by road. The

village of Rock is accessible from via a ferry link across the Camel Estuary.

4.409 The interim planning policy for Padstow is included within the North Cornwall District Local

Plan (1999) which allocates a Primary Commercial Area within Padstow which incorporates:

Market Place; Broad Street; The Strand; The Arcade; Middle Street; Mill Square; North Quay;

and Lanadwell Street. It is noted within the Local Plan that the future of the town is dependent

upon the ability to consolidate and increase town centre activity within a well defined area and

maintaining an attractive town centre environment.

Diversity of Uses

4.410 The most recent land use surveys for Padstow town centre are recorded in the 2005 North

Cornwall Retail Study and are summarised below.

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Table AJ: Retail Composition of Padstow town centre, 2001-2005

Sector 2005 2001

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 7 6.4 8 7.8 10.10 9.53

Comparison 65 59.6 59 57.8 48.57 43.23

Service 29 26.6 32 31.4 31.59 33.97

Vacant 1 0.9 1 1.0 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 7 6.4 2 2.0 0.68 1.24

Total 109 100 102 100 100 100

Source: 2005 North Cornwall Retail Study. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.411 In 2005, Padstow had a lower than average proportion of convenience retail units (6.4%)

which was slightly below the level recorded in the previous survey in 2001. It should also be

noted that prior to the Tesco store opening in 2000 there were 14 convenience retail units in

the town centre, although the loss of these uses has led to an increased number of

comparison goods occupiers in the town centre rather than an increased vacancy rate.

4.412 Comparison uses are well above both the Cornwall and national average levels, which reflects

the popularity of Padstow and its status as tourism destination. The number of comparison

units has been growing steadily since 1995 when there were 57 units in non-food use. The

proportion of units in service use in Padstow town centre is actually below the national

average which is slightly surprising given its tourism function although is likely to be explained

by the town’s higher order comparison goods shopping destination role.

4.413 Outside of the town centre, there is a modest sized Tesco store on the edge of the urban

area. The store extends to 1,000sq m net sales area and sells a reasonably wide range of

convenience goods. The store, according to the 2008 household survey, is the only main

food shopping destination in the town and also attracts a higher market share of top-up food

shopping trips than convenience facilities in Padstow town centre. Translating these market

shares into financial turnover levels, our quantitative assessment indicates that Padstow

attracts around £7m of convenience goods expenditure from the local area. For comparison

goods shopping, £2m of expenditure is attracted from the study area, primarily zone 17 (the

zone in which Padstow sits). In practice, the total turnover of convenience and comparison

goods facilities in the town will be much higher given the impact of tourist expenditure.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.414 The number of vacancies in Padstow town centre has remained very low since the 1990s and

is well below the national average. At the time of the 2005 survey there was only one vacant

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unit in the town centre and in 1995 there were only 3 recorded vacancies. This trend strongly

supports the view that Padstow is a healthy and population town centre, which is attractive to

retail and service operators.

Accessibility

4.415 Padstow is situated on the west coast of Cornwall approximately 9 miles north west of Bodmin

and the A30 trunk road. The town is relatively isolated in comparison to other Cornish towns

and can be subject to high levels of congestion during peak holiday periods. When driving to

the town, public car parking can be found at Link Road which provides 312 ‘Pay & Display’

surface level car parking spaces. There are also private car parks at Riverside and New

Street. During peak periods it can be very difficult to easily find a parking space in Padstow,

which is primarily due to the high volume of visitors/tourists in the town. This situation will

affect the attractiveness of the town centre to the local population.

4.416 There is no railway station located in Padstow. The nearest station is located at either

Newquay or Bodmin, both of which are situated 9 miles from Padstow.

4.417 There are daily bus services from Padstow to Bodmin, Wadebridge and Newquay and less

frequent services to Truro and Plymouth.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.418 The town centre is characterised by its harbour setting and the narrow streets and lanes

which are mainly medieval in origin. The streets are enclosed by buildings which have been

constructed at the edge of the road or footpath. The centre is unique amongst the main

centres in Cornwall given that it wraps around the harbour and there is considerable

interaction between these two areas.

4.419 The majority of buildings within the town centre date back to the 18th and 19

th centuries and

there are also a number of former warehouse buildings around the harbour. The majority of

buildings have retained original character and most remain unaffected by the dominant tourist

industry.

4.420 The town centre is included within a Conservation Area and also includes a large number of

Listed Buildings (including that of: St Petroc’s Church; Prideaux Place; Abbey House; and

Trenearne).

4.421 One of the main factors affecting the quality of the public realm in Padstow is the high levels

of congestion (including traffic congestion) which occur during the summer months. Cornwall

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Council have implemented traffic management measures in an attempt to alleviate some of

the congestion and give priority to pedestrians.

Conclusions

4.422 Padstow town centre chiefly serves a tourism role and its retail and service is aimed at the

tourism/visitor market rather than trying to serve the day to day needs of the local population.

As a consequence, it is clear that Padstow is performing a specialist role in the retail

hierarchy, with the town centre one of the main reasons why tourists visit the town. The

centre has a very low vacancy rate and high proportion of comparison goods uses which has

been a consistent attribute of the centre for many years. The town centre environment is

historic in nature, is well maintained and is attractive in appearance. All of these factors

contribute to the conclusion that Padstow possesses a very healthy town centre, although with

this good health comes a significant amount of congestion in the summer months due to the

high levels of tourists/visitors to the town.

Camelford Town Centre

Structure of the Town Centre

4.423 Camelford is located in the former North Cornwall District area and lies astride the A39

between Bude and Wadebridge. The town is situated on the banks of the River Camel on the

north-western boundary of Bodmin moor and approximately 4 miles inland from the West

Coast. In terms of nearby centres, Bodmin is located approximately 10 miles to the south,

Wadebridge is 10 miles to the south west and Launceston is located 14 miles to the east.

4.424 The interim planning policy for Camelford is included within the North Cornwall District Local

Plan (1999). The Local Plan allocates a Primary Commercial Area within the town which is

centred upon the A39 and is located wholly within a defined Conservation Area.

Diversity of Uses

4.425 The 2005 North Cornwall Retail Study provides the most recent land use survey data for

Camelford and includes land use data for 2005 and 2001. This data is summarised below.

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Table AK: Retail Composition of Camelford town centre, 2001-2005

Sector 2005 2001

No. % No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 4 8.7 5 11.4 10.10 9.53

Comparison 19 41.3 19 43.2 48.57 43.23

Service 14 30.4 16 36.4 31.59 33.97

Vacant 5 10.9 0 0.0 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 4 8.7 4 9.1 0.68 1.24

Total 46 100 44 100 100 100

Source: 2005 North Cornwall Retail Study. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.426 The most recent survey data indicates that there were four convenience units in the town

centre, down from five units in 2001. The proportion of convenience uses in Camelford is now

below the national and Cornwall average levels. The largest convenience retail facility in

Camelford is the Co-op foodstore which lies outside of the town centre and extends to 200sq

m net. Given its size, this store serves a top-up food shopping function and has a limited

catchment based upon the local area. Comparison uses in the centre remained constant

between 2001 and 2005 and occupied a proportion of the town centre which is comparable to

the national average but below the Cornwall average. Over the period 2001-2005 the number

of service dropped slightly and fell below the national and Cornwall average levels.

4.427 In relation to other leisure uses in Camelford, the town’s leisure centre is located on Station

Road and includes a swimming pool, gym, tennis courts and sports hall.

4.428 Camelford lies within zone 22 of the household survey study area and the survey data

indicates that convenience stores in the town are only able to capture 3% of main food

shopping trips from this area. The retention of top-up food shopping trips is higher at 34%,

although significant levels of leakage still exist. In financial terms Camelford attracts £3.6m of

convenience goods expenditure, the vast majority of which is attracted from zone 22, with

very small levels of expenditure from rural areas to the east. Camelford does not register as a

significant comparison goods destination in the household survey and the quantitative

assessment estimates a 2009 (study area derived) turnover for comparison goods facilities of

£0.1m. In practice, this is likely to be an under-estimate, particularly given the impact of

tourist expenditure.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.429 In 2001, Cornwall County Council land use surveys indicated that Camelford town centre had

no vacant retail units. By 2005, there were five vacant units, which is comparable to the

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Cornwall average. This appears a large rise in percentage terms, and whilst only five units is

a noticeable change in the land use composition in the centre.

Accessibility

4.430 The town centre is highly accessible by car due to its location on the A39. However, the A39

is a heavily congested route particularly in the summer months and has an impact on the

attractiveness and pedestrian movement around the town centre. A planned bypass for the

town, which would relieve congestion (and air quality issues) within the centre, was granted

planning permission in 2004 but has not yet been delivered.

4.431 In terms of car parking, there is one council owned car park used in conjunction with the town

centre (Camelford Clease Car Park) which has 60 spaces. There are daily bus services

linking Camelford with the other main towns in the North Cornwall area.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.432 Having regard to the state of the built environment within Camelford town centre, the most

useful source of information is a historic characterisation report prepared by Cornwall County

Council in September 2005. This report the town into four different areas, one of which (the

medieval area) lies wholly within the Primary Commercial Area as defined within the Local

Plan. This area incorporates whole of the original 13th century market town and includes

Fore Street which accommodates two and three storey retail units, public buildings, residential

dwellings and public houses. The lowest part of Victoria Road incorporates a mix of

commercial and residential properties. Market Place has historic buildings of various dates,

sizes and quality and includes shops, services and public buildings. Overall, the buildings in

the centre of Camelford offer a rich variety of size and character reflecting their piecemeal

development of the town over the centuries.

Conclusions

4.433 Overall, Camelford is an attractive town centre and performs a role which concentrates on

serving the local population and tourists. Unlike towns like Padstow and St Ives, the town

centre does not perform a specialist function and instead serves the residents of the town and

surrounding villages. Retail and service uses in the centre are limited, as would be expected

for a town of this size, and we do not consider that there are any significant issues with the

ongoing health of the centre. A potential improvements to the character of the centre could be

made is via the removal of the high levels of traffic, although the planned bypass has yet to

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come forward and the downside of such a scheme would be to remove passing trade from

town centre businesses.

Callington

Structure of the town centre

4.434 Callington lies in the eastern part of Cornwall, some 9 miles to the north-east of Liskeard and

9 miles to the north of Saltash. The town lies at the junction of the A390 and A388 which

provide the main routes through the town.

4.435 The interim planning policy for the town is provided by the Caradon Local Plan, which

identifies a town centre area covering Fore Street, Church Street, Well Street and Back Lane

(A388). Unlike Saltash and Liskeard (which also lie in the former Caradon District area), the

town centre in Callington is not subject to any primary shopping frontage or shopping core

designations.

Diversity of uses

4.436 Callington is covered by a regular Experian GOAD land use survey, with the most recent

survey being undertaken in May 2008. This data is provided below.

Table AL: Retail Composition of Callington town centre, 2008

Sector 2008

No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 7 11.7 10.10 9.53

Comparison 22 36.7 48.57 43.23

Service 29 48.3 31.59 33.97

Vacant 1 1.7 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 1.7 0.68 1.24

Total 60 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD land use data, 2008. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.437 The latest GOAD information indicates that there were 7 convenience units in the town centre,

which is equivalent to 11.7% of all units within the centre and slightly higher than the Cornwall

and national average levels. Immediately to the south of the town centre is a modest sized

Co-op store on New Road, which is served by approximately 120 car parking spaces. The

store has a net sales area of approximately 1,000sq m. In addition to the Co-op store, there

are a small number of independent convenience operators including bakery, newsagent and

greengrocer uses plus a Spar convenience store. The household survey indicates that

Callington is able to retain only 18% of local main food shopping trips (from zone 20) and

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around half of top-up food shopping trips. Overall, Callington attracts £7.8m of convenience

goods expenditure from the study area, all of which flows from the immediate local area (zone

20). Convenience shopping facilities in Callington will be significantly expanded following the

approval of a new Tesco store on land outside of the town centre on Tavistock Road. The

store is likely to provide a main/bulk-food shopping destination which will stem leakage of

expenditure to Saltash, Liskeard and Launceston.

4.438 Comparison retail uses are below the Cornwall and national averages and comprises mostly

local independent operators. Retailers include pharmacies and household goods occupiers,

although the extend of retailers present indicates that Callington has a lower order function

within the retail hierarchy in eastern Cornwall. Like convenience retailing, comparison goods

stores in Callington draw their trade from zone 20 of the study area and have low market

shares across all goods categories. Overall, our quantitative assessment indicates a study

area derived turnover of £2.9m for comparison goods stores in Callington, with the main

destinations for leakage of expenditure being Saltash, Launceston and Liskeard.

4.439 The proportion of service uses in Callington town centre is well above the Cornwall and

national average levels. There are a number of take-aways, hair salons, travel agents and

banks. The high proportion of service uses in Callington confirms its localised role in serving

the immediate population.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.440 At the time of the 2008 land use survey there was only one vacant unit in Callington town

centre. This is a sign that the centre is able to perform its localised shopping and service role

well and there is a good level of interest from the business community.

Accessibility

4.441 The main town centre car parking area in Callington is adjacent to the Co-op store to the

south of New Road. This facilities serves both a town centre function and also

accommodates visitors to the adjacent Co-op store. Beyond this facility, there is also a small

parking area to the north of New Road, plus small facilities on Chapel Street.

4.442 Bus services. The town centre’s main bus stops are located at the northern end of New

Road, close to its junction with Fore Street.

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4.443 Pedestrian movement around the town centre benefits from relatively wide pavement areas

on Fore Street and the surrounding streets. There is also a zebra crossing on Fore Street to

aide pedestrian movement.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.444 Callington has a designed Conservation Area which covers a similar area to that of the town

centre boundary. This area includes a number of listed historic buildings, the majority of

which are Grade II listed. There are few modern buildings in the town centre and the majority

are earlier that the mid 19th century (built during the industrial development of the town). The

exception to this is the Co-op store, which was developed in the mid-1990s. The medieval

character of the core area of town can still be felt in the alleyways which spread off from the

town centre street, including long thin burgage plots, stone outbuildings and yards. However,

despite the survival of a high proportion of historic buildings and fabric, there are signs of lack

of investment and maintenance in some town centre buildings which is affecting the general

character and appearance of the centre.

Conclusions

4.445 Callington is a small town centre which serves a lower order function in the retail hierarchy in

eastern Cornwall. The centre possesses a high proportion of service uses and a lower than

average proportion of comparison goods occupiers, suggesting that the centre is orientated

towards serving local day-to-day service needs rather than a destination which provides a

wide range of retail goods. The centre’s service function is accompanied by a reasonable

range of convenience goods retail provision, dominated by a Co-op store on the southern

edge of the town centre. The Co-op store enables the town to retain around one fifth of

main/bulk food shopping trips and around half of all top-up food shopping trips from the local

area. Retention of convenience shopping trips within Callington is likely to increase as a

result of a Tesco foodstore which has recently been approved by the Council, although this

store will be located outside of the town centre and there is likely to be affect upon the level of

customers visiting the Co-op store and linking their trips with the remainder of the town centre.

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Looe

Structure of the town centre

4.446 Looe is located on the south coast of Cornwall and is within the former Caradon administrative

area. The town is set within an attractive waterfront area and is a popular tourist destination.

The town is located immediately to the south of Liskeard and the main vehicular route into the

town is the A387. Interim planning policy for the area comprises the Caradon Local Plan First

Alteration (2007) and the defined town centre includes Fore Street, High Market Street, Buller

Street and The Quay area within East Looe. On the other side of the river, in West Looe,

there is also a small number of retail and commercial uses close to the Millpool car parking

area.

Diversity of uses

4.447 Looe is covered by Experian GOAD’s regular land use surveys and the latest survey was

undertaken in May 2007. The land use data collected by that survey is contained below.

Table AM: Retail Composition of Looe town centre, 2007

Sector 2007

No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 16 11.9 10.10 9.53

Comparison 65 48.5 48.57 43.23

Service 47 35.1 31.59 33.97

Vacant 4 3.0 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 2 1.5 0.68 1.24

Total 134 100 100 100

Source: Experian GOAD land use data, 2008. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.448 The GOAD data indicates that Looe has higher than average proportions of convenience,

comparison and service uses in its town centre. Within the convenience sector, there is are

small Co-op and Somerfield stores located on Fore Street. These stores sell a modest range

of convenience products and, as demonstrated by the results of the household survey, serve

primarily a top-up food shopping function. Beyond these stores, there are a large number of

bakeries (some of which also include a café area), plus convenience stores, greengrocers,

fishmongers and an off-licence. The overall convenience shopping function in Looe is

orientated to top-up food shopping and less than 5% of main food shopping trips from the

local area (zone 18) remain within the town. Furthermore, only 13% of top-up food shopping

trips remain within the town. The main destination for convenience shopping trips for Looe

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residents is Liskeard, particularly the out-of-centre Morrisons store. Convenience stores in

Looe attract just under £3m of expenditure from the study area (all of which comes from zone

18), with the Somerfield store the most successful single unit (£1.1m).

4.449 There is a long-standing proposal for a foodstore on the Millpool car park in West Looe,

although planning permission has never been granted.

4.450 Within the comparison retail sector, Looe has a high number of gift shops which is

unsurprising given the tourism function of the town. In addition, there are also number of

clothing, mixed goods and books/arts/stationery supplies stores. The majority of occupiers

are local independent traders, although there is a Boots pharmacy. Comparison goods retail

uses in the town centre attract £2.7m of expenditure from the study area, with £2.6m of this

coming from local residents in zone 18. Within the service sector there is a very high

proportion of food and drink uses, including cafes, restaurants and take-away uses; again

unsurprising given the function of the town. There are lower than average proportions of

banks and building society uses in the centre (although high street national banks are

present) and a lower than average proportion of hair and beauty-related uses.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.451 At the time of the most recent survey, only 4 units were vacant in Looe town centre and one of

these was under alternative and is now occupied. The remaining three units were spread

across the centre and were very small. Overall, only 3% of the total stock of retail units was

vacant at the time of the previous survey which indicates that Looe is a popular location for

businesses.

Accessibility

4.452 Car parking with Looe comprises an area adjacent to the waterfront in East Looe on Station

Road, plus a small parking area at Church End. However, the main parking area lies on the

opposite side of the river in West Looe, adjacent to the Mill Pool, and comprises a large

surface level pay and display facility. Whilst this facility requires a lengthy walk to the shops

and services in East Looe, it is well used by local residents and visitors to the town centre

(given the difficulty of finding parking spaces in the smaller parking areas close to the shops

and services in East Looe).

4.453 Bus services. The main bus stops in the town centre lie on Station Road, adjacent to bridge

over the river, to the north of the core retail/service area.

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State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.454 The natural topography of Looe has led to a distinctive pattern of development in the town

centre. Fore Street, which is the main shopping trip, narrows along its length from north to

south and accommodates 19th century buildings (plus a small number of 16

th and 17

th century

survivals). Architectural styles are varied and the majority of buildings are well maintained

and retain their original character. As Fore Street turns into Buller Street and Higher Market

Street, the street pattern becomes even tighter and provides an attractive sense of enclosure.

As already noted, the cars and pedestrians share the narrow streets within the town centre,

which can detract from the appearance of parts of the centre, although the retention of vehicle

movements is needed in order to serve the various occupiers. The southern end of the town

centre then opens up into the coastal area around Church End which includes one of the few

public spaces in Looe.

Conclusions

4.455 Looe is a very attractive and popular town centre destination, with a low vacancy rate and

higher than average proportions of convenience, comparison and service uses. The role and

function of the town centre is clearly orientated towards Looe’s attractiveness as a tourism

destination. In some cases, this leads to the local popular travelling to nearby settlements

such as Liskeard for their convenience and comparison shopping needs. Indeed, the vast

majority of main food shopping trips leak to Liskeard and only half of top-up food shopping

trips are retained. Despite this situation, the town centre is considered to be very healthy and

attractive destination and should be considered as offering a specialist retail role in the

Cornwall retail hierarchy..

St Columb Major

Structure of the town centre

4.456 St Columb Major lies within the former Restormel Borough area of Cornwall and is located to

the east of Newquay and to the north of Indian Queens. St Columb Major is a modest-sized

settlement which lies adjacent to the A39 and attracts District Centre status in the interim

planning policy document for the area: the Restormel Borough Council Local Plan 2001. The

District Centre boundary in the Local Plan includes Fair Street, Fore Street, Broad Street,

Market Place and the southern end of Bank Street. This is a relatively large area in the

context of St Columb Major and accommodates retail and service uses, plus other commercial

and public uses and residential accommodation.

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Diversity of uses

4.457 There is not a comprehensive up-to-date land use survey information for St Columb Major

town centre. The town centre includes a mixture of retail, service, leisure and public uses

including inter alia a small Co-op store, public houses, a pharmacy, dentist, estate agents and

a pet shop. The largest concentration of main town centre uses can be found towards the

northern part of the defined District Centre boundary, although throughout the centre the

commercial uses which are present are interspersed with residential uses and a number of

vacant properties. The mix of uses present in the town centre indicate that St Columb Major’s

role in the retail hierarchy is one of serving the local population’s day-to-day shopping and

service needs, with leakage from the town occurring in relation to main food shopping and

most categories of comparison goods.

Accessibility

4.458 The town centre in St Columb Major lies close to the A39 which runs along the north Cornwall

coast, which allows for good vehicular access. The highway network in the town centre itself

is narrow with Fair Street and Fore Street having to accommodate two-way traffic, whilst

Broad Street and Market Place adopt a one way system. There is an off-street parking area

towards the southern end of the town centre, to the west of Fair Street/Fore Street, whilst on-

street parking occurs along parts of Market Place and Broad Street. Due to their narrow

nature, Fair Street and Fore Street have parking restrictions along their entire length.

4.459 A number of bus services visit St Columb Major and link the town to Padstow, St Merryn,

Bodmin, Liskead, Wadebridge, Camelford and Newquay. Bus stops are located at the

northern and southern ends of the centre.

4.460 Pedestrian movement around the centre of St Columb Major is influenced by two factors.

First, the length of the centre and the lack of a single concentration of retail and other main

town centre uses gives the feel of a lengthy walking distance and detracts from the

attractiveness of the centre as a shopping destination. Second, given the narrowness of the

streets, pavement areas are very narrow in places which constrains easy pedestrian

movement and passing pedestrians sometimes have to use the vehicular highway which itself

is constrained by two-way traffic.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.461 In March 2010, Cornwall Council published a Conservation Area Character Appraisal for St

Columb Major. This document outlined a number of key positive and negative features of the

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Conservation Area in St Columb along with some recommendations for the future. A number

of the key points are as follows:

• Town centre has winding, narrow streets with a high concentration of listed buildings

• Many buildings in poor state of repair, especially some key buildings in the town centre

• Shops have closed and businesses relocated, reducing facilities and resulting in a lack of

vitality in the town centre

• Poor quality public realm, narrow pavements and perception of a car-dominated

environment

• Recommendations for future work including: improve Market Place, Fore Street and

Union Square, provide new car park to serve town centre and traffic calm town centre

(including widened pavements).

Conclusions

4.462 St Columb Major plays a limited role in the retail hierarchy in Cornwall, but nevertheless is a

important focus for the local community. The centre performs a day-to-day shopping and

service role for the local community, although limited levels of expenditure are likely to be

attracted to the centre, with a large outflow of convenience and comparison shopping trips.

The defined centre, which is a District Centre in the Restormel Local Plan, is relatively large

for the size of this settlement and retail and other main town centre uses are interspersed with

residential and other uses. There is a clear opportunity for improvements to be made to the

attractiveness and appearance of the centre, which has the potential to accommodate a

greater range of uses (which should fill a number of vacant units within the centre).

St Just

Structure of the centre

4.463 St Just lies at the western end of Cornwall, within the former Penwith District area. The town

lies to the west of Penzance and to the north of Lands End.

4.464 Within the Penwith Local Plan, St Just is identified as a village centre in the retail hierarchy.

The Local Plan proposals map identifies Bank Square and Market Share, plus the northern

part of Fore Street as lying within the defined centre. In the context of other centres covered

by this study, St Just is small scale and has the appearance and layout of a pleasant and

attractive village/rural centre.

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Diversity of uses

4.465 The latest land use data was collected by Penwith District Council in 2008. We have taken

this data and organised it into the following classification (based upon the GOAD method of

classifying town centre land uses). The Council survey examined retail and related land uses

within and outside of the defined centre and both sets of data are outlined below.

Table AN: Retail Composition of St Just, 2008 (Town Centre Only)

Sector 2008

No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 6 28.6 10.10 9.53

Comparison 7 33.3 48.57 43.23

Service 7 33.3 31.59 33.97

Vacant 0 0 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 4.8 0.68 1.24

Total 21 100 100 100

Source: Penwith District Council. Figures may not add due to rounding

Table AO: Retail Composition of St Just, 2008 (Town Centre and Outside Town Centre

uses)

Sector 2008

No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 8 10.10 9.53

Comparison 13 48.57 43.23

Service 10 31.59 33.97

Vacant 1 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 0.68 1.24

Total 100 100 100

Source: Penwith District Council. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.466 The main convenience uses in the centre are small Co-op and Spar convenience stores which

serve a top-up food shopping function.

Accessibility

4.467 Given its location, the majority of visits to the defined centre in St Just are likely to be via

private car or walk-in trade from the settlement itself. There is on-street parking on the streets

surrounding the centre with some dedicated provision within Market Square. The main off-

street parking facility is located on Market Street to the west (and outside of) the defined

centre. This facility provides for over 100 spaces and is also the location of the main bus

stops near the centre.

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4.468 Bus services.

4.469 The pedestrian environment within the centre is considered to be good, with wide pavement

areas and the low levels of traffic through the centre make it easy to cross the vehicular

highway.

State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.470 The overall appearance of St Just is one of an attractive and well maintained centre.

Properties are mainly 2-3 storeys in height and are a mixture of terraced, semi-detached and

detached buildings. There is evidence that buildings are well maintained and most appear

unaffected by modern alternations. The public realm in St Just is also very goods, with well

maintained pavement areas, including good quality street furniture. Overall, it is clear that the

state of the built environment in St Just contributes to the attractiveness and health of the

centre.

Conclusions

4.471 St Just is a small settlement in the western part of Cornwall whose defined centre provides an

attractive focus for the town and also attracts tourists. Retail uses are, as to be expected,

small scale and focused upon the day-to-day needs of the local population.

Fowey

Structure of the town centre

4.472 Fowey is located on the south coast of Cornwall within the former Borough of Restormel. The

Restormel Local Plan identified Fowey as a district centre in the retail hierarchy and the

defined district centre includes: Browns Hill, Lostwithiel Street, South Street, Fore Street,

Webb Street, Market Street and the northern end of the Esplanade. There are no allocations

for retail development or any other town centre uses in the central part of Fowey.

Diversity of uses

4.473 The latest land use data for the central area of Fowey was collected by Experian in January

2008 and is outlined in Table AP below.

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Table AP: Retail Composition of Fowey, 2008

Sector 2008

No. %

Selected Cornwall

Average %

UK

Average %

Convenience 7 10.6 10.10 9.53

Comparison 33 50.0 48.57 43.23

Service 21 31.8 31.59 33.97

Vacant 4 6.1 10.14 12.03

Miscellaneous 1 1.5 0.68 1.24

Total 66 100 100 100

Source: Penwith District Council. Figures may not add due to rounding

4.474 Just under 11% of units in the centre of Fowey are occupied by convenience uses, including

two bakers, one butcher, one fishmonger, two small grocery stores and an off-licence. This

proportion of convenience uses in Fowey is commensurate with national and Cornish average

levels.

4.475 Half of all units surveyed in Fowey were occupied by comparison goods retailers. This is

above the Cornish and national average levels, with a high number of clothing/shoes,

books/crafts, household goods and gifts shops. Generally, comparison goods retailers are

local independent traders. The proportion of service uses in Fowey is the same as the

Cornish average and slightly below the national average. There is a high number of food and

drink uses and estate agency uses and a lower than average proportion of health and beauty

uses.

Proportion of Vacant Street Level Property

4.476 At the time of the most recent land use survey, there were only 4 vacant units in the town

centre which, as a proportion of all surveyed units, is 6%. This is half the national average

levels and also well below the Cornish average level. The vacancies were located on Webb

Street, the southern end of Fore Street and in peripheral locations at the northern end of Fore

Street.

Accessibility

4.477 Fowey is located to the east of St Austell and Par and can be reached by the A3082. within

the defined central area, the town’s streets are very narrow and pedestrians and motor

vehicles share the same area. Parking facilities in this area are very limited and the main car

park in Fowey can be found off Hanson Drive, which is a reasonably short walk to the west of

the centre.

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State of Town Centre Environmental Quality

4.478 Fowey’s medieval importance as a port and historic market town and its late 19th century

residential continues to shape its special character today. The town’s relationship with the

river and the wider estuary setting is central to its character. The high quality natural

environment is matched by the quality and completeness, richness and interest of Fowey’s

built environment. The town core is still largely defined by its tight-knit medieval layout of

narrow streets tightly flanked by densely packed three storey buildings. The concentration of

nationally significant buildings includes important groups of surviving medieval structures,

merchant’s houses, prestigious townhouses and industrial structures.

Conclusions

4.479 Fowey’s unique, ancient and atmospheric character sets it apart as a very special place that

contributes to the town’s popularity and success. The town offers a focus for its local

population in terms of some day to day convenience shopping and service uses, although a

number of businesses in Fowey are orientated towards the visitor/tourist market, leading to

local residents travelling to St Austell for their wider shopping needs.

Leisure Provision in the Main Centres in Cornwall

4.480 In the preceding parts of this section we have outlined the scale and type of leisure provision

in each of the main centres in Cornwall. We now bring this information together and

summarise the quantity of leisure provision in each centre, highlighting those centres with

good levels of provision and those centres with deficiencies. The analysis concentrates upon

food and drink uses, cinemas, bingo halls, sports centres and ten pin bowling facilities.

4.481 In Cornwall, the scale and type of leisure uses present in a number of centres is designed to

meet the needs of not only the local population but also the large amount of tourists visiting

Cornwall. Data from South West Tourism indicates that in 2008 tourists spend around

£450m on food and drink in Cornwall, with a further £177m spent on attractions and

entertainment. This is in addition to over £330m spent on shopping in Cornwall.

4.482 In their own right, these are sizable financial contributions to the Cornwall economy although

their importance is shown when they are compared with the spending of local residents. Data

from Experian indicates that Cornwall residents spend £510m of food and drink (i.e.

restaurant, cafes, take aways etc) which is only £60m higher than the contribution of tourists.

Local residents also spend £266m on leisure and entertainment, which is around £90m higher

than tourist spending on this type of leisure services.

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4.483 In the future, Experian predicts spending on leisure services to rise by 1.7% per annum.

Therefore, there will be an extra £216m of expenditure from local residents on food and drink

and an £190m from tourists. There will be an extra £75m of expenditure from tourists on

entertainment and attractions and an extra £115m from local residents. This increase in

expenditure offers significant potential for the town centres in Cornwall, which should aim to

attract this expenditure in order to reinforce and improve the performance of existing facilities

and also attract new ones.

4.484 Table AQ below outlines the scale of leisure provision in the main centres in Cornwall.

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Table AQ: Summary of leisure provision in the main Cornish centres, 2010

Settlement Food & Drink Uses in Centre

Cinema Bingo Sports Centre

Ten Pin Bowling

Units Floorspace (sq ft gross)

Truro 52 13.1%

61,200 7.6%

1 (4 screens – 581 seats)

1 1

Bude 29 17.0%

25,800 11.1%

1 (1 screen – 300 seats)

1 1

St Ives 37 17.4%

30,600 16.7%

1 (3 screens – 430 seats)

1

Penzance 43 12.6%

43,100 8.9%

1 (3 screens – 310 seats)

1 1

Camborne 19 9.8%

19,600 5.9%

1 Nearest centre in Pool

Redruth 17 10.5%

17,600 7.4%

1 (4 screens – 1,000 seats)

Nearest centre in Pool

Liskeard 9 6.5%

9,600 4.7%

1

Newquay 54 23.0%

49,300 13.4%

1 (to be opened in summer 2011)

(4 screens – 600 seats)

1 1 2

Falmouth 53 19.8%

67,500 17.9%

1 (1 screen – 199 seats)

1 1

Helston 16 12.1%

22,700 8.8%

1 (2 screens – 140 seats)

1

St Austell 1 (4 screens – 790 seats)

1 1 1

Launceston 15 10.4%

14,200 8.7%

1 1 (3 miles west of

Launceston)

Saltash 9 9.7%

9,500 6.7%

1

Hayle n/a n/a

Wadebridge n/a n/a 1 (2 screens – 316 seats)

1

Bodmin 17 11.6%

23,500 10.9%

1

Notes: National and Cornish averages for food & drink units in a town centre is 15.63% and 13.7%

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National and Cornish averages for floorspace occupied by food & drink uses in a town centre is 10.6% and 10.1% respectively

4.485 The above analysis shows those centres in Cornwall which have higher than average

proportions of food and drink uses/floorspace. These are Bude, St Ives, Newquay, Falmouth

and (for the number units only) Penzance and it is no coincidence that these same centres

are also major tourism centres. Unsurprisingly, Newquay has the highest proportion of food

and drink uses, although Falmouth and St Ives have the largest proportions of food and drink

floorspace. Conversely, centres such as Bodmin, Launceston, Liskeard, Camborne and

Redruth have lower than average proportions of food and drink uses/floorspace and it is these

centres were a qualitative deficiency exists.

4.486 Interestingly, whilst Truro is, by a considerable margin, the largest retail centre in Cornwall, it

does not out-perform other large centres in Cornwall in terms of its food and drink uses.

Falmouth town centre has more food and drink floorspace (67,500sq ft gross) than Truro

(61,200sq ft gross), whilst similar levels of food and drink uses are found in Newquay (54

units) and Falmouth (53 units) to those in Truro (52 units).

4.487 In relation to cinema provision, most of the main centres posses a cinema. Generally, existing

facilities in Cornwall are modest in size, containing up to 4 screens, and being housed in

historic buildings. The new cinema to be opened in summer 2011 in Newquay town centre

will also have 4 screens although this will be one of the few modern cinemas in Cornwall. The

other modern cinema is within the White River Place shopping centre, which also has 4

screens.

4.488 The centres which do not have a cinema, and where a qualitative deficiency exists, are

Camborne (although there is a cinema closeby at Redruth), Liskeard, Launceston, Saltash,

Hayle and Bodmin.

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5. ASSESSMENT OF NEED FOR ADDITIONAL

RETAIL FLOORSPACE IN CORNWALL

Introduction

5.1 A key element of the evidence base for the Cornwall Local Development Framework is the

assessment of need and capacity for additional retail development in the main settlements.

PPS4 (2009) notes that the evidence base should assess the detailed need for main town

centre uses (including retail uses) over the plan period, identifying any deficiencies in the

provision of local convenience shopping and other facilities which serve people’s day-to-day

needs. When assessing the need for retail development, PPS4 asks local planning

authorities to take account of both quantitative and qualitative factors for different types of

retail provision and plan pro-actively to promote competitive town centre environments and

provide consumer choice.

5.2 Conventionally, the need for town centre uses is considered in terms of ‘quantitative need’

and ‘qualitative need’. Both have a role to play in reaching an overall judgement about the

scale and form of development which should be planned for and facilitated through

development plans:

• Quantitative need is conventionally measured as expenditure capacity, i.e. the balance

between the turnover capacity of existing facilities and available expenditure in any given

area. Expenditure capacity, or ‘quantitative need’ can arise as a result of forecast

expenditure growth (either through population growth or increases in spending), or by

identification of an imbalance between the existing facilities and current level of

expenditure available in an area.

• Qualitative need, on the other hand, includes more subjective measures. These include,

for example, consumer choice, the appropriate distribution of facilities and the needs of

those living in deprived areas. ‘Over trading’ is also identified as a measure of qualitative

need, although evidence of significant over crowding etc. may also be an indicator of

quantitative need.

5.3 In the analysis which follows, we have first undertaken an assessment of the current shopping

patterns across Cornwall in relation to the main settlements. This will inform the qualitative

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assessment of need and also act as a base for the quantitative assessment of retail

floorspace capacity in the main settlements.

Quantitative Assessment of Shopping and Expenditure

Patterns

Introduction

5.4 In this section we establish the current performance of town centre and out-of-centre retail

facilities in the main settlements in Cornwall, as the basis for a forecast of the need for further

retail floorspace over the period 2009-2031 (which encompasses the lifespan of the Cornwall

LDF, which runs to 2030).

5.5 In order to assess current expenditure flows, based upon the 2008 Cornwall household

survey, we have used a conventional, widely accepted step by step methodology to model the

existing flow of expenditure for each main retail destination. In the analysis which follows we

have used the following step by step approach:

• Step 1: Definition of an appropriate geographical area of analysis for the quantitative

assessment, hereafter know as the Study Area.

• Step 2: Calculation of the 2009 population and expenditure available within the Study

Area and forecast of future population and expenditure growth over a specific

period. In this instance, we have used the period up to 2031 to tie in with the

LDF plan period.

• Step 3: Calculation of the levels of convenience expenditure and comparison

expenditure flowing to stores and centres within the Study Area, using a

market share analysis, based on the results of the Cornwall Shopping Survey

undertaken by NEMS Market Research.

5.6 The collection of spreadsheets which comprise the quantitative assessment are very large

documents and therefore can be found in separate technical annexes. As will be outlined

later in this section, four separate quantitative assessment scenarios have been produced and

therefore four separate technical annexes are provided, each with its own separate reference.

However, for ease of reference, summary capacity tables for convenience and comparison

retailing in each settlement are reproduced in the separately bound appendices (Appendices

Q – T) to this report.

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5.7 In the analysis which follows, the following assumptions and data sources have been used:

• All monetary values have been indexed to 2007 prices to provide for consistency across

the assessment.

• Having regard to best practice, the assessment has been carried out on a goods basis,

rather than a business basis. This method of assessment matches guidance contained

within the Practice Guidance document accompanying PPS4.

• Data on current shopping patterns has been derived from the Cornwall Shopping Survey

2008. Survey respondents are spread across all socio-economic status groups and across

all age ranges.

• The Study Area for the assessment has been set to match the Cornwall Shopping Survey

area. A plan of the study area is contained at Appendix A. However, an allowance has

also been made for net inflow of expenditure into the Study Area, which is described in

more detail later in this section. Existing population levels for the Study Area have been

derived from Experian Business Strategies (EBS) data.

• Per capita retail expenditure data for convenience and comparison goods spending, which

is the basis for the quantitative assessment, has been provided by EBS. The base per

capita expenditure data has been projected forward (to 2031) using GVA Grimley’s own in-

house view (prepared by our Research team) which takes into account the latest forecast

data contained within Experian Retail Planner Briefing Note 8.1 (August 2010) and Pitney

Bowes Retail Expenditure Guide (September 2010).

• Within the expenditure forecasts, account has also been taken of special forms of trading

within the survey area and expenditure estimates. The special forms of trading sector

includes sales from mail order companies, sales from the internet, market stalls and sales

direct from the producer and manufacturer and out allowance for this type of shopping

takes account of likely increases in this sector over the lifetime of the assessment. The

proportion of expenditure attributed to special forms of trading is outlined in the notes to

Table 2 in each of the four quantitative assessments (contained in the separate technical

annexes). The reasons for excluding special forms of trading are explained below.

• When assessing the current trading performance of existing convenience retail facilities,

reference has been made to company average sales density figures within Retail Rankings

(published by Mintel) and Verdict research. Estimates of company performance take into

account non-store sales, where applicable.

5.8 There are four separate quantitative analyses supporting this study, based upon the various

population growth scenarios provided by Cornwall Council. However, the base year 2009

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shopping patterns and expenditure forecasts are common amongst all of the four scenarios

and therefore reference in the remainder of this sub-section to shopping patterns and turnover

levels does not alter (at 2009 levels). The four quantitative need assessments are contained

in separate technical annexes to this report and are described in more detail later in this

section.

5.9 For the avoidance of doubt, the floorspace capacity levels which are outlined in this summary

section are cumulative i.e. the forecasts for a particular date include the forecasts for the

previous dates and are not additional to the previous forecasts.

Steps 1 & 2 - Study Area Definition, plus Current Population and Expenditure

Estimates

5.10 In order to provide detailed factual information on shopping patterns in and around Cornwall, a

new household interview survey covering 4,000 households was commissioned. GVA

Grimley designed the survey questionnaire in consultation with the former Kerrier District

Council officers and NEMS Market Research, who undertook interviewing and data

processing in 2008. The area for the household survey has been set to cover the whole of

Cornwall plus the areas of west Devon to ensure that all potential regular users of retail

facilities in Cornwall are included within the survey. The survey area has been based on

postcode sectors and is shown on the plan attached at Appendix A.

5.11 The survey results identify shopping patterns for households for both convenience and

comparison goods. Where necessary, the survey results have been re-based to remove

responses such as internet, catalogue or mail order shopping which are collectively known as

special forms of trading. The reason for removing these categories of special forms of trading

is that sales from these sources do not in some cases require a physical presence on the high

street. Particularly in relation to comparison goods, sales from the internet and mail order

companies are via warehouses rather than actual stores in town centres or on retail

warehouse parks. Therefore, given that this study is primarily aimed at assessing the health

of town centres and forecasting for additional physical retail floorspace across Cornwall, there

is a need to remove expenditure on items not sold from physical retail stores. For

convenience goods shopping, the situation is a little more complicated as internet grocery

sales are still picked from actual supermarkets rather than warehouses. The exceptions to

this are companies like Ocado (who are current expanding in the South West) and niche

independent retailers, although on the whole internet sales from retailers such as Tesco,

Sainsburys and ASDA originate from existing supermarkets in the local area. Therefore, this

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study does not exclude all expenditure on grocery interest sales given that physical

supermarket units are still required to provide this service.

5.12 For convenience goods, the household survey includes questions on main food and top-up

shopping. The results of these two types of food expenditure have been merged through the

application of a weight3 which reflects the fact that the majority of people spend a higher

proportion of their convenience goods expenditure on main/bulk-food shopping. In other

words, main food shopping takes a larger share of the total available expenditure on

convenience goods.

5.13 The survey also includes 7 groups of questions on specific comparison goods types which

coincide with Experian Business Strategies definitions of comparison goods expenditure.

Comparison shopping patterns are split up in to the following sub-categories:

• Clothing, footwear and other fashion goods.

• Furniture, floor coverings and textiles.

• DIY and hardware products.

• Domestic appliances

• Smaller electrical products.

• Personal and luxury goods.

• Recreational goods.

5.14 The population estimates for each zone are contained in Table 1 in each separate technical

annex volume. For 2009, the population estimates for each zone are identical for each

scenario and have been derived from EBS postcode sector data. Latter parts of this section

explain how the population growth for each section for 2009-2031 has been derived.

5.15 In Table 2 (in all appendices), the per capita expenditure figures obtained from EBS are

broken down into convenience and various sub categories of comparison goods. For each

goods category account has been taken of special forms of trading (‘SFT’) (internet, catalogue

and mail order shopping) and future growth and expenditure (per annum). The individual

rates for future projections and special forms of trading are contained in the notes to Table 2

(in all five quantitative assessment appendices) and comprise the GVA Grimley in-house view

on SFT and expenditure growth, which takes account of forecasts contained within Experian

Retail Planner Briefing Note 8.1 (August 2010) and Pitney Bowes Retail Expenditure Guide

3 69% of total convenience goods expenditure directed to main food shopping trips and the remaining 31% of convenience goods expenditure directed towars top-up food shopping trips

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(September 2010). It should be noted that expenditure growth projections for the longer term

should be treated with a degree of caution. Indeed, it would be appropriate, in any event, to

review these expenditure figures of part of a wider review of the retail study. We recommend

regular reviews after every five years.

5.16 By combining the population of per capita expenditure rates (Table 2), Tables 3a to 3i set out

the total retail expenditure within each zone in the study area by goods type.

Step 3 - Existing Flows of Retail Expenditure

5.17 The next stage of the quantitative assessment is to estimate current flows of retail expenditure

within and surrounding Cornwall. Separate analyses for convenience and comparison retail

expenditure are provided and the comparison retail category is also split into 7 sub-categories

of expenditure (to match the questions used within the Cornwall Shopping Survey).

5.18 Tables 4a and 4b (in all appendices) set out the market share of convenience goods retail

facilities, indicating the market penetration rate of each store/centre across each of the 26

survey zones. When analysing convenience shopping habits, the household survey has

obtained patterns of main food (table 4a) and top-up (table 4b) food shopping in order to

ensure that different types of convenience shopping and the differing functions of existing

stores are taken into account in the quantitative assessment. Tables 5a to 5j in each of the

four quantitative assessment appendices translate the market shares of all existing

stores/centres in to turnover levels. This is done by applying a particular store’s/centre’s

market share in each survey zone to the total available of available expenditure. By way of

example: if a particular store/centre had a 50% market share in a zone and the total level of

spending in that zone was £10m, then that store/centre would attract £5m from that zone.

5.19 In order to gain the most accurate estimate of expenditure flows for convenience shopping,

the proportion of total convenience goods expenditure flow to main and top-up food shopping

destinations has been weighted to allow for the fact that more money spent on main/bulk-food

shopping trips than top-up food shopping trips. Tables 5a and 5b in all appendices outline the

2009 study area derived turnover levels for all main convenience facilities across Cornwall,

showing the levels of expenditure which is attracted from the study area zones separately for

both main food and top-up food shopping. In order to inform the quantitative assessment of

need later in this report Tables 5c-5j (in all appendices) outline future main food and top-up

food study area derived turnover levels for 2014, 2021, 2026 and 2031. The turnover

calculations in these tables assume that individual facilities maintain the same market share in

each of the survey zones across the assessment period (2009-2031).

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5.20 The collection of tables prefixed 6 to 12 (in all separate technical volumes) outline the market

share and study area derived turnover of comparison goods shopping facilities in the main

settlements in Cornwall. Like the convenience assessment, turnover levels are provided for

2009, 2014, 2021, 2026 and 2031. In order to provide a robust analysis, and in order to take

into account the dominance of the larger centres such as Truro, Falmouth, Penzance and St

Austell, the household survey and quantitative analysis has been designed to obtain first and

second choice shopping destinations for each of the seven comparison goods categories. In

other words, each survey respondent was asked where they did most of the shopping for

each of the 7 comparison goods categories and was then asked whether there were any other

destinations which they visited for comparison goods shopping. These provide market shares

for the main settlements are shown (separately) in the tables referenced ‘A’ and ‘B’ within the

collection of tables prefixed 6 to 12. Study area derived turnover data for first and second

choice comparison shopping destinations is shown in the tables labelled ‘C’ to ‘L’ for the years

2009-2031 in Tables 6-12 (in all separate technical annexes). The method of translating

market shares into turnover levels for each of the survey area zones is the same as the

convenience retail assessed (as described above).

5.21 Based upon the findings of our quantitative analysis plus the household survey and the town

centre health checks, the next section of the report outlines our assessment of the potential

options for the need for additional retail floorspace in each of the main settlements in

Cornwall.

Assessment of Need

5.22 As noted in Section 2 of this report, Policy EC1 of PPS4 asks for an assessment of need as

part of the evidence base for local authority development plan documents. An assessment of

need should focus upon quantitative and qualitative factors and each is considered in turn, for

both convenience and comparison goods retailing for each of the following settlements:

• Falmouth-Penryn

• Bodmin

• Penzance-Newlyn

• Liskeard

• Wadebridge

• Helston

• Camborne, Pool and Redruth

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• Newquay

• Launceston

• Bude

• St Austell

• Saltash

• Hayle

• Truro

5.23 The quantitative assessments of potential future floorspace capacity in each of the above

settlements are contained in Tables 15 and 16 in each of the separate technical annexes and

are also reproduced at Appendices Q-T to this report. Each settlement has its own version of

Table 15, for convenience retail floorspace provision, and Table 16 for comparison retail

floorspace provision. Each settlement is clearly identified at the top of each assessment

table.

5.24 However, before we proceed to examine the potential need for additional retail floorspace in

each of the above settlements, it is important that we outline the basis for our quantitative

assessment of retail capacity and the future growth scenarios across Cornwall. At the time of

preparing this study, the Council has not proposed a preferred growth strategy for residential

development. Such a strategy will take into account two important factors. First, the total

level of residential development planned for the whole of Cornwall up to 2026. Second, the

distribution of residential development across Cornwall within the chosen level of total

residential development growth. Clearly, both of these factors will influence how population

growth will occur across Cornwall in the coming years.

5.25 As a result of these uncertainties, we have discussed with Council officers the most

appropriate alternative scenarios for population growth. Four scenarios have been provided

by the Council:

1. High (NHPAU) growth scenario. This scenario assumes that the size and distribution of

population growth is influenced by the development of circa 80,000 new residential units

up to 2031, as shown in recent National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) data

for Cornwall.

2. Population and household growth scenario. Size and distribution of future population

growth and residential development influenced by past population growth trends in

Cornwall. This is broadly equivalent to 63,000 new dwellings up to 2031.

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3. Trend-based growth scenario. Size and distribution of future population growth and

residential development influenced by past residential unit development trends in

Cornwall. This is broadly equivalent to 45,000 new dwellings up to 2031.

4. Zero development. Size and distribution of population change influenced by zero new

residential development across Cornwall.

5.26 The above four residential development / population growth scenarios have formed the basis

for four alternative quantitative retail capacity scenarios for this study. The detailed statistical

tables for these scenarios can be found in the following separate technical annexes, with the

summary capacity tables for each scenario reproduced at Appendices Q-T:

• Technical Annex 1 – High (NHPAU) growth scenario (capacity tables at Appendix Q)

• Technical Annex 2 – Trend based growth scenario (capacity tables at Appendix R)

• Technical Annex 3 – Population and household growth scenario (capacity tables at

Appendix S)

• Technical Annex 4 – Zero new development scenario (capacity tables at Appendix T)

5.27 It should be noted that these population growth scenarios were developed by Cornwall

Council and GVA during the course of this study and at a time when the housing development

growth options for the forthcoming LDF Core Strategy Options consultation. As a

consequence of this timing and the likely content of the Options consultation, it is likely that

the trend based growth and the population/household growth scenarios are the best fit with

content of the Core Strategy Options consultation. As a consequence, when we outline the

quantitative capacity levels for each settlement, specific reference is made to the trend and

population/household growth forecasts, with separate references to the NHPAU growth

forecasts.

5.28 As a starting point, each scenario assumes that existing convenience and comparison goods

shopping patterns across each of the study area zones will continue across the assessment

period. These patterns, when applied to the differing levels of total expenditure growth across

each of the zones (as a result of the different population growth scenarios provided by the

Council) will provide different future quantitative retail capacity predictions.

5.29 However, since the completion of the household shopping survey informing this analysis, a

number of retail development proposals having either been completed (and are now trading –

e.g. White River Place in St Austell town centre) or have received planning permission (e.g. a

new Sainsburys store and an extension to the existing Tesco store in Helston). Such

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proposals have the potential to alter the shopping patterns observed by the 2008 household

survey. Where such a potential exists, either by removing previously identified retail capacity

and/or changing the attractiveness of a particular centre (via its market share), this is taken

into account by our need analysis.

5.30 Towards the bottom of each quantitative need analysis table a residual expenditure figure is

provided. Where the residual figure is a positive number, this indicates that a quantitative

need potentially exists for additional retail floorspace. Conversely, a deficit (minus figure)

indicates that there is a potential oversupply of existing retail floorspace. Where a surplus

level of expenditure exists, Tables 15 and 16 convert the residential expenditure level into a

floorspace equivalent. In order to accomplish this task an average sales density is used. For

convenience goods shopping, a sales density of £10,000/sq m at 2009 is used (projected

forwards over the period 2009-2031 assuming annual increases in floorspace efficiency in line

with existing retail floorspace). For comparison goods, a density of £5,000/sq m is used (and

again project forward over the period 2009-2031 assuming increases in floorspace efficiency).

Both of these sales densities are averages and retail performances of individual operators can

vary, particularly for convenience goods operators. For example Asda and Tesco and other

larger grocery operators have sales densities in excess of £10,000 per square metre. In

contrast, smaller discount operators such as Lidl and Aldi have sales densities below £5,000

per square metre. In addition, extensions to existing retail facilities also have individual

specific sales density requirements which may, in certain circumstances, be below the normal

sales density for a particular operator. Therefore, the sales density figure for new retail

floorspace should only be used as a guide and reference should also be made to the residual

expenditure levels for each settlement.

5.31 Prior to the quantification of retail need across the main settlements in Cornwall, it should be

noted that assessments such as this tend to focus on expenditure growth and demand.

However, it is axiomatic that any new development will have some impact on existing facilities

either by diverting existing sales or diverting future sales which would otherwise arise as a

result of future growth. In these circumstances, forecasts of retail need should not be

regarded as prescriptive, and inevitably involve judgements and ultimately policy choice,

which raise related impact considerations. Therefore, the quantitative need forecasts

contained within this chapter should be read in the context of other parts of this study.

5.32 Indeed, there are a number of key variables, involving judgements, which will influence the

level of need (if any) which is likely to arise over the study period:

• Apportioning growth. When assessing future needs, based on forecast spending growth,

a judgement is needed as to what proportion of this growth should be made available to

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support more floorspace and how much should be safeguarded to enable existing

floorspace to increase its sales performance.

• Existing ‘baseline’ performance. A judgement must be reached on the current balance

between the turnover of existing facilities and their floorspace to determine whether (at

current sales) there is any need for more floorspace. In practice at the base year existing

facilities may be underperforming or trading at levels suggesting an existing surplus,

which has a bearing on whether any further need arises.

• Changes to market share. In the case of any centre, when considering alternative

strategies it may be relevant to examine the implications of a declining market share, or

to test the potential to increase market share. Forecasts are often based on the

assumption that all centres simply retain their current market share, to preserve the

‘status quo’, but if a new development secures an increased share of available spend, in

theory more floorspace would be supportable.

5.33 Where there are significant development opportunities identified, there may be scope to

increase the market share of an existing centre, or to plan for new/ expanded centres in order

to recapture a higher proportion of current/future spending generated in an area. This may

apply in circumstances where there are major new residential developments planned, and/or

existing under-served markets, or where a particular centre has potential to expand to

enhance its role within the wider hierarchy. This may be justifiable in order to deliver a more

sustainable network of ‘higher order’ centres, and ‘claw-back’ arguments are frequently used

to underpin strategies for different centres/areas. However, when developing the appropriate

approach in a particular area, a number of factors need to be considered:

• There is evidence to suggest that a polarisation of retail activity in the UK. In may be

more appropriate in some cases to seek to redirect growth to smaller centres (where they

have capacity/demand) to achieve a more sustainable network of centres. However, this

depends on the availability of suitable opportunities in such centres.

• Infrastructure capacity and the availability of central sites will determine the extent to

which different centres are capable of accommodating future retail and other main town

centre uses.

• The maintenance of current market shares may in some instances perpetuate

deficiencies in the retail network, particularly in underserved markets. A low market share

(or expressed differently, a significant expenditure ‘leakage’) may be indicative of a need

for more or better shopping provision. An appropriate retail strategy may be to seek to

enhance the market share of some centres, and to relieve pressure on others where

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there are limited opportunities for further development. This illustrates the importance of

qualitative factors

• Existing out of centre developments may account for a significant share of available

expenditure, but it would not necessarily be appropriate to plan for further growth at

existing successful out of centre locations where these locations do not meet other key

policy objectives e.g. accessibility etc. In these circumstances, it may be appropriate to

proactively plan to reinforce the offer of other existing centres in order to ‘recapture’

market share from less sustainable retail locations.

5.34 We now turn to the forecast needs arising in the largest settlements across Cornwall.

Falmouth & Penryn

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.35 Within the Falmouth and Penryn area, convenience retail provision is dominated by the ASDA

store in Penryn which was been subject to recent extensions in its sales area. The ASDA

significantly out-performs the other main stores including Sainsburys (previously Co-op) and

town centre stores in Falmouth: Tesco, Iceland and Marks & Spencer. The ASDA provides

the best range of products although there is some choice and competition available from the

town centre Tesco and out of centre Sainsburys stores. This choice will be extended by the

committed Lidl discount foodstore in Penryn, although we consider that there is potential for

choice and competition to be improved. Overall, however we do not consider that there is a

deficiency in the availability of convenience goods floorspace across Falmouth & Penryn as a

whole, although further analysis of the different parts of this area is provided below.

5.36 In terms of trading performance against company or assumed average levels, our quantitative

analysis indicates a mixed performance, with the ASDA and Iceland trading slightly below

company average (albeit that the ASDA has a very high turnover level), the M&S and Tesco

trading slightly above average and other convenience floorspace (including space within the

centre’s of Penryn and Falmouth) trading below our notional benchmark level. However, none

of these differences are considered to be significant. It should also be borne in mind that at

the time of the household survey in 2008 the Sainsburys store was trading as a Co-op store

and therefore the change in operator may have had some effect upon shopping patterns. In

addition, the provision of a new Sainsburys store and an expanded Tesco store in Helston

may also reduce the level of expenditure which is flowing from surrounding areas to Falmouth

& Penryn (although this is primarily focused upon the ASDA store in Penryn).

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5.37 In terms of overtrading, we would suggest that the ASDA store has in the past been subject to

congestion and overcrowding although its recent extensions will have relieved this to some

extent. There is also evidence of some congestion in the Tesco store in Falmouth town

centre which is a product of its dominant role in the town centre and its comparatively small

size.

5.38 In terms of the distribution of convenience facilities, this is orientated towards out-of-centre

locations in Penryn and there is a need to re-consider the balance of provision back towards

Falmouth town centre. This is augmented by the lower quality of the existing stock in

Falmouth town centre.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.39 Based upon our quantitative assessment and using published company average trading levels

and our assumed benchmarks for other convenience stores, we have found trading

performances not too dissimilar from average levels and there could be a slight overprovision

when the committed Lidl store and Sainsburys extension are taken into account. Based upon

the four population growth scenarios provided by Cornwall Council, our quantitative

assessment provides the following forecasts

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Falmouth/Penryn (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

150 451 1196 1734 2322

Trend based

growth

150 101 520 813 1149

Population and

household

growth

150 393 1394 2186 2988

Zero growth - - - - -

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.40 The above analysis indicates a future convenience goods floorspace of between 101-393sq m

net at 2014, 813-2186sq m net by 2026 and 1,149-2,988sq m net by 2031 for the Falmouth

and Penryn area. There are modest levels of capacity in the short term across all scenarios

although the population and household growth scenario provides the most significant levels of

capacity, followed by the NHPAU growth scenario. Our analysis paints a slightly more

optimistic scenario for future quantitative capacity than contained within the 2004 Falmouth

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and Penryn Retail Study (CBRE). In calculating the above floorspace levels we have included

an allowance for increases in floorspace efficiency across the existing and committed

floorspace stock in Falmouth and Penryn which we consider to be justified given the trading

levels suggested by our analysis.

5.41 Overall, and taking into account the above findings, we consider that there is a modest need

for additional convenience retail floorspace in the Falmouth and Penryn area. The

quantitative and qualitative analyses both suggest no immediate requirement for significant

levels of new floorspace (in the form of a new large foodstore) although there is evidence of a

quantitative capacity for additional provision in the medium to long term along with the need to

provide a better balance of convenience floorspace across the urban area. In particular, we

consider that there is a need to improved convenience floorspace within Falmouth town centre

and the Council should, as its predecessors have done in the past, continue to investigate

opportunities for improved provision in and around the town centre.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.42 Turning to the assessment of need for additional comparison retail floorspace in the Falmouth

and Penryn area, we would highlight the following factors:

• Having regard to shopping patterns associated with Falmouth and Penryn, the area is

able to retain a comparatively high level of shopping trips when faced with close

competition from Truro. The key headlines for the different types of comparison shopping

are:

1. 60% of first choice clothes and shoes shopping trips from the local area are retained

within Falmouth and Penryn.

2. Falmouth/Penryn is the first choice shopping destination for 50% of the local

population seeking furniture, floorcoverings and textile goods.

3. For DIY shopping, the area is the first choice destination for 80% of the local

population

4. For domestic appliances and recreational goods, Falmouth is the first choice

destination for 50% of the local population, although only 30% of first choice shopping

trips are retained for smaller electrical items.

5. Falmouth/Penryn is the first choice destination for 70% of the local population seeking

personal and luxury goods.

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• Our health check has found a reasonable range of comparison goods retailers within the

area, the majority of which are focused upon Falmouth town centre. The range of

existing provision includes a reasonable range of multiple and local independents, and

offers a reasonable range of choice and competition, which is one of the best across

Cornwall.

• We also note, however, that the quality of the retail floorspace stock in Falmouth town

centre is now rather dated and there has been very little new development in Falmouth

town centre in recent years. The only additional space has been within significant

extensions to the ASDA store at Penryn and some new floorspace adjacent to the

maritime museum.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.43 Having regard to the above characteristics, our starting point for the quantitative needs of

comparison goods retail capacity in the Falmouth and Penryn area has been to assume a

current equilibrium given that there is no firm evidence of significant under or over-trading.

Based on this assumption, the population/household and trend growth scenarios show a

comparison floorspace capacity of between 4,249-6,407sq m net by 2021 and 9,243-14,382sq

m net by 2031. In line with the convenience assessment, the population and household

growth scenarios provides the most significant levels of capacity, although reasonably

significant capacity also arises as a result of the other growth scenarios.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Falmouth/Penryn (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 2115 6055 9181 12781

Trend based

growth

- 1260 4249 6570 9243

Population and

household

growth

- 1917 6407 10186 14382

Zero growth - 332 1808 3102 4948

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

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Bodmin

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.44 Bodmin’s convenience retail sector is dominated by three supermarkets located outside of the

town centre: ASDA, Morrisons and Sainsburys (previously a Somerfield store). Individually,

and in totality, these stores offer a broad range and choice of convenience products,

supplemented by a comparison goods offer (particularly the ASDA store on Launceston

Road). The quality of these facilities is also good, as they provide modern retail units with

large areas of adjacent car parking, although we are aware of Sainsburys’ ambition to improve

its retail offer in the town. The retail offer of convenience stores outside of the town centre will

be augmented by a Lidl store on the former Police Station site at Priory Road.

5.45 Provision within the town centre is much smaller scale and is focused upon day-to-day top-up

food shopping, although the centre’s offer has recently been boosted by the arrival of an

Iceland store in the former Woolworths unit. The quality of retail floorspace provision in the

town centre is not able to compete with the larger stores elsewhere in the town, nor is there

space in the centre to attract new convenience retailers, although the existing Sainsburys

store is within walking distance of the town centre.

5.46 Our review of the performance of the existing stores in Bodmin, plus the results of our

quantitative assessment of shopping patterns, does not suggest that the convenience sector

in Bodmin (either as a whole or its constituent parts) is experiencing overtrading and/or

congestion. As a consequence we see no reason to allow for such a phenomenon within our

need/capacity assessment.

5.47 Overall, Bodmin as a whole does not experience a qualitative need for additional convenience

retail provision. Choice and competition within existing stores, plus the quality of out of centre

provision, is considered to be good. Facilities within the town retain 80% of convenience

expenditure generated by residents of Zone 16 of the study area which is considered to be a

good retention rate given that Zone 16 covers a relatively wide area and does not just include

the Bodmin urban area.

5.48 The key area for consideration for the Council will be to ensure that convenience retail

provision remains part of (and a contributor to) the health of the town centre. In particular,

where development sites within or on the edge of the town centre are brought forward, their

ability to accommodate enhanced convenience floorspace should be assessed.

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Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.49 Turning to our quantitative assessment of need, a comparison of current convenience retail

turnover levels with the average (benchmark) trading performances of existing and committed

facilities suggests that there could be a current over-provision of existing floorspace (i.e. the

benchmark turnover of existing and committed facilities is currently higher than the turnover

attracted by these stores). This allowance for a current over-provision is accounted for in the

capacity assessment, by allowing part of the expenditure growth over the assessment period

(2009-2031) to support existing floorspace rather than support new floorspace.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Bodmin (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- - 576 1133 1730

Trend based

growth

- - - 164 497

Population and

household

growth

- - 188 668 1139

Zero growth - - - - -

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.50 Based upon the four population growth scenarios, the above summary indicates that modest

levels of additional floorspace capacity will arise within the NHPAU and population/household

growth scenarios and even lower growth in the trend based growth scenario. The NHPAU

growth scenario allows for 1730sq m net additional capacity by 2031, the population and

household growth scenario allows for additional capacity of 1139sq m net and the trend based

growth forecast allows for an additional 497sq m net. The latter two figures are the more

realistic guides for future capacity, pending a decision on the level of growth in the LDF Core

Strategy. Therefore, none of the quantitative need scenarios allow for sufficient floorspace

capacity to accommodate a new store in the short to medium term. If the NHPAU growth

scenario is pursued in Bodmin, there may be sufficient available expenditure to accommodate

a new modest sized foodstore by 2031 although this appears unlikely and would in any event

be a longer term aspiration and, due to the reliability of longer term expenditure growth

forecasts, should not in our opinion feature as an element of the retail strategy for Bodmin in

the first part of the LDF period. A potentially more realistic alternative in the medium to longer

term is the use of the additional capacity forecasts to accommodate smaller scale

improvements to be made to existing provision.

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Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.51 Turning to comparison goods floorspace within Bodmin, the town centre contains a modest

range of comparison retailers, including some national multiple retailers, although the key

issue facing this sector is the range and quality of floorspace available to attract new retailers

into the town centre. This qualitative issue has previously been identified through the Bodmin

Town Centre Framework Plan work and we would reiterate that there is a qualitative

deficiency in provision within the town centre.

5.52 In recent years the proposals for new comparison retail floorspace in Bodmin have been in out

of centre locations and the town now has a modern retail park on Launceston Road plus two

unimplemented permissions for bulky goods comparison goods: one on Launceston Road

adjacent to ASDA and another on Dunmere Road in the western part of the town. These

permissions, if they were to be implemented, would widen the qualitative aspects of bulky

comparison goods retail provision in Bodmin and, as such, we do not consider that there is a

qualitative deficiency in the availability of large format bulky comparison units in Bodmin.

Instead, there is, in our opinion, a qualitative deficiency in the range of non-bulky comparison

retail floorspace (i.e. High Street style non-food stores) in Bodmin and removing this

deficiency should be the focus for the retail strategy in Bodmin. However, in order to protect

and enhance the health of the town centre there will be a need to ensure that premises and

sites are made available to accommodate an expanded range of comparison retail floorspace

otherwise there is likely to be pressure to widen the range of goods which can be sold from

the unimplemented out of centre development schemes.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.53 Within the quantitative assessment of need for additional comparison goods floorspace in

Bodmin, we have taken into account a number of factors. For example, the committed bulky

comparison goods floorspace in the town could both increase its market share and also affect

the benchmark sales turnover for existing/committed provision. Taking all these factors into

account, the large scale of committed floorspace will reduce short to medium term capacity for

additional space in Bodmin. The summary of the quantitative analysis is contained below.

However, it should be clearly understood that this approach is based upon new floorspace

being provided in the town centre to address qualitative matters and the lack of investment in

the centre for a number of years. The population/household and trend based forecasts

indicate a capacity of between 391-539sq m net by 2014, rising to 2422-2873sq m net by

2021 and 5762-6843sq m net by 2031. It should also be noted that these levels of capacity

are based upon the current market share of comparison stores in Bodmin, adjusted to take

into account the impact of committed comparison floorspace upon shopping patterns. Clearly,

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given the leakage of non-bulky comparison goods shopping trips to locations outside of

Bodmin, capacity levels in the shorter term could rise if town centre sites can be brought

forward to accommodate new facilities.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Bodmin (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 1004 3768 5911 8429

Trend based

growth

- 391 2422 3964 5762

Population and

household

growth

- 539 2873 4746 6843

Zero growth - - 885 1734 2817

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Penzance & Newlyn

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.52 Within the 2007 Penwith Retail Study, it was found that there was a good qualitative level of

convenience retail provision in the Penzance and Newlyn area. The existing Tesco and

Morrisons stores, which are located in out of centre positions, provide a good choice and

range of facilities, which is supplemented by more modest Lidl, Co-op and Iceland stores plus

smaller scale provision in the town centre. In line with the shopping survey information

informing the Penwith Retail Study, the survey informing this study confirms that there is very

good retention of convenience shopping trips within the area. Also in line with the previous

study, there is no evidence of significant overtrading across the whole of the convenience

sector in the Penzance area4 although the two large supermarkets (Morrisons and Tesco) are

clearly very popular shopping destination and can experience congestion during peak periods,

particularly the summer months.

5.53 Overall, we do not consider that there is a significant qualitative deficiency in existing

convenience retail provision in the Penzance and Newlyn area. Naturally, there is scope for

smaller scale qualitative improvements although we do not consider that this should be a

significant issue for the Cornwall Core Strategy LDF document.

4 although specific proposals to extend existing facilities will be able to confirm or alter this position

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5.54 In line with the settlement hierarchy, the vast majority of existing provision is located in

Penzance and this should continue in the future (subject to the located of new residential

development). Also, in line with a number of other settlements in Cornwall there is an

imbalance between the quality and scale of convenience floorspace provision between

Penzance town centre and out of centre locations and the next section of this report will

consider the potential to improve this balance.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.55 Taking into account the market share of Penzance’s convenience goods facilities, along with

our assumptions regarding the level of expenditure which visitors and tourists contribute to the

local economy, our quantitative assessment indicates that existing stores in Penzance are

trading above company-wide average performance levels. In 2009, this equates to a surplus

of £11m and would translate to a floorspace capacity of around 1,100sq m net if based upon a

sales density of £10,000/sq m which is similar to sales density levels achieved by national

grocery operators such as Sainsburys and Morrisons.

5.56 Based upon the four population growth scenarios provided by the Council and assuming that

convenience stores in Penzance could maintain their 2008 market share levels (but taking into

account the small impact of the Tesco extension and new Sainsburys store in Helston), our

quantitative assessment provides the following forecasts for growth in convenience floorspace

in Penzance and Newlyn:

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Penzance/Newlyn (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

1142 1759 2589 3174 3745

Trend based

growth

1142 1337 1773 2080 2371

Population and

household

growth

1142 1288 1754 2077 2354

Zero growth 1142 894 728 642 647

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.57 The above summary indicates that the trend and population/household growth scenarios

indicate a need for between 1288-1337sq m net by 2014, rising to 2077-2080sq m net of

additional convenience goods floorspace by 2026 in the Penzance/Newlyn area, and rising

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further to 2354-2371sq m net by 2031. However, if the NHPAU growth scenario is chosen

then the quantitative capacity rises to 3174sq m net by 2026 (assuming 2008 shopping

patterns – as amended by existing commitments) and 3745sq m net by 2031. Assuming the

retention of existing shopping patterns, these capacity levels are higher than those outlined in

the 2007 Penwith Retail Study, which is due to a combination of factors, including updated

visitor/tourism expenditure data and a slightly higher level of expenditure from local residents.

5.58 However, when considering these quantitative predictions regard should be had to the

possibility that additional convenience floorspace provision within Hayle (see later in this

section) will reduce the level of quantitative expenditure capacity in the Penzance/Newlyn area

(through loss of leakage from the Hayle area). Whilst the various planning applications for

new supermarkets remain undetermined at the time of finalising this report, the retail impact

assessments submitted with these proposals indicate that a new supermarket in Hayle could

divert at least £5m of convenience goods expenditure from stores in Penzance. This would

reduce available expenditure capacity by at least one third. By way of example, assuming that

a new supermarket in Hayle reduced the flow of expenditure to Penzance by £5m, then the

indicative capacity level for the population/household growth scenario would fall from 1288sq

m net to 727sq m net.

5.59 Therefore, given that we have found no significant qualitative deficiency within the

convenience retail sector in Penzance, plus the potential for the amount of convenience goods

expenditure to be reduced as a result of meeting a need for a new supermarket in Hayle, our

need analysis suggests that there is no overriding requirement to identify a new large

convenience shopping destination in the Penzance/Newlyn area. Both our quantitative and

qualitative analysis indicate that there is scope for improvements to be made to existing

provision, although these are likely to be in the form of smaller scale additions to the existing

stock.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.60 Turning to the need for additional comparison retail floorspace in the Penzance/Newlyn area,

the 2007 Penwith Retail Study noted that there was no obvious deficiency across the

comparison goods sectors with a good range and choice of facilities. This was reinforced by

the previous household survey which showed good levels of retention. The more recent

household survey confirms this position with at least three quarters of all comparison goods

shopping trips in Zone 1 (the zone in which Penzance sits) retained by facilities in the town.

We remain of the view that whilst the existing quality of provision is good there are

opportunities for improvement, particularly in the quality of the retail stock in the town centre.

In addition, we also note that, in contrast to the convenience goods analysis, the latest

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quantitative analysis for Penzance predicts a lower comparison goods turnover for the town

and our health check has indicated an increase in vacancy levels in the town centre.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.61 For our quantitative analysis of need, based upon the findings outlined above, we consider it

appropriate to base the benchmark turnover of comparison goods retail provision on existing

turnover levels and also apply an allowance for increasing floorspace efficiency across the

assessment period. On this basis, the four population growth scenarios suggest the following

future floorspace capacity levels:

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Penzance/Newlyn (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 3526 9233 13728 18729

Trend based

growth

- 2160 6322 9558 13141

Population and

household

growth

- 2064 6441 9887 13566

Zero growth - 707 2572 4100 6242

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.62 The quantitative analysis indicates that the trend and population/household growth scenarios

will produce an addition capacity for around 2,100sq m net buy 2014, rising to 6300-6400sq m

net by 2021, 9600-9900sq m net by 2026 and 13,000sq m net by 2031. These scenarios

predict a lower than the capacity than the 2007 Penwith Retail Study, primarily due to the

lower expenditure growth forecasts.

5.63 However, it the NHPAU growth scenario is pursued in Penzance, the capacity analysis

predicts a higher floorspace capacity of 3500sq m net at 2014, 9200sq m net at 2021,

13700sq m net at 2026 and 18700sq m net by 2031. These levels are closer to, but still

below, the 2007 retail study levels and would deliver a significant increase in the level of

comparison goods floorspace in the Penzance area.

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Liskeard

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.64 Within Liskeard, the convenience retail sector is dominated by the out-of-centre Morrisons

store. This store provides the largest facility within the town and sells a wide range of

products. As a whole, stores in Liskeard are able to retain 80% of local shopping trips (from

Zone 18) although seven-eighths of this retention is directed to the Morrisons store. The

Morrisons is also able to attract convenience goods expenditure from the Saltash and

Callington zones, although this flow of expenditure (from Zone 20) will decrease following the

implementation of the Tesco store in Callington.

5.65 The other main grocery stores in the town are a Co-op and the former Somerfield store has

been re-occupied by one of the first Eurospar stores in the UK. Both are much smaller in size

(under 800sq m net sales area) and the 2008 household survey indicates that both attract

most of their turnover from top-up food shopping trips. The quantitative assessment of

shopping patterns and expenditure flows indicates that the Morrisons store is trading well

above its average company performance level and we note that that store, given its dominant

position, also experiences congestion. As a consequence, we consider that this store may be

classified as overtrading. The town centre stores in comparison trade at more modest levels

and no congestion or overtrading is judged to occur.

5.66 Overall, there are signs that a qualitative need exists for additional convenience floorspace,

based upon the likely overtrading within the Morrisons store plus the imbalance between town

centre and out of centre facilities in the town. There is also a need for the town centre to

provide better choice and competition for the out of centre Morrisons store. Whilst the level of

expenditure flowing from the Callington area may well decrease in the future, this area is not

the sole contributor to the current trading levels in the town.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.67 Turning to the quantitative assessment of need for additional convenience goods floorspace in

Liskeard, if company average performance levels are adopted in order to establish a baseline

position, then the Liskeard version of Table 15 indicates a current surplus of circa £27m, which

would be equivalent around 2,700sq m net of floorspace based on a broad average of the

main national grocery operators. This level of current capacity arises solely as a result of the

predicted trading performance of the out-of-centre Morrisons store. We consider that there is

a possibility that the household survey could have over-estimated the market share of facilities

in Liskeard, as the current surplus in expenditure appears to us to be unnecessary high.

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Moreover, the benchmark turnover levels used to derive existing and future capacity levels are

national averages and local conditions could affect the exact level. In addition, given that it is

based upon one store only (and town centre traders may not be performing as successfully as

this single out of centre store) some caution should be used.

5.68 With these notes of caution in mind, the summary table below takes account of the four

population growth scenarios provided by the Council and also includes a full allowance for the

overtrading of the Morrisons store (against average company benchmark).

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Liskeard (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

2677 2859 3403 3758 4141

Trend based

growth

2677 2584 2878 3057 3261

Population and

household

growth

2677 2639 3058 3350 3634

Zero growth 2677 2291 2171 2099 2073

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.69 The above summary suggests an additional convenience goods floorspace capacity of around

2600sq m net in 2014 for Liskeard. This will rise to 3057-3359sq m net by 2026 and 3261-

3634sq m net by 2031. These estimates are based upon the trend and population/household

growth scenarios. This capacity also takes into account the Aldi store commitment within the

town. However, as a sensitivity test, if the current surplus is eliminated, then quantitative

capacity falls to between 600-1000sq m net by 2031 for the trend and population/household

growth scenarios.

5.70 These quantitative capacity levels would accommodate different levels of facility. The higher

level (taking into account theoretical overtrading) would accommodate a large store such as

another Morrisons-type facility plus (where available) improvements to existing facilities. In

contrast, the smaller level would (on the basis of the highest population growth scenario only)

allow for, at best, a modest foodstore in the medium to longer term. Of the trend and

population/household growth scenarios the highest levels of capacity are predicted by the

population/household growth scenario, then the trend based scenario.

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5.71 Nevertheless, whilst we have some concerns over the scale of quantitative capacity which our

assessment is predicted, the identification of a quantitative capacity generally supports our

view that there is a need for additional convenience floorspace within Liskeard. In our view,

this has the potential to manifest itself in the form of a new supermarket in the town, although

a number of factors will need to be fully considered. For example, the quantitative forecasts

should be used with caution and should not be used prescriptively. The need for additional

convenience floorspace in Liskeard does exist in our opinion, although the current ‘surplus’

level of expenditure may well go beyond what is actually needed and can be accommodated

without harm in Liskeard. Second, the forecasts should not be used prescriptively given that

the provision of new convenience floorspace in out of centre locations will be noticeably

different impacts on the health of Liskeard town centre than if it was provided within or abutting

the centre. Therefore, the provision of new floorspace will be based upon the findings of the

sequential approach to site selection and related impact considerations.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.72 Turning to comparison retailing in Liskeard, our town centre health check indicates that the

centre has a modest performance, with the retail sector focused upon local independent

traders (apart from a smaller number of national multiples), a reasonably high vacancy rate

and low levels of retailer requirements. There has also not been any significant investment in

the town centre in recent years and the regeneration of the town centre has been identified as

a priority through initiatives promoted by the former Caradon Council.

5.73 The shopping patterns survey information indicates that Liskeard has a reasonable retention

rate, although leakage to other towns in Cornwall (Bodmin, for example) and western parts of

Devon (particularly Plymouth) does occur. In terms of the quality of provision, the retail stock

in the town centre has not been improved for a number of years and we consider that there is

a qualitative need for improvements. The most recent comparison retail development in

Liskeard has been in the form of a number of retail warehouses outside of the town centre

which have been successful in attracting national comparison retailers. These schemes have

been permitted due to the lack of town centre sites which can accommodate this type and

scale of floorspace.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.74 Due to the issues uncovered in the health check of the town centre, along with the recent

provision of out of centre retail warehouse units, we consider that the most appropriate

approach for the quantitative comparison retail assessment in Liskeard is to place the

benchmark turnover at the same level as existing turnover. On this basis, a summary of the

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four population growth scenarios is contained below and shows that quantitative capacity for

the trend and population/household growth scenarios will be between 1100-1200sq m net by

2014, rising to 3100-3600sq m net by 2021, 4600-5400sq m net by 2026 and 6300-7400sq m

net by 2031. The highest levels of capacity are contained within the population/household

growth scenario whilst the trend based growth scenario produces more modest levels of

additional capacity. Overall, these capacity levels offer the opportunity for growth in Liskeard,

although they are at modest levels up to 2021 which reflects the ability of the town to attract

new retailers.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Liskeard (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 1671 4343 6406 8754

Trend based

growth

- 1076 3084 4606 6341

Population and

household

growth

- 1211 3546 5423 7458

Zero growth - 444 1411 2187 3133

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Wadebridge

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.75 The convenience retail sector within Wadebridge includes Tesco, Co-op and Lidl stores. The

Tesco store lies in an out of centre location whilst the Co-op store lies in the town centre and

the Lidl lies on the northern edge. Alongside these stores, there is a smaller scale

convenience retail offer within the town centre. The Tesco store dominates the convenience

sector and offers the largest convenience facility and the largest range of products. The

quantitative assessment indicates that the Tesco store trades above company average

performance levels and we have observed that the store’s sales area and car parking does

become congested and overcrowded at peak times. Trading levels across other parts of the

convenience sector in Wadebridge appear to be more modest and trading significantly above

company average levels is not found. Given that the study area zone covering Wadebridge

also covers Padstow, it is not possible to draw detailed conclusions over the retention of

shopping trips made by Wadebridge residents although the household survey results show

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that the Tesco store is the most dominant store in this zone and as a whole Wadebridge has a

70% market share of main food shopping. It is likely that stores in Wadebridge will benefit

from tourism expenditure, given the location of Wadebridge in relation to tourist ‘hot spots’ and

also the town lying on a main route through the North Cornwall area (which is likely to benefit

the Tesco store on the edge of the town).

5.76 Overall, based upon the findings of our qualitative assessment, we do not consider that there

is a significant qualitative deficiency within the convenience retail sector in Wadebridge.

However, the dominance of the Tesco plus its overtrading when coupled with the need to

provide for increased choice and competition indicate that qualitative improvements can be

made.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.77 Our quantitative assessment of existing convenience goods shopping patterns and

expenditure flows indicates that, at present, the level of expenditure which is flowing to

convenience stores in Wadebridge is above the benchmark level for existing stores. The main

contributor to this is the Tesco store, although the Co-op and Lidl stores in the town centre

also have good trading levels. The theoretical surplus is around £11m which translates into a

capacity of around 1,100sq m net at the base year of the assessment. This will rise to 1,258-

1,361sq m net by 2014 and 1,529-1,753sq m net by 2021 and 1934-2,262sq m net by 2031

under the trend and population/household growth scenarios.

5.78 Therefore, growth in additional floorspace retail capacity in Wadebridge arises out of the

successful trading performance of existing town centre and out of centre facilities plus the

growing population and expenditure levels in the town. When coupled with the qualitative

indicators of need in Wadebridge, we consider that the Council should be planning for new

convenience goods floorspace. The extent and location of new provision will be need to be

tested in the latter parts of this study document and will also be examined as part of the

ongoing planning applications for new supermarkets in Wadebridge.

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Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Wadebridge (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

1124 1576 2155 2521 2930

Trend based

growth

1124 1361 1753 1988 2262

Population and

household

growth

1124 1258 1529 1745 1934

Zero growth 1124 1095 1071 1076 1118

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.79 Importantly, the Council should not stick rigidly to the quantitative capacity forecasts outlined

above. The scale of new provision will be influenced by locational factors, such as the

availability and suitableness of town centre/edge of centre sites, the impact of new provision

on the health of the town centre and also the scale of new provision which is needed to bring

qualitative benefits.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.80 Turning to the comparison retail sector in Wadebridge, our town centre health check indicates

a good proportion of comparison uses in the town centre, the majority of which are local

independent traders. There are very few vacant units within the centre and the quantitative

assessment indicates that financial trading performance is good, although not necessarily

within the category of overtrading. The town centre benefits from being the retail and service

focus for the local community and also benefits from a number of visits from tourists/visitors to

the local area, including those using the Camel Trail.

5.81 Overall, the centre is relatively modest in size and this is reflected in the shopping patterns in

the local area where relatively significant leakage occurs to Truro and (to a lesser extent)

Bodmin. The household shopping survey indicates that leakage of trips occurs across all

comparison goods sectors. Therefore, whilst we do not consider that Wadebridge suffers from

a significant qualitative deficiency within its comparison goods sector, there are, like many

other towns of this size in Cornwall, opportunities for improvement. Pursuit of such

improvements will need to be influenced by the scale and attractiveness of Wadebridge and

there is a need for realism when attempting to secure such qualitative improvements.

However, improvements to the range of facilities within the centre have been made to work

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successfully, as evidenced by the recent development of commercial facilities along

Eddystone Road.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.82 Based upon the above factors, our quantitative assessment adopts a current benchmark

turnover which matches the current turnover of comparison stores and also applies an annual

increase in floorspace efficient to existing store. The quantitative capacity results of the

growth scenarios are summarised below and indicate that future capacity (up to 2031) ranges

between 1,746-2,166sq m net by 2021 for the trend and population/household growth

scenarios. By 2031, additional capacity has risen to 3,725-4,443sq m net for the same growth

scenarios. In the medium to longer term this is relatively sizeable potential increase in

comparison floorspace in the town.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Wadebridge (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 1108 2916 4269 5852

Trend based

growth

- 737 2166 3212 4443

Population and

household

growth

- 581 1746 2722 3725

Zero growth - 270 855 1352 1959

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Helston

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.83 Up until recently, the convenience retail sector in Helston was dominated by a Tesco out of

centre store. The Tesco had by far the largest market share of convenience shopping trips

associated with the town. There is a more modest sized Co-op (formerly Somerfield) store in

the town centre which provides an anchor role for the centre. However, in the last couple of

years planning permission has been granted for a new Sainsburys store (adjacent to the

Flambards amusement park) and a substantial extension to the existing Tesco store. The

Sainsbury’s store is now open and the extended Tesco is under construction. These schemes

will extend the range, choice and competition within the convenience retail sector in Helston.

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In addition, a Lidl store has been constructed in recent years, which adds to the range of

facilities in the town. As a consequence of these permissions, we do not consider that there

will be any deficiencies or gaps in convenience retail provision in Helston and the quality of

provision (albeit in out of centre locations) is considered to be good. In addition, the existing

overtrading of convenience stores in Helston will be reduced as a result of these schemes.

Overall, we do not consider there to be a qualitative need for additional convenience

floorspace provision within Helston once these two committed schemes have been

implemented.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.84 This conclusion is also supported by the findings of our quantitative assessment which shows

that, across each of the four scenarios, there will be no surplus quantitative capacity up to

2026, with only modest levels of capacity arising between 2026-2031 in the NHPAU and

population/household growth scenarios. This is due to the scale of the committed floorspace

eliminating current overtrading of existing stores and also absorbing growth in expenditure

over the assessment period. As a consequence of the recent Sainsburys, Tesco and Lidl

planning permissions we do not consider that the levels of quantitative capacity prompt the

need for the Council to identify a strategy for additional convenience goods floorspace in

Helston over the LDF period.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Helston (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- - 160 539 938

Trend based

growth

- - - - 89

Population and

household

growth

- - 58 480 904

Zero growth - - - - -

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.85 Within the comparison sector in Helston, the majority of existing floorspace is located within

the town centre, although there is a small element within the out of centre Tesco and Lidl

foodstores. Comparison floorspace provision will increase as a result of the committed

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Sainsburys and Tesco extension schemes although these are in out of centre locations.

There remains an outflow of expenditure primarily to Truro and Falmouth, which is likely to

continue in the future although, given the age and quality of the town centre retail floorspace

stock and the lack of modern retail development to the town centre, we consider that there are

qualitative opportunities for improvements to comparison provision in Helston town centre.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.86 Translating these factors into the quantitative assessment, and taking into account the scale

committed floorspace (and its associated impact upon the town’s market share) these

commitments are likely to lead to the elimination of future surplus expenditure capacity by

2014. However, under the trend and population/growth scenarios there will be capacity for

between 688-1211sq m net by 2021, rising to 1491-2341sq m net by 2026 and 2451-3641sq

m net by 2031. However, there are qualitative factors which point to the need to improve town

centre floorspace which should be considered alongside the apparent lack of any significant

surplus capacity within the town up to 2021 (as a result of the two committed schemes).

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Helston (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- - 1342 2420 3692

Trend based

growth

- - 688 1491 2451

Population and

household

growth

- - 1211 2341 3641

Zero growth - - - 260 866

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Camborne, Pool & Redruth

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience & Comparison Floorspace

5.87 In terms of qualitative need, we consider that the findings of the 2008 Camborne, Pool and

Redruth Retail Study remain relevant. This recent study noted that there was not a significant

qualitative deficiency in convenience retailing in CPR and it was recommended that there was

no need to plan for a significant change in the convenience sector. In terms of comparison

retailing, a qualitative deficiency was previously identified and re-examination of factors

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relating to CPR indicates that this remains the case for a number of reasons. First, there is

leakage of comparison goods shopping trips from the local area, primarily to Truro, suggesting

an inadequate choice and range of facilities in the local area. Second, we consider that there

is a general deficiency in the retail offer of Camborne and Redruth town centres given the size

of the CPR urban area. Third, the stock of existing floorspace within the town centres is has

not been renewed or updated in recent years and there is a qualitative need to provide

modern retail premises in the centres which can attract new retailers.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.88 In line with the approach taken in the previous CPR Retail Study in 2008, the quantitative

analysis adopts an approach whereby the benchmark turnover of existing floorspace is

broadly in equilibrium with the current turnover of existing store, albeit with a small allowance

for current over provision. This approach is taken given that there is not universal overtrading

across the convenience retail sector in CPR and there is a large selection of foodstores across

the urban area.

5.89 Moving forwards into the future, the various population growth scenarios indicate that, on the

basis of the continuation of the shopping patterns identified in the household survey, 2026

convenience floorspace capacity levels would be between 571-1922sq m net for the trend and

population/household growth scenario. The lower end of this range is provided by the trend

based growth scenario, with the population/household growth scenario producing the higher

end of the capacity range, whilst the NHPAU growth scenario forecasts an additional 2,171sq

m net by 2026 and 3,088sq m net by 2031.

5.90 Whilst our trend based growth forecasts are similar to the recent 2008 CPR Retail Study, the

NHPAU and population/household growth scenarios are higher than the predictions in the

2008 study (by around 1,200-1,400sq m net) for a combination of reasons. First, the longer

term forecast growth rate for per capita convenience goods expenditure used in this study

(between +0.3% pa between 2017-2031) is higher than the rate used in the 2008 study

(+0.2% pa). In addition, the current quantitative assessments used different population growth

scenarios than those agreed with the former Kerrier District Council for the 2008 study. In

addition, updated per capita expenditure levels for Cornwall have been obtained for the

purposes of this current study. These are the main reasons for an increase in capacity levels

in two of the three growth scenarios in this study.

5.91 However, beyond the effect of the committed convenience goods floorspace in Helston, the

potential for a new foodstore to be provided within Hayle will result in lower these forecast

levels in CPIR, as existing stores in CPIR can no longer benefit from expenditure gained from

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Hayle residents. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the substantial part of this capacity

rises in the medium to long term (2021-2031) with the effect that short term capacity is

minimal. Therefore, we see no immediate requirement to identify a location for a new

foodstore in the CPR area, which is supported by our qualitative review of existing provision.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – CPR (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 194 1416 2171 3088

Trend based

growth

- - 220 571 1064

Population and

household

growth

- - 1043 1922 2751

Zero growth - - - - -

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.92 Based upon a current benchmark turnover which matches the existing total turnover of stores,

which itself is similar albeit it slightly lower than the turnover of comparison goods stores

estimated in the 2008 CPR Retail Study, and assuming continuation of current shopping

patterns, the future comparison floorspace capacity for CPR ranges from 2367-2866sq m net

in 2014, rising to 6996-9003sq m net in 2021, 10389-13902sq m net by 2026 and 14490-

19204sq m net by 2031. These estimates are based upon the trend and population/household

growth scenarios.

5.93 The NHPAU and population/household growth scenario capacity levels for 2026 are similar to

the constant market share levels outlined in the 2008 retail study, whilst the trend based

growth capacity levels are circa 4,000sq m below previous predictions. The reasons for

revised forecasts are similar to the reason outlined above in relation to the convenience goods

retail assessment, namely changes in population growth forecasts and changes in expenditure

growth forecast levels.

5.94 The previous CPR Retail Study also examined potential increases in the market share in CPR,

in order to claw back expenditure and make qualitative improvements, and the previous study

provided an outline of the potential capacity which could result from new development

schemes in CPR being able to claw back trade. For the purposes of this study we consider

that this remains a possibility, although it will clearly be dependant upon the identification of

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suitable locations in the two existing town centres and the future plans for retail provision (and

a potential new defined centre) in Pool, which is examined in the next section of this report.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – CPR (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 3807 10075 14785 20410

Trend based

growth

- 2367 6996 10389 14490

Population and

household

growth

- 2866 9003 13902 19204

Zero growth - 852 3105 4971 10161

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Newquay

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.95 Convenience retailing in Newquay includes the out of centre Morrisons store along with

smaller Co-op, Aldi and Sainsburys (former Somerfield) stores in the town centre. the Co-op

store is in the process of being transformed into an ASDA store. When combined, these

stores provide for a reasonable amount of choice and competition although they will struggle

to provide a significant main/bulk food shopping destination and the out of centre Morrisons

store plays a dominant role in terms of the attraction of man/bulk food shopping trips.

Moreover, this store is assessed to trade above its company average performance level whilst

stores in the town centre trade at more modest levels. However, it should be noted that the

household survey was undertaken prior to the Aldi store being built and the prior to the change

from Somerfield to Sainsburys and Co-op to ASDA in the town centre. All have the potential

to alter shopping patterns and the quantitative data should therefore be treated with some

caution. Whilst the recent addition of the Aldi store has improved the choice and competition

within the convenience sector in the town centre, completed by the changes from Co-

op/Somerfield to ASDA and Sainsburys respectively, we nevertheless consider that there is

the potential to make further qualitative improvements given that town centre stores are likely

to find it hard to compete with the larger more modern Morrisons store.

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Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.96 Our conclusions in relation to qualitative need will also have an influence on how the

quantitative assessment of need informs the overall assessment of need for additional retail

floorspace in Newquay. Based upon the company average turnover levels for the main stores,

and taking into account the trading performance of stores from the household survey, there is

no existing surplus capacity and the future capacity which does arise out of the growth in per

capita expenditure and population is relatively modest. The only scenario where any

significant capacity arises is within the NHPAU growth scenario: 879sq m net in 2021, 1,428sq

m net by 2026 and 2,006sq m net by 2031. However, these figures are based on the Co-op’s

sales density for its town centre store, although a much higher benchmark sales density could

be applied when ASDA takes occupation of this unit in the near future.

5.97 Therefore, if the sole focus of the need for additional convenience goods floorspace in

Newquay is the quantitative assessment, then, at best, there will be only modest growth in the

longer term.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Newquay (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 75 879 1428 2006

Trend based

growth

- - 157 450 767

Population and

household

growth

- - 55 355 632

Zero growth - - - - -

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.98 However, it should be noted that these predictions are based upon the continuation of the

market shares obtained by the 2008 household survey. This data indicates some leakage of

main and top-up food expenditure from the Newquay area (Zone 13) and, as a consequence,

there may be opportunities for an appropriate form of development to claw some of this

expenditure back. Where there are opportunities for new convenience retail floorsapce

development in Newquay, which meets other retail policy tests (particularly the test of impact),

and which have the potential to claw back lost expenditure, then this will increase the level of

future convenience retail capacity in the town.

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5.99 Overall, Newquay does posses a reasonable selection of convenience stores, with the large

out of centre Morrisons and the medium sized ASDA and Sainsburys stores in the town

centre, supplemented by Aldi and Lidl discount stores. When considered as a whole,

Newquay does posses a relatively large amount of convenience goods floorspace, however

the Morrisons store remains the dominant shopping destination given that it is chosen by the

majority of the local shopping population as their first choice shopping destination. This

inevitably leads to overtrading and congestion issues with the Morrisons and prompts existing

facilities in the town centre to expand their offer to compete with this facility.

5.100 Therefore, we recommend that there is a need for an improved balance of convenience goods

shopping facilities in Newquay. The quantitative assessment suggests that no additional

convenience goods floorspace is required although the qualitative assessments suggests that

a better balance of provision can be achieved. The town possesses a relatively large amount

of floorspace but there is a need for better choice and competition to compete with the out of

centre Morrisons store and this is best achieved by the improvement and expansion of existing

retailers in the town centre, which will be subject to the sequential approach and retail impact

issues.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.101 With regard to comparison floorspace provision in Newquay, the town centre (apart from the

Aldi store) has not seen any significant new development in recent years and there is clearly

some competition for those units which do become available. There is a low vacancy level

and retailer requirements have in the recent past (prior to the recession) been one of the

highest across Cornwall. Overall, we consider there to be clear potential for qualitative

improvements to the comparison goods retail offer in the town centre.

5.102 Outside of the town centre, there are three permissions which include provision for

comparison goods floorspace. Permission exists for 4,830sq m (gross) comparison goods

floorspace on land east of Treloggan Road which includes eight units of up to 700sq m. Half

of the approved floorspace will be for bulky comparison goods retailers and the remaining half

will be unrestricted comparison goods floorsapce. Second, a mixed use scheme at Quintrell

Downs includes provision for 1,000sq m (gross) of floorspace including small units up to 400sq

m. Finally, there is permission for 1,858sq m of bulky goods comparison goods space

adjacent to the Morrisons supermarket.

5.103 These schemes have the potential to impact upon the future health of the town centre and the

ability to deliver town centre projects. Whilst the committed bulky comparison goods

floorspace may have less of an impact, given that it may compete with other bulky goods

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provision elsewhere, the unrestricted element of the Treloggan Road retail commitment is of

some concern to the ongoing performance of the town centre and its ability to attract new

retailers (along with clawing back expenditure which is being lost to Truro). In particular, it is

very likely to be able to attract retailers who would normally be attracted to new retail

development schemes in and around the town centre.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.104 The impact of these commitments, in terms of benchmark turnover and market share, have

been factored into the quantitative assessment. The quantitative assessment for comparison

floorspace in Newquay (which is summarised below) indicates that the commitments will

eliminate short term quantitative capacity although there will be capacity for (excluding the

zero growth scenario) around 1000sq m net by 2021, 2100-2300sq net by 2026 and between

3500-3700sq m net by 2031. These estimates are based upon the trend and

population/household growth scenarios. The summary below indicates that much higher

levels of retail capacity would be achieved under the NHPAU growth scenario. Given the

leakage of existing comparison shopping trips, particularly to Truro, there may be an

opportunity to increase capacity via an increase in Newquay’s market share as and when

suitable town centre development opportunities come forward, which could boost shorter term

capacity levels. Potential opportunities to accommodate the identified need are discussed in

the next section of this study.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Newquay (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- - 2019 3599 5474

Trend based

growth

- - 1096 2267 3679

Population and

household

growth

- - 953 2119 3457

Zero growth - - 71 787 1693

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Launceston

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

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5.105 Convenience retailing in Launceston includes a large Tesco store which offers main/bulk-food

shopping role and has been extended in recent years. The store lies in an out of centre

location and is by far the most popular main and top-up food shopping destination. As a

whole, convenience stores in Launceston retain almost 90% of main food shopping trips and

the Tesco store accounts for eight-ninths of this retention. The Tesco has a 74% main food

shopping market share and all other stores combined have a 15% market share for this type of

shopping. For top-up shopping, the market shares are more evenly shared, although the

Tesco remains the highest ranked store. Beyond the local area (Zone 21 of the study are),

stores in Launceston are able to attract expenditure from the Camelford area to the west,

Callington to the south and areas to the north. However, expenditure from the Callington area

is expected to reduce as a result of the committed new Tesco store. Across the convenience

sector, our quantitative analysis indicates that most stores are trading well, with the Tesco, Lidl

and town centre Co-op trading above company average levels and the smaller scale town

centre convenience sector also trading at reasonable levels.

5.106 Overall, we consider that there is a variety of convenience retail provision within Launceston

with reasonable quality of space across the town as a whole. The main issue for the town is

the dominance of one store (Tesco) for main/bulk food shopping trips coupled with the clear

orientation of convenience goods retail provision in out of centre locations with the town centre

relying upon a small Co-op store and smaller scale top-up food shopping provision.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.107 Our quantitative assessment indicates that the convenience retail sector as a whole across

Launceston is performing at reasonably good levels, although clearly the best performance is

the out of centre Tesco store which is trading at levels well in excess of its company average

performance. As a consequence, primarily due to the performance of the Tesco store, the

trading performance of existing stores generally suggests that there may be some current

surplus capacity within the town centre which will grow steadily up to 2031. The table below

summarises level of capacity arising out of the different population growth scenarios provided

by the Council, with the trend and population/household growth scenarios showing additional

capacity of 1,876-2098sq m net of capacity by 2014, rising to 2276-2808sq m net by 2021,

2539-3364sq m net by 2026 and 2874-3943sq m net by 2031.

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Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Launceston (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

2058 2175 2849 3306 3840

Trend based

growth

2058 1876 2276 2539 2874

Population and

household

growth

2058 2098 2808 3364 3943

Zero growth 2058 1611 1575 1559 1617

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.108 The scale of the immediate capacity levels (at 2009-2014) arises primarily out of the

theoretical ‘overtrading’ of the out of centre Tesco store. This situation arises as a result of the

dominance of the Tesco store in terms of its monopoly on main/bulk food shopping trips in the

local area. Therefore, these capacity levels should not be seen as prescriptive until factors

such as the potential location of new provision and its impact upon the future health of

Launceston town centre has been taken into account. Given our comments in relation to the

qualitative aspects of need, we do not consider that there is an urgent need to identify a

location for a new foodstore within Launceston although the Council should give further

detailed consideration to how the identified quantitative capacity and qualitative imbalance in

provision in the town centre can be addressed within or on the edge of the town centre.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.109 Turning to comparison floorspace, Launceston has a relatively small offer which is focused

around moderate-sized local independent traders and a small number of national multiples.

The quality of the comparison retail floorspace stock within the town centre is historic and

there has not been any significant recent additions. The lack of opportunities for significant

new floorspace in and around the town centre would have been the main reason for the

emergence of Launceston Retail Park, who poses significant competition for the town centre.

By way of comparison, the size of the Retail Park is the same size as the comparison goods

sector within the town centre. However, both elements of the comparison goods sector

combine to allow Launceston to retain good level of shopping trips across all bulky goods

categories and personal/luxury goods. The towns performs less well in terms of retaining

clothes/shoes and recreational goods, although this is to be expected for a town of this size

and the proximity of larger settlements such as Plymouth. Given these good retention levels,

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we consider the town is performing well financially with an across-town sales density of at

least £4,000/sq m.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.110 Our assessment of quantitative capacity in Launceston assumes that the current turnover of

stores represents a reasonable benchmark level (for 2009) and allowance is made for

increasing floorspace efficiency. The various scenarios are summarised below and indicate

that the highest levels of capacity (at 2031) are within the population/household growth

scenario (3921sq m net by 2021 and 8452sq m net by 2031), followed by the NHPAU growth

scenario (4039sq m net by 2021 and 8269sq m net by 2031) and then the trend based growth

forecasts (2807sq m net by 2021 and 5903sq m net by 2031).

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Launceston (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 1519 4039 5998 8269

Trend based

growth

- 937 2807 4239 5903

Population and

household

growth

- 1356 3921 6079 8452

Zero growth - 401 1278 1966 2806

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Bude

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.111 The Bude convenience goods retail sector includes a large out of centre Morrisons store, plus

smaller Sainsburys (former Somerfield) and Co-op stores within the town centre. The

Morrisons store provides the main/bulk-food shopping destination in the local area, with the

Sainsburys and Co-op stores playing more minor roles. This is supported by the results of the

household shopping survey used to inform this study. Bude lies within Zone 23 of the

household survey area and the surveys results show that the town attracts three-quarters of

main food shopping trips from this area, plus two thirds of top-up food shopping trips. It should

be noted that Zone 23 also includes Holsworthy so this level of retention for Bude is

considered to be good. Convenience stores in Bude do not appear to attract expenditure from

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other parts of the study area, although they will clearly be popular with tourists visiting the

wider area.

5.112 Overall, we do not consider that there is a significant qualitative deficiency within convenience

retail provision in Bude. Whilst the Morrisons store dominates, the town centre has two

modest foodstores which provide for choice and competition and the Sainsburys store is

relatively modern.

5.113 It should be noted that during the course of preparing this study a proposed mixed use

development scheme at Binhamy Farm on the edge of Bude, including provision of a discount

foodstore and bulky goods retail warehouses, was dismissed at appeal. The provision of retail

development was not a specific reason for refusal although the prematurity of the whole

development proposal (prior to the preparation of LDDs for the area) was the main area for

concern. It should also be noted that the appeal was dismissed by the Secretary of State prior

to the recent CALA Homes High Court judgement and the decision turned, in part, on whether

or not the draft RSS was a material consideration. It is understood that a legal challenge

against the Secretary of State’s decision is underway.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.114 Our quantitative analysis indicates that trading performance levels in Bude’s convenience

sector are mixed, with the Co-op performing better than company average, but the Morrisons

and other town centre space (excluding Sainsburys and the Co-op) performing lower than

average. However, from visual inspection and historical knowledge of the Morrisons store, we

consider that this store is trading well and is a popular main/bulk food shopping destination.

5.115 In addition, it must also be noted that at the time of the household survey the Sainsburys store

was still trading as a Somerfield and this change in fascia may have had some effect upon

local shopping patterns. At the time of the survey, the Somerfield store was trading well

against its company average.

5.116 Taking this mixed trading performance into account, our quantitative analysis assumes a

relatively broad equilibrium at the base year for assessment. Moving forwards across the

assessment period, the summary table below indicates that based upon existing provision and

growth in expenditure in the local area there will be relatively modest future capacity for growth

in convenience floorspace.

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Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Bude (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

118 406 785 1033 1297

Trend based

growth

118 277 522 677 846

Population and

household

growth

118 290 564 769 979

Zero growth 118 135 185 226 284

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.117 Within the comparison goods sector in Bude, all existing provision is located in the town

centre. Our town centre health check finds that the centre is healthy, with a low vacancy rate,

although parts of the retail offer are orientated towards the tourism market. Like many other

towns of this size in Cornwall, local and Cornish independent retailers predominate and a

smaller number of national multiples have located in the town. Having regard to shopping

patterns, the best levels of retention of local expenditure are in the electrical, personal luxury

and recreational goods categories where around half of trips within Zone 23 are attracted.

Within the other comparison goods sectors, market shares of less than 30% are common, with

significant leakage to settlements in nearby Devon. As a consequence of these retention

levels, our quantitative assessment indicates a reasonable trading performance of the

comparison sector in Bude with a sales density around £4,000/sq m. Overall, we consider that

there are opportunities to improve the quality of provision in Bude and retain more shopping

trips. There are opportunities to widen the range and choice of comparison shopping across

all sectors fill some gaps/deficiencies in provision.

5.118 Some improvements in the retail offer would have accrued if the Binhamy Farm development

was approved, given that it contained a number of bulky goods retail units which would have

clawed back lost expenditure, and which was acknowledged by the Council in its

determination of the application (and evidence to the subsequent public inquiry).

5.119 However, due to the role and location of Bude, we consider that the ability to achieve

qualitative improvements will be modest and improvements to the non-bulky comparison

goods sector should be focused upon the town centre.

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Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.120 Our quantitative assessment of future comparison floorspace provision for Bude is outlined in

the summary table below and indicates, for the trend and population/household growth

scenarios, that modest levels of floorspace capacity will be available by 2014 (between 555-

583sq m net) and rising to 1600-1693sq m net by 2021, 2391-2598sq m net and 3281-3599sq

m net by 2031. However, opportunities to retain more shopping trips in Bude could raise the

market share of the town and which in turn could provide for a higher floorspace capacity.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Bude (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 782 2106 3123 4270

Trend based

growth

- 555 1600 2391 3281

Population and

household

growth

- 583 1693 2598 3599

Zero growth - 306 948 1462 2047

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

St Austell

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.121 Within the 2007 St Austell Retail Study, it was concluded that there was not a strong

qualitative need to improve convenience floorspace provision across the town as a whole

given the large Tesco and ASDA stores, supplemented by two discount stores, a modest Co-

op store and other smaller scale convenience provision with the town and district centres. A

significant extension to the Tesco store has recently been approved which will further extend

provision and also reduce the current overtrading of the Tesco store.

5.122 The 2007 study found that there was not universal overtrading across the convenience sector

in St Austell with the two largest stores attracting the best performance levels. This

phenomenon has remained and intensified on the basis of the results of the 2008 household

survey (which informs this study). The two largest stores have, according to the latest survey

results, increased their turnover and whilst some of the smaller stores have also increased

their own turnover they remain trading at moderate levels. It would appear that the market

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share of stores in St Austell has increased above the market share levels shown in previous

studies (such as the 2007 St Austell Retail Study and retail studies in Truro). This increase in

market share appears to be have been at the expense of the convenience market shares of

surrounding settlements such as Truro and a number of smaller settlements.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.123 The effect of an increase in market share for St Austell, beyond the levels achieved in the

2007 St Austell Retail Study, is to boost the amount of convenience goods expenditure which

is attracted to the town. Our quantitative assessment scenarios show higher convenience

floorspace capacity up to 2026 than the predictions in the 2007 St Austell Retail Study, with

the difference being significant if the NHPAU based growth figures are adopted. A summary

of the quantitative assessment, which assumes current overtrading and constant shopping

patterns in the future, is contained below.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – St Austell (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

1670 3229 5220 6574 7998

Trend based

growth

1670 3285 3448 4143 4899

Population and

household

growth

1670 2475 3776 4771 5730

Zero growth 1670 1493 1292 1181 1186

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.124 There are a number of reasons why the latest predictions are higher than the previous data.

First, as already noted, the market share of existing stores is higher which will lead to higher

capacity levels at both the current year (due to the current trading performance of existing

stores) and also throughout the assessment (on the basis of constant shopping patterns) as

the town captures high levels of expenditure growth in the local area. Second, the population

growth scenarios provided by the Council model high growth for the St Austell area, due to

both high growth in and around the town and also due to the proposed eco-town in the china

clay area. Therefore, even if the current levels of surplus expenditure are removed, then there

is still high levels of future capacity for St Austell due to fast increasing population. For

example, removal of current surplus capacity would still leave some 3,000-4,000sq m net of

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additional convenience floorspace for the St Austell area (excluding the zero growth scenario)

under the trend and population/household growth scenarios.

5.125 Overall, the quantitative analysis indicates that there is expenditure capacity for the provision

of a reasonably significant amount of convenience goods floorspace in the St Austell area in

the short to medium term. This has the potential to be provided in number of ways: new

supermarket development or extensions to existing facilities. At this point it is important to

point out that the capacity predictions for St Austell are for the wider area which also includes

the proposed area for the eco-town. Therefore, the next section of this report goes on to

consider the possibilities for meeting the identified need in both St Austell itself and/or within

the eco-town area. In addition, the next section considers whether the apparent increase in St

Austell’s convenience goods market share (including the knock-on effects that it has for other

settlements in Cornwall) should continue in the future, or whether some of this growth should

be directed to other settlements.

5.126 It should also be noted that the 2007 retail study included an allowance for a 1,000sq m net

foodstore within the White River Place (WRP) development. If this was excluded from the

previous analysis (given that no such store has been provided within WRP), then the previous

capacity predictions in the previous study would have been circa 2,200sq m net of additional

convenience goods floorspace at 2021 when compared with 3,448sq m net – 52200sq m net

in the latest work. However, this will have been rebalanced by the approval of an extension to

the Tesco store which has been incorporated into our quantitative assessment and goes some

way to replace the theoretical WRP foodstore commitment in this latest analysis.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.127 In relation to comparison goods retailing within St Austell, the 2007 retail study highlighted the

clear opportunity to improve upon existing provision and identified the WRP shopping centre

development as key to achieving this objective. The WRP centre has now opened and

provides a significant amount of modern large scale retail floorspace which is being occupied

by a range of comparison goods retailers, food & drink operators and commercial leisure

operators. Whilst it continues to reach a settled trading pattern and the remaining vacant units

are taken up, we consider that the WRP scheme will meet the identified qualitative need for

comparison retail floorspace provision in the short to medium term. It should also be noted

that the WRP scheme is being supplemented by a large extension to the comparison goods

sales area of the Tesco store which will provide an enlarged non-food range.

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Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.128 The consequences of these two developments have been fed into the quantitative analysis,

which, on the basis of an uplift in the market share of St Austell as a consequence of recent

developments, future capacity in the town under the trend and population/household growth

scenarios will be decreased in the short term up to 2014 (1922-2135sq m net at 2014) and will

rise to 7505-8336sq m net by 2021 and 16629-18962sq m net at 2031. Even higher levels of

capacity are achieved under the NHPAU population growth figures. These capacity levels are

outlined below and show a large increase in capacity between 2021 and 2031 due to the high

levels of population growth modelled by the various Council growth scenarios.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – St Austell (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 3789 11768 17926 25067

Trend based

growth

- 1922 7505 11706 16629

Population and

household

growth

- 2135 8336 13372 18962

Zero growth - - 2283 4071 6443

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Saltash

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.129 In recent years, Saltash has been subject to a number of planning applications for retail

development, focused upon new and extended foodstores. An extension to the existing

Waitrose store adjacent to the A38 was approved in 2008 around the same time as an

approval for a new Lidl discount foodstore outside of the town centre. Also in 2008, an

application by Sainsburys for a new foodstore on the site of the existing football club was

refused by Caradon District Council (CDC) for a number of reasons included the impact (when

considered cumulatively with the other commitments) on the health of Saltash town centre. It

is also understood that there is a current application by Tesco for a new store close to the A38

Carkeel roundabout, which remains undetermined at the time of finalising this report.

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5.130 Saltash has unique characteristics; it is a town in its own right but lies on the immediate edge

of the Plymouth urban area, separated only by the River Tamar. Historically, there has been a

significant leakage of retail expenditure from Saltash to stores in Plymouth, and to a lesser

extent Liskeard. The 2008 household survey informing this study confirms this phenomenon.

Saltash lies in Zone 19 of the study area and (whilst Torpoint also lies within this zone) the

survey data indicates that only 27% of main food shopping trips are attracted from this area to

stores in Saltash. Top-up food shopping trips are higher at 40%, although the survey data

does appear to confirm the historical position of leakage of expenditure.

5.131 However, since the 2008 survey, permission has been gained for a significant extension to the

Waitrose store, the Lidl proposal has been approved and the Somerfield store in Torpoint has

now become a Sainsburys store. All of these have the potential to affect shopping patterns

and therefore we consider it appropriate for any further proposals for convenience floorspace

in Saltash (such as the current Tesco foodstore proposal) should be accompanied by an up-

to-date survey of main and top-up food shopping patterns in order to establish the effect of

these new stores on expenditure retention in the local area and the turnover of Saltash town

centre. The impact on the town centre was a reason for CDC to resist the recent Sainsburys

proposal. The latest survey indicates a slightly higher turnover for town centre floorspace

although this is prior to the Waitrose and Lidl developments and may not be significantly

different as to prompt a different conclusion to the potential impact of Sainsburys (although a

new bespoke shopping patterns survey to accompany a detailed retail impact assessment is

required to clarify this).

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.132 Based on the 2008 household survey and the recent commitments, the only way in which to

demonstrate a quantitative need for plan-making purposes in Saltash is to plan for an increase

in the town’s market share in the future. Otherwise, continuation of the 2008 shopping

patterns (as amended by the impact of the Waitrose extension and Lidl store) are only likely to

allow for modest increases in convenience floorspace provision. Based on the 2008 survey,

such an increase may be supportable in order to retain more trips in the local area. However,

the likelihood and/or desirability of an increase will be dependant upon the findings of any new

household survey showing up to date shopping patterns. More importantly, it will be

dependant on the scale of new provision, its location relative to the town centre and its impact

upon the health of the town centre.

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Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Saltash (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- - 15 211 478

Trend based

growth

- - - - 71

Population and

household

growth

- - - - 145

Zero growth - - - - -

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.133 Saltash’s comparison goods floorspace provision is relatively modest with town centre

provision dominated by small local independent traders. The proportion of comparison goods

retailers is similar to national and Cornish average levels although the amount of floorspace

occupied by comparison goods retailers is well below average levels. The low level of town

centre provision is reflected in shopping patterns in the local area with the town unable to

attain a market share of above 10% for all comparison goods categories apart from DIY goods

due to the presence of the out of centre Focus store. The majority of leakage of comparison

shopping trips and expenditure is to Plymouth, which is unsurprising given its proximity and

dominance as a shopping destination in the sub-region.

5.134 As a consequence of this level of leakage of shopping trips and expenditure, there are, in

principle, opportunities for a qualitative improve in comparison goods shopping facilities in

Saltash. Retaining shopping trips and expenditure would boost the financial performance of

the town and reduce the length of shopping trips. The next sections of this document go on

to consider the various issues and implications surrounding an aspiration to improve

qualitative aspects of retail provision in and around Saltash.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.135 For comparison retailing in Saltash, the summary table below outlines the quantitative capacity

predictions based on the various population growth scenarios. These capacity levels are

based upon the continuation of comparison goods shopping patterns found in the 2008

household survey. The predicted floorspace levels do not vary to a significant extent although

this is due to low level of market share which is predicted for Saltash. In principle, we would

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support the principle of clawing back expenditure to the Saltash/Torpoint area, although the

realism of clawing back significant levels of lost trade so must be in doubt given the strength of

Plymouth and its current retail provision. In addition, the desirability of planning for an

increase in the town’s market share will be dependant upon the location of new provision and

its impact upon the vitality and viability of Saltash town centre (including the prospect of linked

trips with existing facilities within the town centre).

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Saltash (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 337 889 1318 1789

Trend based

growth

- 199 619 940 1291

Population and

household

growth

- 229 676 1022 1380

Zero growth - 89 297 472 680

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

Hayle

5.136 The 2007 Penwith Retail Study identified a clear qualitative need for improved convenience

and comparison floorspace provision in Hayle. The town has experienced from significant

levels of leaked expenditure to CPR and Penzance in the past and the previous study

identified the potential to claw some of the leaked expenditure back, particularly in the form of

convenience goods expenditure.

Qualitative Assessment - Convenience

5.137 According to the 2007 Retail Study, only one quarter of main food shopping trips and half of

top-up food shopping trips are retained in the town. This situation is broadly confirmed by the

2008 household survey informing this study. Both main and top-up food shopping expenditure

is leaking to large stores in Camborne, Pool, Redruth and Penzance, necessitating lengthy

shopping journeys. This level of leakage appears to be consistent with the level and type of

provision which is currently available in Hayle, which comprises a modest Co-op store in

Copperhouse town centre plus an out of centre Lidl discount foodstore (which has recently

been extended) and a Marks & Spencer store at West Cornwall Retail Park which has a

foodhall. Judging by the results of recent household surveys these stores are clearly not

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attractive to the majority of the local population and, on the basis of the above information, we

continue with the conclusions of the 2007 Penwith Retail Study which indicated that there is a

qualitative case for improving convenience goods floorspace provision in Hayle.

5.138 This acknowledged qualitative deficiency is a clear contributing factor to the current interest

shown by various national grocery retailers in Hayle (Sainsburys, Morrisons, ASDA plus a

proposal from ING for a supermarket in the harbour area). All proposals have responded to

the acknowledged qualitative deficiency by proposing supermarket units of varying sizes and

Cornwall Council is currently considering these applications in terms of their compliance with

the sequential approach to site selection and whether they are of a scale which meets the

acknowledged qualitative deficiency without causing significant adverse impact on the health

of the two town centres in Hayle.

Quantitative Assessment - Convenience

5.139 Should existing shopping patterns continue over the assessment period, the various

population growth scenarios for Hayle contained in appendices to this document indicate low

levels of additional capacity for convenience goods floorspace (340-370sq m net at 2014, 467-

398sq m net at 2021, 561-578sq m net by 2026 and 651-667sq m net by 2031) in the trend

and population/household growth scenarios.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Hayle (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

275 459 690 842 1004

Trend based

growth

275 369 498 578 667

Population and

household

growth

275 340 467 561 651

Zero growth 275 259 241 235 264

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.140 These low levels of additional capacity are caused by the low market share of Hayle and

substantial leakage of convenience shopping trips. However, the qualitative needs of

improving provision within the town indicate that these trend based predictions should not be

adopted for plan making purposes and should be superseded by the qualitative need to plan

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for an increase in the market share of Hayle, via the retention of a larger proportion of

convenience goods shopping trips.

5.141 The previous study indicated a potential capacity up to 1,750sq m net by 2021, based upon an

uplift in the market share of Hayle stores from shopping trips from local residents. Having

revisited these previous assumptions in the context of the updated quantitative analysis

prepared for this study, we continue to consider that these previous potential capacity levels

provide an appropriate guide when planning for additional convenience floorspace in Hayle.

5.142 In addition, there are now a number of current proposals for foodstores in Hayle. These

proposals will be subject to detailed consideration, particularly in relation to the

appropriateness of their scale and financial impact upon the future health of the two town

centres in Hayle. As a consequence, for the purposes of this study, we consider it is

appropriate to confirm the broad conclusions of the 2007 Penwith Retail Study and confirm

that a need should be identified for additional convenience floorspace within Hayle in the form

of a new foodstore. The size of such provision will be confirmed as part of the ongoing

planning application process.

Qualitative Assessment - Comparison

5.143 With regard to comparison retail provision, provision is small scale when compared with other

towns and is split across two defined town centres (Copperhouse and Foundry) where small

scale local independent operators predominate. Like the convenience retail sector, there is a

significant leakage of comparison goods shopping trips from the Hayle area. Whilst the West

Cornwall Retail Park has improved retention rates to a certain extent over recent years, the

market share of Hayle as a first choice shopping destination is generally no greater than 10%-

15% apart from personal and luxury goods where the market share is 25%. Leaking of

comparison shopping trips from Hayle including leakage of bulky goods trips to Camborne

Pool and Redruth and leakage of non-bulky comparison goods trips to Truro and Penzance.

5.144 Overall, we reiterate the conclusions of the 2007 Penwith Retail Study which outlined a

qualitative need to improve comparison goods retail provision in Hayle, but stated the need for

aspirations for increases in provision to be realistic due to the size of Hayle and the continued

attractiveness of retail facilities in surrounding settlements. Around the same time as

completing the 2007 retail study, the Hayle harbour outline planning application was submitted

and planning permission was eventually granted this year. Within this mixed use scheme, a

significant amount of Class A retail floorspace was proposed, with a significant amount of this

space proposed to be occupied by comparison goods retailers. If this scheme were to be

delivered then it would in our opinion meet the identified qualitative deficiency in comparison

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goods floorspace in Hayle. However, the site proposed for this provision, South Quay, is now

subject to alternative proposals which would, if permitted, deliver a supermarket use.

Therefore, whilst a supermarket would include a modest amount of comparison goods

floorspace provision, it would not be of the same scale as the previous mixed use proposal.

Should the supermarket proposal succeed on South Quay, it is likely that a qualitative need for

additional comparison retail floorspace in Hayle’s town centres would remain unless the South

Quay scheme was able to provide additional comparison goods floorspace alongside the

supermarket use.

Quantitative Assessment - Comparison

5.145 Our quantitative assessment forecasts that, on the basis of constant market shares in the

future and excluding the Hayle Harbour outline planning permission mixed use scheme,

capacity for an additional 331-337sq m net by 2014, 952-1000sq m net by 2021, 1416-1532sq

m net by 2026 and 1945-2106sq m net by 2031. These estimates are based upon the trend

and population/household growth scenarios. These forecasts are summarised below.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Hayle (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

- 511 1342 1979 2706

Trend based

growth

- 337 952 1416 1945

Population and

household

growth

- 331 1000 1532 2106

Zero growth - 139 445 693 1104

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.146 Not too dissimilar growth levels, based on constant market shares, were predicted by the 2007

Penwith Retail Study. However, the 2007 Retail Study also outlined the potential for Hayle to

increase its market share and recommended a strategy which allowed for up to 4,000sq m net

of additional comparison goods floorspace subject to further consideration of the scale, impact

and location of providing such provision. For the purposes of this current retail study, the

evidence which has been gathered points to a similar conclusion being reached (low levels of

shopping retention, opportunities to improve the range, choice and quality of provision) and

the Hayle Harbour outline planning permission mixed use scheme would be able to increase

Hayle’s market share in a similar manner to that envisaged by the 2007 retail study. Indeed,

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should the harbour permission scheme be included in the quantitative need analysis, it is our

view that the scale of retail floorspace which would be provided would completely eliminate the

identified capacity.

Truro

Qualitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.147 In recent years, Truro has been subject to two retail studies: in 2006 (Donaldsons) and 2008

(DTZ). The latest of these studies identified the need for one new superstore in Truro and

promoted a proposed new foodstore led district centre to the west of the city along with a

retail-led mixed use development at Pydar Street which DTZ suggested could potentially

include a relocated (and major new) Tesco store from Garras Wharf. The DTZ report also

went on to note that proposals for a new district centre at Higher Newham Farm should be

resisted, as should a proposal to extend the existing Sainsburys store (which Carrick District

Council subsequently approved) and a significantly enlarged Tesco store. This advice was

against the background of DTZ’s quantitative capacity predictions which outlined theoretical

capacity for 4,750sq m net of convenience goods floorspace by 2016, rising to 6,100sq m net

by 2021 and 7,700sq m net by 2026.

5.148 Having regard to the qualitative aspects of convenience retail provision within Truro, this was

not studied in depth by the previous retail studies which focused upon quantitative matters.

Our own qualitative assessment of convenience floorspace indicates a good level of provision

with large Tesco and Sainsburys stores. Both are observed to trade very well and congestion

and overcrowding has been evident in the past. The previous situation is likely to have been

relieved to some extent by the recent completion of an extension to the Sainsburys store.

Elsewhere in the town, there are Somerfield, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Iceland and other

smaller scale convenience uses in the city centre, plus an out of centre Aldi store. The city

centre is likely to benefit from the presence of the Tesco store which lies a short walk away

from the Lemon Quay area and its presence is likely to benefit the overall health of the city

centre.

5.149 Overall, we consider that there is reasonable choice and competition within the convenience

sector in Truro, although there are likely to be opportunities for improved quality of provision

both within the city centre and possibly to serve new large residential communities which are

created by the extension of the Truro/Threemilestone urban area. The current successful

trading performance, and potential overtrading of the main supermarkets in Truro, also

contributes to the need for qualitative improvements in provision in the city. This is discussed

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in the next chapter of this report and we now turn to the potential scale of additional floorspace

in the Truro area up to 2026.

Quantitative Assessment – Convenience Floorspace

5.150 Our quantitative analysis indicates that convenience facilities in Truro are attracting around

£92m of convenience goods expenditure (at 2009). This is in contrast to the £140m (based on

growth rate between 2005 and 2011 levels) which DTZ predicted was following to Truro

stores. This is a significant difference and, on the basis of the latest survey, would put existing

convenience trading no better than combined company average performance levels. There

are three main reasons for this difference:

• There is a difference in the age of the household survey informing this study and the

surveys informing the Donaldsons and DTZ work. The survey informing this study was

undertaken in 2008, whilst the previous Donaldsons/DTZ used a mixture of surveys

dating from 2003 and 2005. The 2003 survey used by Donaldsons/DTZ was undertaken

at a time when the large Tesco Extra store in Pool was not trading (i.e. still trading as a

Big W store). Therefore, the age of the Donaldsons/DTZ surveys may not take into

account changes in shopping habits in the intervening years.

• The convenience goods turnover levels in the DTZ study (which informed the DTZ

capacity levels) included significant levels of trade draw from the Penzance, Newquay, St

Austell and, to a lesser extent, the Bodmin/Camelford/Padstow/Wadebridge areas. For

example, in the base year of the DTZ study (2005), £22.7m of convenience goods

expenditure was predicted by DTZ to flow from the Penzance/St Ives/Hayle area to Truro.

In the latest analysis, based upon the 2008 household survey, under £1m was predicted

to flow from this (former Penwith area) to stores in Truro. DTZ forecast £16m of

convenience goods expenditure was flowing to Truro stores from the area in and around

St Austell. This study predicts £2m of expenditure flow to Truro from this area. DTZ

forecast £16m of expenditure to flow to Truro from the area in and around Newquay,

whilst this study predicts just over £5m. Similarly, DTZ forecast £5m more expenditure

flowing from the Bodmin/Camelford area, and £3m more expenditure flowing from the

Padstow/Wadebridge area, than this study. These differences, along with smaller

variations in expenditure flow from the CPR and Falmouth and St Anges areas, are likely

to explain the difference in expenditure flow to Truro.

• We have also checked the shopping patterns associated with the former Penwith area

against the results of the household survey informing the 2007 Penwith Retail Study and

the household surveys informing the recent supermarket proposals in Hayle. These

surveys support the data contained in this study (based on the 2008 shopping survey i.e.

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little leakage of trips from the former Penwith area) rather than the more historic DTZ

analysis. The results for the St Austell area have been checked against the results of the

household survey informing the 2007 St Austell Retail Study and that survey also

supports the data contained in this analysis (i.e. low leakage of expenditure from the St

Austell area to Truro). Finally, we have also checked the shopping patterns information

in our 2008 survey for the former North Cornwall area (Wadebridge, Bodmin, Padstow,

Camelford etc) against the shopping patterns information provided as part of the current

Wadebridge supermarket planning applications and this recent data also supports the

content of the 2008 survey.

• Finally, moving forwards across the assessment period growth in convenience

expenditure which is able to support new floorspace in Truro is also lower than the

previous DTZ work. Not only is this due to the lower market share of Truro as predicted

by the latest survey results but also appears to be due to lower population growth data in

this study (provided by the Council) when compared with the data which informed the

DTZ work. In the 2008 study, DTZ modelled a growth of 11,000 people within the TR1

postcode area. For the purposes of this study, Council population growth data indicates

a growth of around 8,800 people5 for the Truro/Roseland Community Network area which

covers an area wider than the TR1 postcode area used by DTZ. Therefore the DTZ

population growth figures are higher than even the most optimistic population growth

scenarios provided by Cornwall Council for the purposes of this study. Therefore, the

higher population growth adopted by the DTZ study is also likely to account for the

difference in capacity figures between the two assessments.

5.151 There also may have been a small uplift in the convenience expenditure attracted to Truro as

a result of the extension to the Sainsburys store although, based upon the total uplift in

turnover as a result of the extension, this is unlikely to be a significant amount.

5.152 Overall, it is clear that the level of convenience goods expenditure flowing to stores in Truro,

based on the 2008 household survey results, is below the levels predicted in the previous DTZ

study. This is corroborated by other sets of survey results for different studies across

Cornwall. Beyond the survey results, and looking across the assessment period, future

growth in available expenditure in Truro will also be influenced by updated population growth

estimates provided by the Council, whilst more recent economic forecasts, in the form of

expenditure growth projections and efficiency levels of retail floorspace, will also supersede

previous data in the DTZ work.

5 Within the NHPAU population growth scenario, which is the higher population growth scenario provided by Cornwall Council for the purposes of this study.

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5.153 Based upon the 2008 survey results and the population growth forecasts provided by the

Council, the table below summarises the convenience goods capacity forecasts for Truro up to

2031. As can be seen, quantitative capacity for significant levels of floorspace only rises in the

medium to longer term and generally capacity levels are between one third and one half

around half of the DTZ predictions at 2026 (depending on which population growth scenario is

chosen). At 2014 quantitative capacity existing for between 1054-1556sq m net of additional

floorspace, rising to 1786-2810sq m net at 2021.

5.154 Whilst account needs to be made for the recent Sainsburys store extension, the difference is

nevertheless significant and can be attributed to the different market share levels and

population growth levels for Truro. These figures do suggest that there could be reasonably

significant convenience floorspace capacity in Truro, although this only occurs between 2021-

2031 and within the NHPAU and population/household growth scenarios and not the trends

based scenario. On its own, the quantitative capacity figures appear to justify a new large

supermarket, of a size similar to the Tesco and Sainsburys stores in Truro, in their own right.

However, based on the quantitative need figures alone such capacity levels only arise at 2021

and beyond.

Additional Convenience Floorspace Capacity – Truro (continuation of existing market share)

(square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

567 1556 2810 3623 4553

Trend based

growth

567 1054 1786 2227 2777

Population and

household

growth

567 1283 2500 3436 4375

Zero growth 567 499 410 382 510

Notes: figures indicate additional convenience floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.155 In reaching these capacity predictions it should be noted that we have an allowance for

spending by visitors/tourists in convenience facilities in Truro, which was not accounted for in

the previous DTZ work. In terms of any further financial contributions to the turnover of

convenience goods floorspace in Truro, we note that Truro is a large employment centre in

Cornwall, with a significant inflow of workers into the city during the working day. It is possible

that a proportion of these workers, whether they live in Truro or elsewhere in Cornwall, will

visit convenience stores.

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5.156 Data from Experian indicates that the daytime working population of the four wards in Truro is

20939 people and the usually resident population of those wards is 18198 people. This leads

to a working population which is 2741 higher than the resident population, with the Boscawen

ward (city centre and area to the south, including the Council’s New County Hall premises)

being the single significant contributor to the daytime working population. There is no reliable

data on the average amount of money which workers will spend on foods shopping as part of

their working day and also travelling to and from work. Moreover, a comparison between the

usually resident population and the working population will be subject to particular nuances

with some Truro residents working in other towns/villages in Cornwall which leads to a higher

non-Truro workforce but also a corresponding loss of expenditure from Truro residents

spending money in non-Truro stores. Therefore, as a basic calculation, if it were to be

assumed that each these 2741 additional people spent on average £10 per week in Truro6,

which we consider to be at the top end of expectation, then workers could generate up to

£1.4m per annum. If the average was £5 per week, then the annual contribution of these

workers would be £0.7m. These levels of expenditure would only be counted as additional to

the expenditure levels in our quantitative assessment if they are not already covered in the

2008 household survey results. As a consequence, workers residing outside Truro but

working in the city have the potential to make a financial contribution to the retail economic,

although in the context existing and future spending from local residents and tourists, it is

unlikely to be significant.

5.157 Leaving aside the range of forecasts provided, it is clear that there will be capacity for the level

of additional convenience floorspace associated with a new supermarket facility. The same

view was reached by DTZ, although the differences lie in the timing of that capacity: the

current GVA analysis predicts a medium to long term timeframe whilst the DTZ analysis

suggests a short to medium term requirement and increasing further over the LDF period. The

timing of providing this additional floorspace will not be wholly dependant on the quantitative

forecasts, as they should not be used prescriptively; it will also relate to how new provision

should serve existing and planned new communities in Truro, taking into account qualitative

factors of need. This is discussed in more detail later in this study.

Qualitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.158 Turning to comparison retailing within Truro, the city centre and out of centre provision have

been the most popular shopping destination for non-food goods in Cornwall for a number of

years. The city attracts a high market share from the local area and a number of the other

study area zones across Cornwall to the effect that the turnover of existing provision is many

6 Average total per capita convenience goods weekly spend is £33

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times higher than the other large settlements of CPR, Penzance and St Austell. In terms of

the quality of provision, the town has the highest number of national multiple retailers when

compared to other towns in Cornwall and it also has historically had the highest number of

retailer requirements across Cornwall. The city centre comprises an historic retail floorspace

stock which has been supplemented in recent years (to a small extent) by the successful

Lemon Quay development on the southern end of the centre.

5.159 It cannot be said that there is deficiency in the range of comparison retail uses in Truro,

although there is consistent evidence of high trading levels and the requirement for additional

modern retail floorspace within the centre to meet a number of retailer requirements. As a

consequence, we consider that there is a different sort of qualitative need to that identified in

relation to some of the other smaller towns in Cornwall. This need is based not only on the

opportunity to provide better quality space within the centre to meet the needs of operators but

also relieve existing high trading performance in the existing stock. It will also take advantage

of a number of retailer requirements which only occur in relation to Truro and are unlikely to be

fulfilled in other towns, particularly the smaller towns across Cornwall.

5.160 As a consequence, we would support the approach of previous studies which has identified a

need for improved provision in Truro. However, when considering the impact of new

comparison goods provision in Truro account needs to be taken of the scale of such provision

and its impact upon other towns. A balance will need to be struck between the inevitability

that certain forms of new comparison retail provision can only ever be provided in Truro as

part of a city centre development scheme and the need to ensure that new development in

Truro is not of such a scale that it further erodes the market share of other town centres in

Cornwall and inhibits investment in these centres in the future. Control of such development is

best handled through the Development Plan Documents which form part of the Cornwall LDF,

including the Core Strategy and (if pursued) the Truro and Threemilestone AAP.

Quantitative Assessment – Comparison Floorspace

5.161 Within our quantitative assessment which forms part of our need analysis, we have taken

account of the likelihood that development schemes in surrounding settlements, such as the

WRP development in St Austell, will have had an impact upon the attractiveness of Truro

across its wider catchment area. We also have adopted, for the purposes of consistency, the

benchmark turnover figure adopted within the previous DTZ study, updated to reflect 2009

levels. When compared to previous forecasts, our quantitative forecasts are lower throughout

the assessment timeframe (up to 2026) given that they take into account lower increases in

per capita expenditure and the trading impact of other schemes elsewhere. For example, the

constant market share analysis in the previous DTZ study predicted a capacity of 81,000sq m

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net by 2026 which now seems to us unlikely and unsustainable. In contrast, our capacity

assessment indicates an indicative additional capacity of between 46800-55800sq m net by

2026 under the trend and population/household growth scenarios which is still significant and

by 2026 is equal to the size of the existing comparison goods retail sector in the city centre.

Moreover, in the context of current market conditions, the scale of retailer requirement and the

commercial development industry, this target remains very challenging.

Additional Comparison Floorspace Capacity – Truro (square metres net sales)

Scenario 2009 2014 2021 2026 2031

High (NHPAU)

growth

15203 22943 46071 64041 84503

Trend based

growth

15203 17518 34144 46803 61206

Population and

household

growth

15203 18816 39006 55829 73728

Zero growth 15203 11713 18697 24652 33690

Notes: figures indicate additional comparison floorspace capacity for each growth scenario. Floorspace should be read in

conjunction with other parts of this report.

5.162 It should also be noted that due the allowance we have made for the impact of comparison

retail schemes elsewhere in Cornwall the short term capacity in Truro is low when compared

with previous forecasts. Given the current successful trading performance of existing facilities

in Truro this should not stop the allocation of locations in the city centre to accommodate the

identified need. Indeed, higher levels of shorter term capacity could be supported where

overtrading of existing facilities can be identified.

5.163 The results of this baseline quantitative assessment are now taken forwards in the next

section of the study which provides the first stage in developing a retail strategy for Truro and

the remainder of key settlements in Cornwall.

Testing Alternative Quantitative Capacity Scenarios

5.164 However, before the key issues contributing towards the development of a retail strategy for

each of the main centres across Cornwall are discussed, we have also undertaken tests of

alternative quantitative need scenarios. The project brief issued by the Council asks for retail

modelling of the principal towns and testing of potential alternatives, for instance between

focusing new prime shopping growth in Truro or more decentralised options such as growth in

second tier settlements.

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5.165 On the basis of basis of the retail modelling which has already been undertaken and

summarised in this section of the report, continuation of existing market shares (amended to

take account of existing retail commitments and retail developments opened since 2008) leads

to the following pattern of potential growth in comparison goods floorspace:

• significant levels of capacity occur in Truro from the start of the assessment time frame

(15,000sq m net at 2009, growing to between 17,000-22,000sq m net by 2014) and then

growing considerably up to 34,000-46,000sq m net at 2021 and 47,000-64,000sq m net

at 2026. Indeed, even if the allowance for overtrading is removed from the base year of

the assessment, Truro’s capacity levels are well in excess of the other main towns in

Cornwall.

• In the other larger towns (Penzance, Falmouth, CPR, St Austell, Bodmin and Newquay)

capacity levels are much lower and generally do not rise above 10,000sq m net by 2026

and in some instances are noticeably smaller.

5.166 As a consequence, the quantitative modelling which has already been undertaken in this

section is akin to a Truro-focused option whereby the adoption of a ‘business as usual’ option

allows for significant growth in Truro both now and across the whole of the LDF period, but

much lower levels of modest growth in the other main towns. This scenario perpetuates the

existing situation where convenience expenditure generated by residents of the former North

Cornwall, Restormel, Penwith and Kerrier administrative areas is contributing to the growth of

comparison retailing in Truro.

5.167 The alternative option for comparison goods retail growth across Cornwall is to examine the

implications of a scenario whereby growth is decentralised with second tier towns such as

Falmouth, Penzance, St Austell, Newquay and Bodmin aiming to claw back some of the

expenditure which is currently lost to Truro via the delivery of higher levels of growth than

those set out in the baseline assessment. Given that this retail study is being produced at the

embryonic stages of the LDF process for Cornwall Council, the testing of an alternative

approach for quantitative modelling can only be strategic in nature and will need to be refined

as and when decisions are made regarding the extent and availability of sites which can

accommodate new development in order that a strategy for growth in a particular centre is not

pursued without the implications of the sequential approach and retail impact issues being fully

explored.

5.168 Having regard to a decentralised growth strategy, Penzance, Falmouth, CPR, Newquay and

Bodmin have been chosen as the candidate centres. These settlements have combined

primary catchment areas which cover zones 1-8, 13 and 16 of the study area (see plan at

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Appendix A). It is assumed that St Austell has already received significant growth in the form

of the White River Place retail development and therefore the adjustments which have already

been implemented on the baseline analysis are considered sufficient for the purposes of this

analysis and therefore zones 14 and 15 in the study require no further adjustments. Also, the

main settlements located to the east of Bodmin (Saltash/Torpoint, Launceston, Wadebridge,

Liskeard etc) are not ignored as part of this strategy as they can also benefit from growth

although the a significant part of leakage in comparison goods expenditure which occurs from

these settlements flows in an easterly direction to Plymouth and therefore any clawback which

can be achieved in these settlement is unlikely to affect future growth prospects in Truro.

5.169 On the assumption that a strategy is put in place to recapture around one third of expenditure

which is leaking out of the Penzance, Falmouth, CPR, Newquay and Bodmin catchment areas

in order to deliver a higher level of growth in these towns then the following changes in future

capacity levels will result. For the purposes of this analysis we have based this alternative

scenario on the Trend-based population growth scenario.

Decentralised Growth Strategy – Quantitative Need Forecasts

Town Baseline / Constant Market Share

Scenario

Floorspace Capacity (sq m net)

Decentralised Growth Scenario

Floorspace Capacity (sq m net)

2014 2026 2014 2026

Truro 17518 46803 963 25219

Penzance 2160 9558 5072 13383

Falmouth 1260 6570 4507 10786

CPR 2367 10389 5708 14747

Newquay - 2267 3167 7013

Bodmin 391 3964 3756 8316

5.170 The data outlined in the summary table above indicates that a strategy to stem around one

third of the leakage from the catchment areas of Penzance, Falmouth, CPR, Newquay and

Bodmin will result in short gains in the additional floorspace capacity in these towns of around

3,000sq m net at 2014 and around 4,000sq m net at 2026. In contrast, short term (2014)

quantitative capacity in Truro is almost eliminated although in the medium to longer term Truro

is still able to attract significant capacity levels (25,000sq m net at 2026 and 15,000sq m net at

2021). In other words, in pure quantitative need terms, if Penzance, Falmouth, CPR,

Newquay and Bodmin can all achieve relatively significant levels of new comparison goods

floorspace development in he short term, this would stop a significant number of trips flowing

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to Truro and alleviate the current ‘overtrading’ in the city, with the consequence that the need

to significantly expand Truro’s comparison retail offer in the short term is reduced.

5.171 Given the current economic outlook and the level of retailer requirements in Cornwall, any

development, whether it be in Truro or the other larger centres, will be challenging to achieve.

However, the results of this decentralised growth scenario do illustrate the opportunities for the

second tier centres in Cornwall where a strategy for decentralised growth is employed. Such

a strategy allows for more immediate growth in these centres in order to stem leakage of trips

to Truro whilst retaining the ability for Truro to grow significantly in the medium to longer term,

in line with its current role. However, pursuit of this decentralised strategy will be guided by

and dependant on the following:

• The availability and suitability of sites within the (or as part of extended) town centres of

these second tier settlement to accommodate the predicted comparison goods floorspace

growth. Clearly, the scale of growth predicted by the decentralised growth option should

not be pursued unless locations have been identified and tested for their ability to

accommodate new development. Otherwise there will be demand for forecast growth to

be accommodated in out of centre locations which will damage the health of these

centres.

• In order to pursue this decentralised approach there must also be interest and confidence

from the commercial development/occupier sector to deliver town centre projects in these

second tier centres. At present, confidence and retailer requirements in the comparison

retail sector are lower than recent historic levels and therefore support from the

commercial sector in this strategy is by no means certain. However, this will require

further testing through the LDF Core Strategy consultation process and through the

development of specific strategies for each settlement.

5.172 In relation to the convenience retail sector, the pattern of provision already follows a

decentralised approach, with the majority of settlements in Cornwall already possessing a

good level of provision. Most of the main settlement posses at least one large main/bulk

foodstore and it is common for most of the larger settlements (Truro, Penzance, Bodmin,

CPR) to posses two large stores. There are few exceptions to this pattern, although where

this does occur (i.e. Hayle) there is current interest from national grocery operators in the form

of current planning applications. In addition, there is also interest from national grocery

operators for new stores in settlements which have one or more existing large stores (e.g. St

Austell, Wadebridge, Truro, Saltash and Penzance). Data contained in the previous retail

studies for Truro, which assumed that significant levels of convenience goods expenditure was

flowing from Bodmin, Penzance, St Austell and Newquay to stores in Truro, has shown to be

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incorrect. With a decentralised approach to convenience floorspace provision already

occurring which is supported by planning policy, and further pressure from grocery retailers for

additional stores across a range of settlements in Cornwall, there appears to be little need to

test alternative retail capacity strategies to those outlined in this section.

Retail expenditure attracted to smaller town centres in

Cornwall

5.173 Finally, whilst this section has concentrated upon the economic performance and future retail

floorspace capacity of the larger town centres across Cornwall, the evidence base for this

study contains a wealth of information in relation to some of the smaller town centres such as

Padstow, Camelford, Callington, Looe, St Columb Major, St Just, Fowey and ?. Data on the

food and non-food shopping patterns associated with these centres can be found in the

household survey results whilst our quantitative analysis records the following turnover levels:

• Padstow. The out of centre Tesco store has a study area derived turnover of £6.9m

whilst the analysis also records other convenience stores in the town centre as attracting

£0.6m from the study area. These levels appear low, but they will be significantly

boosted by the high number of tourists and visitors to Padstow, particularly in the summer

months. The same will be true of the comparison goods sector in Padstow which is

assessed to be attracting £2.1m from the study area, but this level will be boosted by

tourists.

• Camelford. The Co-op in Camelford is assessed to attracted £3.2m of convenience

goods expenditure from the study area and a further £0.2m flowing to other stores in the

town. The quantitative analysis indicates only £0.1m of comparison goods expenditure

flowing to Camelford which we consider to be an under-estimate.

• Callington. The Co-op in Callington town centre attracts around £6.3m of convenience

goods expenditure from the study area with other convenience stores attracting £1.7m.

the comparison goods sector in Callington is assessed to attract around £4.1m of

expenditure.

• Looe. The Somerfield store in Looe attracts around £1m of convenience goods

expenditure whilst other convenience stores in the town attract £1.8m. The comparison

goods sector in Looe is assessed to be attracting around £2.9m of expenditure from

study area residents. Both of these levels are likely to be significantly boosted by the

large numbers of tourists who visit the local area.

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• St Columb Major. The Co-op store in St Columb Major attracts £3.4m of convenience

goods expenditure whilst the comparison goods stores attract £0.9m.

• St Just. Convenience stores in St Just attract £1.8m of expenditure from the study area

and comparison goods stores attract £0.9m.

• Fowey. The quantitative analysis records £0.2m of comparison goods expenditure and

£0.4m of convenience goods expenditure flowing to stores in the town.

• Lostwithiel. Our quantitative analysis confirms that the Co-op in Lostwithiel attracts

£0.5m of top-up convenience goods expenditure from the study area.

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6. DEVELOPING A RETAIL STRATEGY FOR

CORNWALL

Introduction

6.1 To be appropriate and deliverable, the retail planning policy strategy for the Cornwall LDF

needs to be based on sound evidence, which demonstrates an understanding of the existing

situation, plus the potential and opportunities for change. Building on the assessment of need

for retail uses, four common steps can be identified:

• An audit of existing centres, to identify their current role, their vitality and viability, and

their potential to accommodate new development and/or change, having regard to

identified needs;

• Consideration of alternative centres and/or sites and development opportunities to

accommodate new development (in existing centres or in new/expanded centres) and to

consider the potential roles of different centres;

• Based on the above, an evaluation of alternative policy options to accommodate growth

and/or plan for change

• Developing the strategy and policy formulation through the LDF in accordance with the

principles set out in PPS12.

6.2 As noted in the introductory section, this study forms the first element of the preparation of a

retail strategy for the Cornwall Local Development Framework. It provides a picture of the

current baseline position across Cornwall and the previous sections of this report have

provided an audit of the main centres through a review of their vitality and viability (Section 4)

along with an assessment of the quantitative and qualitative needs arising within each

settlement (Section 5). A key component of a proactive approach to meeting retail needs, and

a key part of developing a retail planning policy strategy in Cornwall, is the identification of

appropriate sites. PPS4 advises that where there is an identified quantitative and/or

qualitative need for retail uses, local planning authorities should actively examine existing and

potential sites within centres, or on the edge of defined town centres. Authorities should also

consider the scope to expand existing centres and promote new ones.

6.3 In response to PPS4 advice, this section of the retail study identifies and assesses sites and

development opportunities in the main centres in Cornwall in terms of their ability and

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suitability to accommodate retail development, having regard to identified needs. Policy EC5

of PPS4 notes that local planning authorities should identify an appropriate range of sites to

accommodate the identified need, ensuring that sites are capable of accommodating a range

of business models in terms of scale, format, car parking provision and scope for

disaggregation. EC5.1 of PPS4 goes on to state that an apparent lack of sites of the right size

and in the right location should not be a reason for local planning authorities to avoid planning

to meet the identified need for development. Local planning authorities should:

• base their approach on the identified need for development

• identify the appropriate scale of development, ensuring that the scale of the sites

identified and the level of travel they generate, are in keeping with the role and function of

the centre within the hierarchy of centres and the catchment served

• apply the sequential approach to site selection (see policy EC5.2)

• assess the impact of sites on existing centres (see policy EC5.4)

• consider the degree to which other considerations such as any physical regeneration

benefits of developing on previously-developed sites, employment opportunities,

increased investment in an area or social inclusion, may be material to the choice of

appropriate locations for development

6.4 PPS4 advises that sites for main town centre uses should be identified through a sequential

approach to site selection. Under the sequential approach, local planning authorities should

identify sites that are suitable, available and viable in the following order:

• locations in appropriate existing centres where sites or buildings for conversion are, or

are likely to become, available within the plan period

• edge-of-centre locations, with preference given to sites that are or will be well-connected

to the centre

• out-of-centre sites, with preference given to sites which are or will be well served by a

choice of means of transport and which are closest to the centre and have a higher

likelihood of forming links with the centre

6.5 EC5.5 of PPS4 asks LPAs to, having identified sites for development, allocate sufficient sites

in development plan documents to meet at least the first five years identified need. Where

appropriate, local development frameworks should set out policies for the phasing and release

of allocated sites to ensure that those sites in preferred locations within centres are developed

ahead of less central locations.

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6.6 Following discussions with Cornwall Council officers, a number of potential development sites

in and around the main town centres in Cornwall have been identified within the main

settlements and these are listed below. It should be noted however that this list is not

necessarily a reflection of the full range of possible suitable sites within the main settlements

since GVA Grimley may be unaware of other potential opportunities. In particular, other sites

may emerge through preparation of the LDF and through individual planning applications.

Also, a number of sites have been assessed in towns which have not been subject to detailed

health check assessments and assessments of quantitative and qualitative need. This should

not mean that such sites cannot be identified as potential retail development sites (if they

assessed to be sequentially preferable locations) although further work may be required at the

appropriate stage of the plan making process in order to justify the scale and type of new

retail floorspace on these sites.

6.7 In order that the development potential and suitability of each town centre / edge of centre

location can be assessed, we have tested each location against a range of criteria which are

applicable to both the ‘principle’ of each site being identified for retail uses and a number of

detailed criteria which will guide how each site is (re)developed. These criteria include

access, neighbouring uses, ability to meet identified need, commercial attractiveness,

development costs, visual impact and ease of displacing existing uses. This assessment is

contained in a standard proforma for each town centre / edge of centre site which are

contained at Appendix U to this study.

6.8 In addition, further out-of-centre opportunities in the main settlements have also been

identified by CC. These range from specific opportunities/sites to broad locations for planned

urban extensions to existing settlements. For the specific opportunities/sites, a proforma-style

assessment is also provided, whilst the latter parts of this chapter provide an assessment of

the broad urban extension locations.

6.9 The sites/locations which have been subject to an assessment are as follows:

Falmouth-Penryn

1. Quarry car park

2. The Grove car park and TA centre

Bodmin

3. Land between Dennison Road and Fore Street

4. Land between Dennison Road and Sainsburys store

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(the assessment also makes reference to those sites covered within the Bodmin Town Centre

Framework Plan)

Penzance-Newlyn

5. Former Gas Holder site

6. Penzance harbour area

7. St John’s Hall

8. Land adjacent to Co-op (Jewsons), Wherrytown

(the assessment also makes reference to sites at Longrock and St Clare)

Liskeard

9. Land at Greenbank Road

10. Land at Barras Place

11. Former hotel premises, Church Street

12. Luxstowe House

13. Liskeard Cattle Market

(the assessment also makes reference to land at Tencreek Farm and land to the north of the

Liskeard urban area)

Wadebridge

14. Scout Hut, Goldsworthy Way

15. Car park, Goldsworthy Way

16. Land to the north of Lidl

17. Car park adjacent to Co-op store

18. Land to the south east of Polmorla Road

Looe

19. Millpool car park

20. Land adjacent to Millpool car park

21. Land adjacent to Looe Community School

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Callington

22. Land at New Road

St Ives / Hayle

23. Wyevale Garden Centre

Newquay

24. Land adjacent to train station

25. Manor Road / Mount Wise car parking areas

26. Police station and adjoining land

27. Tregunnel Hill car park

Launceston

28. Land at Dutson Road

Torpoint

29. Sports fields to the north of Torpoint School

30. Torpoint County Primary School, Antony Road

St Austell

31. Par Market

32. Former Restormel Borough Council offices

33. Tesco store, Holmbush Road

34. Land on the northern edge of the St Austell urban area

35. Par Docks

(the assessment also revisits those sites covered within the 2007 St Austell Retail Study)

Saltash

36. Land adjacent to the A38

Hayle

37. South Quay, Hayle Harbour area

38. Existing Jewsons, Hayle Harbour area

39. Land at Marsh Lane

40. Hayle Rugby Club

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Truro

41. Pydar Street area

42. Moorfield car park

43. Garras Wharf area

(the assessment also makes reference to a number of locations outside of the city centre,

including those sites proposed for district centres in the draft AAP)

6.10 The purpose of this section is to bring together our audit of existing centres, the qualitative

review of existing provision, the identified expenditure capacity which exists within the area,

plus the range of potential retail development sites, to inform and identify the policy options for

retail development across the main settlements in Cornwall. Given that the scale and

distribution of residential development across Cornwall has not yet been set, the purpose of

this exercise is to identify a particular centre’s characteristics and to identify what scale and

form of development could be supportable in different locations. It will inform the forthcoming

LDF Core Strategy issues and options consultation exercise by confirming the scale and type

of retail needs which could arise out of the different residential development growth scenarios

in Cornwall, and how these needs may be accommodated.

6.11 Clearly the potential options for retail development highlighted in this assessment are not

intended to be an exhaustive mix of all strategy options. For example, within each general

policy option, many individual sub-scenarios may exist. However, these can only be fully

explored once further detailed analysis is undertaken on potential development locations and

total residential development growth is set. In any event, local planning authorities would

invite alternative proposals during consultation and this is likely to form the most appropriate

opportunity to explore additional options with stakeholders.

Falmouth / Penryn

6.12 Within Falmouth, the Quarry car park and Grove Place/TA Barracks site have been identified

as potential retail development locations. The Quarry car park is allocated in the Carrick

Local Plan for retail development plus an increase in car parking provision. In addition, the

site was identified in the Falmouth & Penryn Development Framework as a potential

relocation site for the existing Tesco store in Falmouth town centre. The Local Plan allocation

also includes an adjacent area of land known as the ex-Ryders Garage, which is now partly

occupied by an Argos store and partly redeveloped for residential use. As a consequence,

the redevelopment potential of the Quarry car park has become more constrained with

development on the car park isolated from the town centre area and relatively poor pedestrian

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linkages. Indeed, the car park on its own is not likely to present a commercially attractive

retail development opportunity now that part of the ex-Ryders Garage site has been

redeveloped for residential use.

6.13 The other main town centre opportunity in Falmouth is the area around Grove Place and the

former TA Barracks site. In recent years, the surrounding area has seen significant change

with the development of the National Maritime Museum and adjacent mixed use development

at Maritime House (which contains inter alia Tesco Metro and Pizza Express units). The

potential for further retail development in this location will be dependant on the ability to

reprovide for car parking capacity within the town centre although, in principle, further retail

development in this location would help to reinforce the southern end of the town centre and

offer one of the few opportunities for new retail floorspace in Falmouth in the short term.

Consideration should also be given to whether surrounding areas, such as the Trago Mills

premises, can also be included in any future retail development scheme.

6.14 Within the Local Plan, two further town centre retail development locations were identified.

The first is the existing Tesco store site on Webber Street, although the availability of this site

is clearly dependant upon the relocation of Tesco which has been constrained by the lack of

delivery of the Quarry car park site for a relocated and expanded Tesco store. The second

site is the Church Street car park which lies in the waterfront area. Like The Grove car park,

redevelopment of this site is dependant upon the ability to reprovide car parking capacity

elsewhere in the town centre although, in principle, the Church Street car park presents an

ideal opportunity for a modern small retail unit development which can expand the town

centre’s core shopping area.

6.15 Overall, we note the potential of a small number of sites in and around Falmouth town centre

to accommodate new retail development. These sites are likely to be able to accommodate

part of the identified need, but we would urge the Council to continue to search for (and

identify) further appropriate redevelopment opportunities in and around Falmouth town centre

in order that retail requirements can be directed to the town centre, to maintain and enhance

its health.

6.16 Within Penryn, the recent expansion of the ASDA store and new Lidl store have been the

most recent retail developments. The only other site which has been raised is the Sainsburys

(former Co-op) store and surrounding area. In the past, planning permission was granted for

a replacement Co-op store site on land adjacent to the existing store. Given the extent of the

identified need in the Falmouth & Penryn area, we do not consider that there is a need to

identify the replacement Co-op site as a convenience retail development site to accommodate

significant additional retail provision given our recommendation that focus should be given to

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focusing further convenience retail floorspace in Falmouth (in order to rebalance existing

provision).

Bodmin

6.17 The Bodmin Town Centre Framework Plan has provided clear guidance of the range of

potential development sites in and around Bodmin town centre. The most centrally located

site lies between Fore Street and Dennison Road and has been identified by the BTCFP as

having the potential to expand the core retail shopping area of the town centre and provide

modern retail units which will attract new retailers and businesses to the town. For the

purposes of this study, we would reinforce this location as the key town centre retail

development site in Bodmin.

6.18 Beyond the Fore Street / Dennison Road site, further smaller scale retail opportunities were

identified at St Petroc’s Gateway, whilst the area to the south of Fore Street was identified for

replacement car parking provision (which would be lost as part of the Fore Street / Dennison

Road development). The current preparation of the Bodmin Masterplan is examining further

potential development locations around the town centre and the area between Dennison Road

and the Sainsburys (formerly Somerfield) store is a key area of focus. It is known that

Sainsburys wishes to expand its store and options are currently being tested by the

Masterplan which will achieve this objective whilst maintaining and enhancing the health of

Bodmin town centre. It is likely, however, that the area between Dennison Road and the

Sainsburys store will be a second phase of development after the Fore Steet/Dennison Road

site, although the sites which have been identified in the BTCFP and through the town-wide

masterplan are the best opportunities to accommodate the identified need for additional retail

development in Bodmin.

6.19 Based upon the emerging masterplan strategy, the BTCFP site between Fore Street and

Dennison Road will be highlighted as the first choice location for additional comparison goods

floorspace within Bodmin. In terms of convenience retail provision, the continuation of

existing residential development trends in Bodmin is unlikely to prompt any changes to the

scale and distribution of existing facilities although should higher levels of residential

development be planned for Bodmin, which include a new link across the town, then there is

potential to relocate the existing Sainsburys store to provide a larger facility on the western

side of the urban area along with a retained convenience retail foodstore presence within the

town centre.

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Penzance & Newlyn

6.20 Within the Penzance and Newlyn area, a number of potential development sites have been

identified through the on-going Penzance Newlyn Area Framework Plan. These are: the

former Gas Holder site in Penzance town centre, the harbour area in Penzance, St John’s

Hall, the former Penwith District Council offices at St Clare, a site adjacent to the Co-op store

in Wherrytown and sites in Long Rock.

6.21 Regarding the former Gas Holder site, we would reiterate the comments made in the Penwith

Retail Study which identifies this site as one of the key development opportunities in and

around the town centre to provide new retail floorspace. The site is clearly constrained and is

likely to require further plots of land in order to provide a sensible and realistic retail

development opportunity. However, we consider that should remain one of the two key sites

for the expansion of the primary shopping area in Penzance town centre.

6.22 The other key site which we consider should be considered in terms of its ability to extend the

core retail area in the town centre is the harbourside area. At present, this area

accommodates a large surface level car parking area and is one of the main car parks in the

town centre. As a whole, there is a lack of suitable and available sites in and around

Penzance town centre to accommodate new retail floorspace and, as a consequence, we

consider that the potential harbour area to accommodate retail uses should be explored.

Consideration will clearly need to be given to linkages between this area and Market Jew

Street and need to retain an adequate supply of car parking provision for the town centre.

One potential option for exploration should be the provision of a multi-level car park on either

the former Gas Holder site or the harbour area.

6.23 Elsewhere in the town centre, the St John’s Hall site provides more limited potential to

accommodate retail and food/drink uses given that the existing building will be retained and it

provides a challenging layout to accommodate modern retailer/commercial requirements.

Instead St John’s Hall is likely to be more appropriate to leisure/community use and remains

an important opportunity on the western end of the town centre area.

6.24 Outside of the town centre, we have examined land adjacent to the Co-op store in

Wherrytown. Within the 2007 Penwith Retail Study, the Co-op site was also examined and

also dismissed as a preferred location for retail development. A similar conclusion arises in

relation to the adjacent site which lies in an out of centre location. Following local government

reorganisation, the St Clare site to the north of the town centre has the potential to become

available. This site also lies in an out of centre location and would act as a stand alone

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shopping destination. Therefore, the St Clare site is not a preferred site for the retail strategy

for Penzance.

6.25 On the opposite side of the urban area, different parts of the Longrock area are being

examined by the Area Framework Plan. This area already accommodates the Tesco and

Morrisons supermarkets and a collection of non-food retail warehouses. If and when sites

become available within this area, it is likely that there will be pressure for retail development.

However, we consider that these areas are out of centre locations which have the potential to

provide a detrimental impact upon the performance of Penzance town centre and also attract

retailers and other occupiers who should be accommodated on town centre development

sites.

6.26 Overall, we consider that, in the short term, focus should be given to the redevelopment

potential of the harbour area, as one of the few redevelopment opportunities to extend the

core retail shopping core in Penzance town centre to provide comparison and convenience

retail uses.

Liskeard

6.27 Within Liskeard, the Council have identified a number of potential development locations in

the town centre. These are land at Greenbank Road, the former hotel site on Church Street,

Barras Place and the Cattle Market.

6.28 The Greenbank Road site is narrow and L-shaped. It is close to the northern edge of the core

retail area in the town centre and is clearly an under-used site. However, its format renders it

unsuitable for retail development, which is reinforced by the lack of surrounding retail and

commercial uses. In its current form, the site is, in our opinion, more suitable for residential

development, although its retail/commercial development potential may be improved if further

surrounding plots of land can be incorporated into any future development scheme. To the

west of this site, an existing warehouse site on Barras Place has also been identified. The

site is larger than the Greenbank Road site, but is almost split into two by a narrow pinch point

in the middle part of the site. The site is also somewhat separated from the core retail area,

with poor linkages and, therefore, we do not consider this to be suitable for significant retail

development, although we note the planning permission has previously been granted for retail

uses within the existing building on this site.

6.29 The former hotel site in Church Street lies to the east of the main town centre area and

provides an important gateway site into Liskeard town centre. However, whilst the site is of a

reasonable size and is available for redevelopment, we consider that it is far too separated

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from the core retail area to offer either a commercial attractive or suitable development site for

retail uses. In contrast, we consider that the site has much better potential for a residential or

mixed use development scheme.

6.30 The Cattle Market site to the south west of the core town centre has been recognised, for a

number of years, as a potential area of change. Whilst we understand there are no short term

plans to relocate the Cattle Market, the Council has recently commissioned a study to

examine the future redevelopment potential of this area for a mixture of uses. In addition, we

are aware of proposals which have already been suggested for this site, including retail uses.

As a potential redevelopment site, we would support proposals to promote retail development

on the Cattle Market and surrounding area. Availability of the site will be dependant on the

relocation of the Cattle Market use and the need to ensure that car parking provision in the

town centre is not affected. Whilst the current commission to examine the development

potential of the site will consider in detail the opportunities for the scale and type of

development which it can accommodate, we would recommend that consideration should be

given to the site’s potential to accommodate either convenience or comparison retail

floorspace. Indeed, it should be recognised that the site is likely to be one of the few town

centre opportunity sites in Liskeard, which will be an important consideration when new retail

development proposals are submitted for other parts of the town.

6.31 Beyond the town centre area, Luxstowe House and surrounding area has been identified as a

potential development site. This is location of the former Caradon District Council offices and

Cornwall Council remain in occupation. This site lies outside of town centre and it is a

reasonably lengthy walk between the two locations. Availability of this site is uncertain

following the recent local government reorganisation and, in any event, we do not consider

this site to be a prime candidate for retail development in Liskeard given town centre sites

such as the cattle market require further investigation in the first instance. However, this site

does provide a more central location than the existing Morrisons store and nearby retail

warehouses. It is also possible that redevelopment of this site will be constrained by parts of

the existing buildings on the site which may need to be retained.

6.32 The remaining locations in and around Liskeard which have been assessed for this study are

Tencreek Farm, which is on the south-eastern edge of the existing urban area, plus land to

the north of the urban area. Until land in and around the town centre has been properly

investigated, we do not consider that either of these locations should be a prime candidate in

planning policy terms for retail development in Liskeard. The Tencreek Farm area will clearly

be attractive to retail operators given its proximity to the existing Morrisons and retail

warehouse units, although proposals for significant retail development in these locations

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should be resisted by the Council until town centre development sites have been properly

investigated.

Wadebridge

6.33 Within Wadebridge, a number of sites within and around the town centre have been

suggested. In the northern part of the centre, the area around the Lidl store and fire station

has been examined, including the Scout Hut to the north of Goldsworthy Way, the public car

park to the south of Goldsworthy Way and the area of land to the rear of the Lidl store. The

first two of these sites are relatively small and could only accommodate small scale retail

development. In any event, their existing retail uses would need to be relocated, although it

does not appear that the car park to the south of Goldsworthy Way is heavily used throughout

the day.

6.34 The area to the north of the Lidl store and fire station provides a large area of land. It

comprises a car parking area and an area of undeveloped land (which is allocated as open

area of local significance in the adopted North Cornwall Local Plan). Subject to flooding

issues, this area has the potential to accommodate a significant amount of development and

is likely to be classified as an edge of centre location. Nevertheless, we consider that this site

warrants further investigation in terms of the sequential approach, as it provides one of the

largest sites close to Wadebridge town centre. Consideration will also need to be given to the

contribution of this site to the town centre car parking stock and the effect that redevelopment

will have on the availability and attractiveness of car parking.

6.35 To the south of the town centre, we have examined the surface level car park adjacent to the

Co-op foodstore. In principle, this area provides a potential development opportunity,

although its total loss as a car parking area has the potential to harm the attractiveness and

accessibility of the adjacent Co-op foodstore.

6.36 Two areas of land to the south west of the town centre have been identified and these are the

former bakery site and the car park adjacent to the former cattle market area. The car parking

area adjacent to the former cattle market site is a modest sized site and provides one of the

main town centre parking areas. Following recent residential development, this site is

separated from the core retail and commercial areas. Therefore, for all of the above reasons,

this site is unlikely to be attractive for large retail development although the suitability of retail

uses should not be discounted as part of the wider mixed use scheme (subject to resolution of

car parking capacity issues).

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6.37 Whilst they have not been suggested by the Council for detailed examination, we would also

wish to raise the retail development potential of a number of further sites around the town

centre. First, the northern part of the Policy WAD10 Local Plan allocation on Eddystone Road

remains undeveloped. This area comprises a number of single storey commercial buildings

which detract from the appearance of the surrounding area, particularly now that other parts of

the WAD10 allocation have been developed. Eddystone Road provides an important part of

the town centre and recent retail development in this area has been a success. Another site

for consideration is the Policy WAD11 allocation on the opposite side of the River Camel.

This Local Plan allocation also allows for the provision of retail uses (subject to an

assessment of their impact on the town centre) and parts of this area lie within an edge of

centre location. Indeed, parts of this area already provide retail uses which contribute to the

attractiveness of the wider town centre area. Finally, a further area which should be given

examination is the land bounded by Goldsworthy Way, Eddystone Road and Trevanson

Street. This area currently contains a mixture of commercial and residential uses although it

lies immediately to the north of the core retail area. It is likely to be a longer term

development opportunity given the number of uses/ownerships involved although should be

given further consideration by the Council as an area which can contribute to the wider health

and attractiveness of Wadebridge town centre.

Helston

6.38 The recently approval of a new Sainsburys store and an extension to the existing Tesco store

will soak up all of the identified capacity for additional convenience floorspace provision in

Helston and will also remove part of the identified need for additional comparison goods

floorspace. No additional town centre retail development sites have been identified by the

Council for assessment in this study, whilst assessment of the Tesco and Sainsburys

schemes against the sequential test examined the development potential of the existing VW

dealership on Meneage Street, the car parking area adjacent to the Co-op store and the

Tyacke Road car park and adjacent retail/commercial premises. The Tyacke Road car park is

relatively close to the core retail area along Coinagehall Street although linkages are poor and

it is unlikely that this area is able to offers a successful and viable extension to the core retail

area in the town centre. The VW dealership, should the site become available in the future,

offer the potential to extend the shopping frontage along Meneage Street. The car park

adjacent to the Co-op store provides one of the main town centre car parks and its removal

would appear problematic for two reasons: the need to reprovide for the lost car parking

capacity; and, the impact that it would have on the attractiveness of the adjacent Co-op

foodstore.

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CPR

6.39 Within the 2006 and 2009 CPR Retail Study documents, a number of sites in Camborne, Pool

and Redruth were considered. Within Camborne, the focus has been on the Bus

Depot/Station site which lies adjacent to the main shopping area. This Bus Depot/Station site

presents the best ‘in principle’ opportunity to expand the primary shopping area in Camborne

town centre and provides, in totality, a large site with a number of potential linkages to

Trelowarren Street. As the previous CPR retail study reports, there are a number of

constraints which redevelopment of this site will need to overcome, which include viability of

redevelopment and the constraints imposed by the retention of the bus station use. The

existing evidence base suggests that the bus depot/station site presents a complex

opportunity, requiring public sector support, acquisition of third party land interests and the off-

site relocation of the bus station use to improve its redevelopment potential. It would appear

that its short to medium term redevelopment potential for retail uses is limited. The

implications of this for the retail strategy in CPR are discussed later in this sub-section.

6.40 Within Redruth, a number of locations have previously been assessed in and around the town

centre: New Cut car park; Flowerpot car park; Cattle Market; and, Post Office. The more

recent retail study added the Redruth Corridor area (which includes the New Cut car park) to

the list of potential development locations and it was noted that the New Cut car park and its

environs can act as an extension to the town centre. All of these areas have the potential to

contribute to maintaining and enhancing the future health of Redruth town centre and meet

part of the identified need for additional retail floorspace in the CPR area. However, further

more detailed work is being undertaken as part of the Redruth Action Plan project to identify a

development framework for the centre which will inform emerging planning policy in the local

area.

6.41 The final geographical area which was considered by the previous (2009) retail study is land

around Dudnance Lance and Station Road in Pool. This area contains a number of retail

uses, including a large Tesco Extra store, Pool Market and a Homebase unit. This area is

separated from, but lies close to Camborne Retail Park which contains a number of bulky

goods retail units (including a B&Q unit). The previous study outlined the opportunity that this

area possesses in terms of the provision of a planned new centre for Pool, which is the only

part of the CPR area not to offer a defined ‘town centre’. The previous retail study outlined

the opportunity to transform this area, which has developed over a number of years into an

unattractive retail location which is poorly linked to surrounding areas, into a new centre which

could serve the significant levels of residential and economic development which is being

planned for the Trevenson Road Implementation Plan area. On the basis of the continuation

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of large scale growth for the surrounding area, we continue to support this approach and

reiterate the seven considerations which were outlined in Section 3 of the 2009 study which

set out a framework for developing this new centre.

6.42 The issues facing the future provision of retail uses in the CPR are complex. Camborne and

Redruth town centres offer a number of opportunities although a number are small scale and

detailed work on the largest town centre site (the bus depot/station in Camborne) indicates

that it is difficult to deliver this site in the short to medium term for retail development. Within

Pool, there is more land available, which is less constrained in places and there is support

from previous a retail study to plan for a new centre at Pool. Therefore, if the Council wishes

to plan to meet the whole of the identified need in the CPR area, and indeed explore the

possibility of clawing back lost expenditure from Truro, retail development in Pool may need to

accommodate a significant part of the identified need. However, it is unlikely to be the case

that significant new retail development in Pool will simply exist to claw back expenditure from

settlements such as Truro and be supported by expenditure growth. New floorspace in Pool

will diver trade from the existing centres in Camborne and Redruth and also have an impact

upon the attractiveness of those centres for new retail development schemes. This will be a

key issue for LDF Core Strategy issues and options consultation, particularly the desirability of

securing additional retail development within the CPR area (to curtail expenditure leakage and

promote regeneration) alongside the need to protect the health of the existing two town

centres. Our view on this issue is that given the inability for Camborne and Redruth to

accommodate the whole of the identified need, plus the desirability of promoting retail uses in

Pool to support regeneration of this area and provide accessible facilities for the growing

population, it is appropriate to plan for a new centre in Pool. The exact scale and status of the

centre will depend upon the scale of growth planned for Pool, along with the capacity of

potential sites and the impact of new provision. Indeed, the forecast retail need in CPR

should not been seen as a rigid and prescriptive level and will, in contrast, be informed by a

detailed analysis of the potential options and related impact considerations.

Newquay

6.43 Within Newquay, the Council has identified the Mount Wise, Manor Road and St George’s

Road car parks and the Newquay train station area as potential development sites in the town

centre. Both have been promoted for a number of years as mixed use development sites

suitable for retail floorspace and were identified in the Newquay Action Framework published

in 2004. The Tolcarne Road side of the train station area has been identified as a potential

foodstore site in the recent past, although relocation of the Police Station and successful

integration with the vehicular entrance to the train station are required. This project has not

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yet been delivered although we consider that it remains a potentially important project for the

town centre and can help to widen the range and choice of convenience retail facilities in the

town centre which can compete with the out of centre Morrisons store.

6.44 The Mount Wise/Manor Road/St George’s Road car parking area is identified as a key

extension to the core retail area in the town centre, and would link into the town centre at the

East Street / Bank Street junction. With a consistently high level of retailer requirements for

Newquay, and a lack of suitable available space, the Mount Wise / Manor Road / St George’s

Road car parking area has the potential to attract a number of new retailers into the town and

the area itself has the potential to accommodate a large amount of floorspace. The former

Restormel Borough Council had entered into a development agreement with Howard Holdings

for the redevelopment of this area, which would have provided up to 9,000sq m of Class A

retail floorspace, along with residential, replacement library and residential uses plus a multi-

storey car park to replacement provision lost from these existing surface level facilities.

However, the scheme has not been progressed following the winding-up of Howard Holdings.

Nevertheless, the Mount Wise / Manor Road / St George’s Road car parking area remains a

key project for additional retail space within Newquay and should be at the forefront of the

Council’s planning policies for Newquay in the future. All three parking facilities should be

identified as a potential redevelopment area. The most appropriate part of this area for the

improvement of the retail offer in Newquay town centre is the Manor car park although the

other two car parks are required in order to provide a viable and deliverable scheme.

6.45 Elsewhere in the town, the Tregunnel Hill car park has also been identified by the Council for

assessment by this study. This site lies a significant distance from the core town centre area

and retail development in this location would act as a stand alone facility. Having regard to

the need for additional retail floorspace within Newquay and the two town centre sites (see

above) which have been identified, we consider that there is no need to identify the Tregunnel

Hill car park for retail development.

6.46 Whilst not possessing its own detailed site assessment at Appendix U, we have also been

asked to comment upon the suitability of retail floorspace in an area bounded by Trevenson

Road and Henver Road on the eastern edge of Newquay and commonly known as ‘Newquay

Growth area’. Over the past couple of years a number of outline planning permissions have

been granted for mixed use development across part of this area. One permission, on the

eastern side of this area, includes 800sq m of Class A retail floorspace, whilst an adjacent

separate site also includes provision for a similar amount of Class A floorspace. It should be

noted that this wider area is allocated for development in the adopted Restormel Local Plan

and Policy N15 includes provision for a local centre including a small supermarket. Overall,

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we consider that the outline planning permissions already granted for this area provide

sufficient retail floorspace to meet the day to day needs of the local population within the

Newquay growth area and no further allowance should be made for additional retail

development.

Launceston

6.47 Within Launceston, the only site which has been identified by the Council is an area of land

which is allocated under Policy LAU1 of the adopted North Cornwall Local Plan. This policy

allocates the site for residential uses only. Following an assessment of this site, we do not

consider that it forms a suitable and realistic retail development location for Launceston. The

site is separated from the main town centre area and linkages between these areas are

unlikely given the walking distance involved. Overall, if this site were to be promoted as a

retail development site, it is likely to act as a stand-alone retail development location.

6.48 The lack of easily identifiable development sites in and around Launceston town centre is a

product of its historic development and urban form. Retail development opportunities which

are likely to occur will be small scale in nature and will be considered through the

development control process. The only potential large development site which should be

subject to future consideration by the Council is the car parking area adjacent to Southgate

Street, which is located to the south-east of the main retail area and is included in the defined

Primary Commercial Area in the North Cornwall Local Plan. Redevelopment across part or all

of this site will be dependant upon the satisfactory re-provision of public car parking, to ensure

that the attractiveness of parking across the town centre as a whole is not significantly

affected, although we consider that the potential of this site should be explored where

proposals for new significant floorspace within the town come forwards.

Torpoint

6.49 Whilst a detailed assessment of the need for additional retail floorspace within Torpoint has

not been undertaken, the Council has highlighted two locations within the town for

assessment: the sports fields to the north of Torpoint School and Torpoint County Primary

School on Antony Road. The sports field site is located a considerable distance from the town

centre and retail development in this location would act as a stand alone location. Therefore,

we do not consider that the sports field site should be identified for retail development in the

Council development plan documents. Turning to the primary school site, this is locate closer

to the town centre although it remains outside the town centre boundary. It is located

adjacent to the Sainsburys (former Somerfield) store and therefore if it becomes available in

the future may have some potential to provide an area to allow the Sainsburys store to

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expand (subject to the retail policy tests of impact and the sequential approach to site

selection.

St Austell

6.50 Our assessment of the need for additional retail floorspace in St Austell has indicated the

need to plan for additional convenience and comparison goods floorspace. In light of the

recent completion of the White River Place shopping centre development in St Austell town

centre, it is our view that substantial additions to the comparison floorspace stock are only

likely to occur in the medium to longer term. In relation to convenience shopping provision a

number of issues have been identified: a significant potential quantitative need for additional

floorspace, no significant immediate qualitative need for additional provision, but a recognition

that the substantial growth planned for the St Austell area (including the proposed eco-town)

could require further convenience floorspace to be provided.

6.51 A further factor which will need to be considered is whether St Austell town centre (supported

by Mount Charles District Centre to the east) should remain as the sole focus for retail

provision in the area, or whether there is a requirement to expand the retail hierarchy in

response to the new communities which will be created by the eco-town proposal. On this

issue, it is our view that the town centre should remain the focus for comparison shopping

provision in the St Austell area. This is in response to the need to maintain and enhance the

health of the centre and protect the recently completed White River Place shopping centre.

Indeed, we do not consider that there is a qualitative need to widen the focus for comparison

shopping in the local area. Therefore, beyond potential new lower status centres to support

the eco town areas (see below), we do not consider that the sites away from the existing town

centre study should accommodate significant levels of new comparison goods floorspace.

6.52 Turning to the assessment of individual sites within the 2007 St Austell Retail Study, the focus

for the assessment of potential retail development sites was clearly upon the area which now

accommodates the White River Place shopping centre. However, in addition that key site, the

East Hill/High Cross Street area, Priory car park, North Street car park, the West Hill area and

the Pentewan Road area were also assessed. The study made the following conclusions

regarding these sites:

• The East Hill/High Cross Lane area was considered to be a longer term development

opportunity and one which was unlikely to accommodate a significant amount of retail

development. This area nevertheless provides an opportunity to improve the eastern

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gateway to the town centre and provide some new/expanded comparison and

convenience retail uses.

• The Priory car park area is constrained by its current use as one of the centre’s most

popular car parks. If part of this area could be lost then some retail uses could be

accommodated although we recommended consideration be given to linkages through

the Biddicks Court area to the south.

• The North Street car park offer the potential to provide a small amount of new ground

floor retail floorspace as part of a mixed use scheme.

• The West Hill area is a large area, containing a Co-op store and a collection of other

commercial uses. The key issue for retail development within this area was the ability to

provide adequate linkages with the town centre, given the distance of this site to the

primary shopping area and the distinct change in levels between the two locations.

• The previous retail study considered that Pentewan Road area, which includes a

collection of existing retail warehouses and other commercial uses, should remain as a

bulky comparison goods shopping destination, which can accommodate uses that cannot

be located within the town centre.

6.53 Having regard to the three locations in and around the town centre (the first three outlined

above), it is clear that they are unable to accommodate a significant proportion of the

identified need for the St Austell area and are not able to accommodate large scale

convenience floorspace proposals. We consider that these first three sites continue to offer

some potential to accommodate small scale retail development and should remain part of the

focus for new development in the town centre. The approach accords with the level of

identified need for additional comparison floorspace over the short to medium term.

6.54 However, in addition, to the above sites, the Council has also requested that this study also

examines a number of other locations: the area in and around Par Market; the existing Tesco

store on Holmbush Road; the former Restormel Borough Council offices; the potential for

retail development in an area to the west of the St Austell urban area and Par Docks. These

sites, like the West Hill and Pentewan Road areas assessed in the previous study, lie in out of

centre locations and any proposed retail development on these sites would need to meet the

sequential approach to site selection and/or be justified through ‘location specific’ needs.

Having regard to the individual characteristics of the additional sites identified by the Council,

we make the following observations:

• Par Market. The area which accommodates Par Market and surrounding retail uses is

isolated from the urban areas of St Austell and Par/St Blazey. Whilst the site provides an

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existing retail use, its poor accessibility to residential population and reliance upon car-

borne journeys indicate that this is not a location which should be identified as a

strategically important retail development location. Any proposals which do come

forwards will need to be considered through the development management process

having regard to the range of goods and scale of retail floorspace which is currently

permitted at the site.

• Former Restormel Council offices. This site lies to the south west of the town centre in St

Austell and retail development proposals on this site are likely to be classified as out of

centre proposals (being at least 400 metres from the southern part of the town centre,

around the White River Place development). We understand that this site has the

potential to become available in the future, as a consequence of local government

reorganisation and the Council re-examining their property portfolio. Should the site

become available, we consider that it is likely to be the largest potential development site

in terms of distance to the town centre area, although linkages between the site and the

town centre may be problematic due to the length of journey, lack of intervisibility and

change in levels.

• Tesco store, Holmbush Road, St Austell. The existing Tesco store lies in an out of centre

location and planning permission has recently been granted to significantly extend this

store and expand the floorspace devoted to convenience and comparison goods sales.

In order to achieve this extension, the adjacent Totem Timber retail unit will be

demolished. In light of this permission to extend the store, we see no clear justification to

allocate this area for either further development and/or as a defined retail centre within

the retail hierarchy (which echoes the recommendations in the 2007 St Austell Retail

Study).

• Land on the northern edge of St Austell urban area, adjacent to A391 and Treverbyn

Road. This area of land lies at the very northern edge of the St Austell urban area and

currently comprises undeveloped Greenfield land. At present, this area has poor

locational characteristics and, on the basis of the current urban form of St Austell, is not a

preferred location for retail development. However, this area of land lies close to two of

the locations planned for the eco-town in the former china clay workings, which may

improve its accessibility when consideration is given to how to plan for the location of new

retail development across the wider area (see below). We understand that two planning

applications for residential-led mixed use development have recently been refused by the

Council and will now be decided at appeal in the near future.

• Par Docks. An area of land around Par Docks has also been subject to an analysis of its

potential suitability for retail development. This area also forms part of the one of the

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proposal locations for the eco-town and substantial residential development is planned for

this area. Whilst some limited retail/service uses would be acceptable, in order to serve

the day to day needs of the population created by residential development in this location,

we do not consider that the Par Docks area provides suitable location for significant new

retail development. We have reached this conclusion on the basis that the docks area is

separated from other parts of the St Blazey area, thereby providing poor accessibility,

plus also the recommendation of the 2007 St Austell Retail Study was to identify a focus

for retail development around the northern part of Station Road in St Blazey where a

number of retail and commercial uses already exist. We understand that the eco-town

development in Par Docks may also include tourism/recreation facilities and some small

scale tourism-related retail uses may also be acceptable, where they are clearly linked to

the use of the site.

6.55 In relation to the ability of the above sites to accommodate the identified need for additional

convenience shopping floorspace in the St Austell area, we consider that a decision can only

be taken once the scale and location of additional residential development is known, including

the proposed scale of the new eco town areas. For example, the new eco town areas are

split across several sites and consideration will need to be given as to whether new

local/district centres, which include convenience floorspace provision, should be provided.

The provision (and scale) of new defined local/district centres will led by the scale of housing

which is provided in the different eco town area and, as such, new centres are only likely to be

viable where a sufficient nearby residential population is available.

6.56 Also, given the scale and potential location of new residential development in the St Austell

area, coupled with the scale of quantitative need predictions within this study, the provision of

a new large foodstore cannot be ruled out. The scale and location of such a store will be

dependant upon the location and scale of new residential development (as extensions to the

urban area and within the eco town areas) and will also have a relationship with any planned

new local/district centres within the eco-town areas.

6.57 In order to arrive at a firm view on the need for new local/district centres across the eco-town

areas and an appropriate location for new convenience floorspace, including possibly a new

large foodstore, further detailed analysis should be undertaken which takes into account the

emerging eco-town proposals and the preferred/potential options for residential development

across the St Austell area as a whole. Flowing from the preferred locations for new residential

development in the St Austell/eco-town area, consideration should be given to whether a new

foodstore should be accommodate as close as possible to St Austell town centre or whether

(in a similar manner to the draft AAP for Truro) it should be provided as part of a planned

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district centre which serves the urban extensions to St Austell and the surrounding parts of the

eco-town development. For example, as part of the LDF Core Strategy issues and options

consultations a number of options should be considered which will include (but may not be

limited to): placing a new foodstore in the closest possible location to St Austell town centre

(e.g. former Restormel Borough Council offices) or placing a new store (as part of a planned

new centre) on the northern or western edge of the existing urban area in order to provide the

eco-town population at Baal/Westcarclaze (north) or Blackpool Dryers (west) with a more

accessible foodstore.

Saltash

6.58 For the purposes of this study, the Council has highlighted out of centre locations adjacent to

the A38. In addition, as noted previously in this report, an application for a new Sainsburys

store on the existing football club ground was considered (and refused) by the former

Caradon District Council, although no sequentially preferable sites were identified as part of

determining that application.

6.59 The previous section of this study identified that there is support for a qualitative improvement

in retail provision within Saltash although the ability to significantly increase provision will be

constrained by the influence of nearby Plymouth. In addition, the potential acceptability of

additional convenience floorspace provision within Saltash requires, in our opinion, further

detailed analysis including a new up to date survey of shopping patterns, given the ‘impact’

concerns raised over the recent Sainsburys application (when considered cumulatively with

the recent Waitrose store extension and new Lidl store).

6.60 Having regard to the areas of land around the A38 which have been assessed for this study,

we consider that they are, based on the information available to us at this time, likely to raise

the same issues as those highlighted in the recent Sainsburys application, namely significant

impacts upon the town centre. Indeed, given their location close to the A38, retail

development at these locations could be even more severe than predicted in relation to the

Sainsburys scheme.

6.61 As a consequence, locations in and around the A38 for significant new retail development are

not supported, given their potential impact upon the health and financial performance of the

town centre. When making this conclusion it is acknowledged that there is potential to make

qualitative improvements to Saltash’s retail offer but the lack of town centre sites means that

only out of centre locations can provide new floorspace which is likely to lead to unacceptable

impacts.

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Hayle

6.62 Within Hayle, the current focus for retail development is on four sites across the town. These

sites are: two adjacent areas of the harbour area; land at Marsh Lane; and, Hayle Rugby

Club. All four are likely to be subject to planning applications for large foodstore development

in the coming months. All fours areas were subject to assessment within the 2007 Penwith

Retail Study and the study concluded that the harbour area offers the most appropriate

opportunity to accommodate the identified need for additional retail provision within Hayle.

We would reiterate this view for the purposes of this study and outline the following factors:

• The harbour area lies adjacent to Foundry town centre and comprises a good edge of

centre location. There are no more sequentially preferable sites within Hayle which can

accommodate large scale retail development proposals.

• The harbour area has the potential capability of forming functional links with the adjacent

town centre area. However, such links will need to be encouraged by improvements to

pedestrian linkages between the harbour area and existing shops and services.

• Whilst it is the preferred location, the scale of new provision within the harbour area is

also important. It should be of a size which complements existing provision and can act

as a sustainable extension to the existing Foundry town centre area.

• With regard to the Marsh Lane and Rugby Club sites, the retail study found that they

were not to be preferred given their out of centre location. Indeed, because of their

isolated location these sites have poor potential to encourage linked trips, have poor

accessibility and have the potential to provide a negative impact upon delivery of retail

uses in the harbour area. They will also have the potential to encourage more car-based

travel and also have the potential to have an impact on a wider range of centres.

6.63 Overall, the provision of retail uses across the harbour area is supported by this study,

although further detailed work will be required to provide a framework for the development of

this area. This process had commenced within the recent planning application for a mixed

use development at South Quay (which included non-food retail floorspace and smaller scale

food retail floorspace). However, these proposals are being revised and the Council will need

to consider, as part of the new proposals coming forwards, the most appropriate scale and

location of retail uses across the harbour area.

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Truro

6.64 Our assessment of the need for additional retail floorspace within Truro has identified the

following key messages:

• Within the convenience retail sector, our quantitative assessment differs significantly from

the previous analysis informing the draft Truro & Threemilestone AAP. The previous DTZ

analysis predicted much higher existing and future capacity levels, based upon higher

levels of trade draw from the Penzance, St Ives, Hayle, St Austell and Newquay areas

and a higher population growth rate for the Truro area. In our own analysis, we have not

identified a significant qualitative need for additional floorspace, although we have

highlighted the need to relieve potential overtrading in existing stores and also provide

accessible convenience retail facilities which can act as the focus for substantial increase

in residential planned for the Truro and Threemilestone area.

• For comparison retailing in Truro, we have outlined the potential to accommodate

significant levels of new floorpsace, based upon the existing performance of facilities in

the city, the level of retailer requirements and the need to provide modern retail

floorspace. Significant levels of capacity have been identified, although they are lower

than outlined in previous studies (due to more up to date economic forecasts) and also

take into account the impact of new comparison floorspace in surrounding settlements.

6.65 Within previous retail studies for Truro (Donaldsons in 2006 and DTZ in 2008) the provision of

a new district centre on the western side of Truro, in Threemilestone, was recommended. In

addition, the Pydar Street site in the city centre was recommended as a mixed use retail-led

development opportunity, supplemented by smaller scale opportunities to the north of Lemon

Quay, the Bus Station and part of the Opes area near the Somerfield store. The Garras

Wharf site (currently occupied, in part, by Tesco) was also recommended as a mixed use

development site, with the possibility of Tesco either being retained on the site or relocated to

the Pydar Street site should a department store led scheme not materialise. The previous

DTZ retail study also resisted the identification of a new district centre at Higher Newham

Farm, which is located to the south of the urban area.

6.66 Within the draft Truro & Threemilestone AAP, the Garras Wharf site was identified as the

location to retain and expand the existing Tesco store, whilst Pydar Street was proposed for

mixed use development including retail floorspace. Elsewhere in the city centre, a strategy

which promoted the organic growth of the retail offer was included the draft AAP. The

identified sites for this organic growth were: the Pannier Market, Bus Station, Garras Wharf,

Argos & Moorfield service area, BHS building, the Co-operative building, part of the Pydar

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Street site and the former Leats health clinic. The draft AAP did not support the provision of

large retail development on the Pydar Street site, preferring instead organic growth across a

number of other city centre sites.

6.67 Over the past number of years, a number of different approaches to retail development in the

city centre have been tested and proposed. These have varied between Pydar Street being

identified as major retail development opportunity, to a more varied set of sites in the city

centre being allocated in the draft AAP for retail development. The Pydar Street has its

merits. It provides a large area of land with redevelopment potential, which is, we understand,

in three ownerships and is relatively close to the core shopping area. However, Pydar

Street/St Clement Street presents a barrier to movement which is a constraint to the ability to

successfully link this site into the city centre scheme.

6.68 In the past, retail studies have focused upon the provision of a significant amount of retail

floorspace on the Pydar Street site, citing this area as the only location to accommodate a

major development. This, in our opinion, remains the case, as the other city centre locations

identified in the draft AAP involve the recycling of existing floorspace and more modest

development areas. However, a number factors need to be taken into account:

• First, the level of future capacity identified for Truro is much more modest than previously

identified in the DTZ work. This will influence the need to identify significant site areas to

accommodate new provision. Also, this general theme of reducing floorspace capacity is

likely to be supported by the outlook for the commercial property sector which is likely to

be more reserved than in recent years.

• Second, it has been suggested in previous studies that Truro will need to provide a major

new retail development in order to respond to increasing competition from Plymouth. On

this issue, the 2008 survey results informing this study indicate that competition from

Plymouth only arises in the east Cornwall area and therefore the argument for providing

significant levels of new retail development in Truro to match Plymouth (or Exeter) is one

supported by the ‘status’ of Truro rather than one of significant levels of leakage to

Plymouth (or Exeter). Given Truro’s current dominance in the central and western parts

of Cornwall, significant increases in comparison goods floorspace in Truro are likely to

cement Truro’s dominant role in these areas (i.e. leakage of trips from towns to retail

facilities in Truro) whilst potentially transferring trips from east Cornwall which would

normally go to Plymouth.

• Third, the desirability of promoting significant levels of new comparison retail floorspace

in Truro will need to be balanced against the impact that it has upon existing and planned

new provision (including the ability to promote new projects) in the surrounding (smaller)

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settlements in Cornwall. Truro currently draws a significant amount of expenditure from

settlements in western and mid-Cornwall and significant new provision will increase the

pressure upon turnover levels in other settlements. It will also, in our opinion, make it

harder for other settlements to promote new town centre comparison development

schemes of their own. It is clear from our quantitative assessments of need that

continuation of existing shopping patterns leads to significant levels of capacity in Truro in

the short term and growing even further up to 2031. This has the consequence of limiting

the amount of available capacity in amount large settlements in Cornwall, with significant

capacity only arising in the longer term.

• Finally, it is our opinion that a large amount of new retail floorspace in the Pydar Street

area could have a significant effect upon the orientation of the core retail area of the city

centre. The existing highway network, which would be very expensive (and potentially

unviable) to move, creates a barrier to movement, which will constrain the ability to

provide a seamless link into the existing core shopping area. In addition, provision of all

of the identified need for additional floorspace in this area would have a significant impact

upon how the city centre operates and we have a concern that eastern parts of the city

centre could suffer.

• Overall, there are a number of factors which would suggest that the Pydar Street area

should not be promoted for a very large increase in the amount of comparison floorspace

in Truro city centre. However, this area remains an important part of the overall

expansion in the city centre’s retail floorspace and should remain a key retail

development site, as shown in the draft AAP.

6.69 Looking at the other sites in the city centre which have been recommended to us as part of

this study (and are also contained within the draft AAP), the bus station and pannier market

sites have the potential to strengthen the northern side of the Lemon Quay area and support

linkages towards the waterfront area. However, redevelopment of the bus station will require

reprovision of the existing facility and its current location must, in our opinion, add to the

attractiveness of travelling to the centre by public transport. Therefore, an alternative location

must provide comparable accessibility and attractiveness. In addition, the bus station sits

next to historic buildings which will no doubt constrain the scale of retail development which

can be provided.

6.70 The draft AAP identified a number of other sites including the existing BHS site. We support

the potential to improve this area where it is able to provide modern retail floorspace although

little net additional space is likely to be created. In addition the sites to the rear of the Lemon

Quay development provide constrained opportunities to expand Lemon Quay given their

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orientation and separated nature from the main shopping area. In contrast, they are more

likely better suited to other forms of commercial development.

6.71 The Moorfield car park and adjacent Somerfield/Argos unit has also been identified for this

study and is also included in the draft AAP. This site is relatively large, although its major

constraint, if redevelopment is considered, is the effect upon car parking provision within the

city centre. Any redevelopment scheme will need to either reprovide car parking on site

and/or find new provision elsewhere in the city centre. Also, the site, when considered as a

whole, lies somewhat on the periphery of the core retail area of the city centre. In order to

improve its performance, this area will need an entrance on to Victoria Square (e.g. the

Somerfield/Argos unit), although even then it will have a limited frontage and it may struggle to

provide a new viable retail circuit unless linkages with Lemon Street (to the east) and Calenick

Street (to the west) can be provided.

6.72 The final site in the city centre area to be identified (in both retail studies and the draft AAP) is

the Garras Wharf site (also known as the Waterside area). At present, this area is occupied

by a large Tesco supermarket and non-food retail warehouse units. This area lies in close

proximity to the main retail area in the city centre, separated from the Lemon Quay area by

Morlaix Avenue. Given its close proximity, the Garras Wharf site benefits the city centre with

evidence of pedestrian linkages between the site and the city centre, with shoppers taking

advantage of the free Tesco customer car park. Tesco has, for a number of years, stated its

desire to expand its store and we understand that opportunities to expand on the existing site

and relocate elsewhere has been examined. Such possibility have also been discussed in

previous retail studies and in the draft AAP. In the most recent retail study, the possibility of

relocating Tesco further away from the city centre was dismissed and on-site expansion or

relocation to Pydar Street encouraged. In the draft AAP, after consideration of the merits of

relocation, it was concluded that the Tesco store should remain unless a more beneficial site

can be provided. However, the AAP also highlights the disadvantages of Tesco’s presence at

Garras Wharf including acting as a barrier to accessing the waterfront area.

6.73 Overall, we agree with the broad thrust of analysis within previous retail studies and the draft

AAP. The Tesco store provides a benefit to the city centre and should, in principle, be either

retained in its current location and at an equally beneficial location elsewhere. However,

account will need to be taken of Tesco’s desire to expand and the ability to provide a suitable

location which allows for expansion and also meets the aspiration to improve the

attractiveness of the waterside area and deal with flooding issues. It is beyond the scope of

this study to confirm that the Garras Wharf site should definitely be the sole focus for an

enlarged Tesco site, given that non-retail planning issues will affect the any final decision.

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Equally, the only realistic alternative is the Pydar Street area and this has previously been

identified as having the potential for new comparison retail floorspace in the city centre.

Therefore, the issue of Tesco’s expansion and the future of the Garras Wharf site needs to be

planned comprehensively with the remainder of the city centre retail development programme.

6.74 Turning to locations outside of the city centre, a number of potential locations have been

highlighted by the Council for the purposes of this study. These include, on the western side

of town, Langarth Farm, Maiden Green Farm, Willow Green Farm, Truro football club and the

former Richard Lander School site. On the eastern side of town, a site adjacent to the Cattle

Market known as Union Corner has been identified. Within the draft AAP, the western side of

town (primarily the Threemilestone area) was proposed for the bulk of new residential

development and included a new district centre which would an anchored by a new foodstore.

In addition, five new local centres were proposed (as part of the largest of the residential

development areas). On the eastern side of town, no significant residential development was

proposed by the AAP, although a new district centre was proposed at Union Corner as part of

a wider Cornish food production centre. 4,500sq m of retail floorspace was proposed by the

draft AAP although the type of floorspace (food or non-food) was not specified, although the

focus is on the processing and sale of local Cornish produce. These draft proposals were

informed by the latest retail study for Truro (DTZ, 2008) which suggested that any new district

centre for the Truro area should be placed on the western side of the urban area.

6.75 Having regard to our assessment of need, we consider that there is potential for growth in the

level of convenience floorspace within Truro up to 2031 although the timing and scale of new

provision differs, from a quantitative perspective, between this study and the previous DTZ

analysis. The previous DTZ work suggested an immediate quantitative need for additional

convenience floorspace and which would continue to grow (to 6,100sq m net) to 2026. In

contrast, based upon a 2008 household survey of shopping patterns, additional quantitative

capacity for Truro is between 2200-3600sq m net by 2026, rising to 2700-4500sq m net by

2031. This level of capacity is capable of supporting a level of convenience floorspace similar

to the size contained with the current Tesco store in Truro, although clearly this capacity only

arises towards the end of the LDF period.

6.76 Moreover, as noted in the previous section of this study, the timing and scale of new

convenience floorspace should not stick rigidly to the quantitative forecasts and will also need

to be informed by qualitative consideration and related impact considerations. For example,

there is a need to ensure that population growth within Truro is adequately provided for in

terms of accessible convenience floorspace provision. This may prompt an early delivery of a

foodstore as part of a district centre.

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6.77 In addition to a number of retail allocations in and around the city centre, the draft Truro &

Threemilestone AAP allocated a new district centre in western part of the urban area, close to

significant levels of residential development. However, with the demise of the draft RSS,

which influenced the scale of residential development in Truro and the Council re-examining

its spatial strategy for the city, it is outside of the scope of this study to define a precise

location for any new district centre, although it is very likely that the precise scale and location

of new residential development in Truro and Threemilestone will clearly dictate the location of

such a centre.

6.78 In order to ensure that any new centre is located where it can provide easily accessible

facilities for the resident population, we consider that the decision on should be informed by

geographical and accessibility factors. Given its importance, it is likely that convenience retail

provision will form the basis for any new provision, supplemented by other day-to-day

shopping and service facilities. We set out below (not in any order of importance) a basket of

factors which we feel may be appropriate for the Council to take into account when

considering the scale and location of a new defined centre:

(i). Geographical distribution of retail floorspace. This can identify which areas are

best/worst served by retail provision.

(ii). Dominant shopping facilities, by area. Using shopping survey data, the analysis

can identify which facilities are attractive to the residents and can establish the

distances which local residents currently travel for convenience and comparison

shopping.

(iii). Walk-in catchments. It is vital that new residential development in

Truro/Threemilestone has easy and convenient access to retail facilities, especially

convenience retail provision. Walking distances of 500 metres to 1km can be

modelled to show areas which have good/poor accessibility on foot.

(iv). Drive-time catchments. Given the dominance of car-borne journeys, particularly for

bulk/main-food shopping trips, it will be important to model 5 minute drive time

catchments from existing stores and centres.

(v). Public transport accessibility. The walk-in and drivetime catchments should also

be accompanied by an analysis of public transport routes which can establish the

proximity of residential areas to public transport routes which serve retail provision.

6.79 The outputs from the above can then be mapped to show potential suitable locations for a

new centre. Where such areas are identified, then the Council can consider other factors

which cannot be mapped but may nevertheless be important factors. Such factors are likely

to be individual to local area and the areas/developments concerned, although may include:

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impact on existing local businesses, accessibility, contribution to community vitality,

contribution to local economy, visibility to passing trade and deliverability.

6.80 Beyond the city centre and the planned new district centres, the draft AAP also identifies

locations for several new local centres in the Truro and Threemilestone area. The draft AAP

does not define the scale and range of services which these new centres should provide apart

from noting that they should meet the day to day shopping needs of the local community. We

consider that future planning policy for the Truro area should clearly define the role, scale and

function of new local centres, particularly as the need for new local centres has not featured

as part of previous retail studies for the Truro area. The PPS4 definition of a local centre is a

small range of shops of a local nature, serving a small catchment, which might include a small

supermarket, a newsagent, a sub-post office, a pharmacy along with other food/drink and

service uses. Given that the definition of a supermarket in PPS4 is up to 2,500sq m of trading

floorspace, even a small supermarket will provide a relatively sizeable facility. As a

consequence, we would urge some caution when planning for new local centres without any

specific guidance on their scale and role, as a number of local centres could promote stores of

circa 1,000sq m net (in order to meet the PPS4 definition) and thus erode the identified

convenience floorspace capacity and potentially put at risk the ability to deliver increased

convenience floorspace in and around the city centre and the delivery of a new district centre.

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7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

7.1 This report has been prepared by GVA Grimley Ltd in response to an instruction by Cornwall

Council (CC), dated October 2009, to prepare a Retail Study for Cornwall. This study

provides the first comprehensive retail and town centre study for Cornwall since local

government reorganisation in 2009 and will update previous retail studies for the former

District and Borough administrative areas of the County pre-April 2009. This study will

provide essential background information to assist Cornwall Council in the production of a

Local Development Framework.

7.2 The objectives of this study are as follows:

• An analysis of relevant policy guidance and advice on the development of new policies

for retail development and town centres in Cornwall.

• An analysis of national trends in retailing and how they are expected to develop over the

period to 2026 and, if appropriate beyond, and the implications of these trends for

Cornwall.

• A refresh of existing retail studies and undertaking new work where appropriate. This

should lead to a through understanding of:

1. the mix and diversity of existing retail (food and non-food) and non-retail uses,

including out of centre retail provision and key food store provision, in the towns,

identifying any gaps in provision or areas of deficiency

2. an assessment of current patterns of usage for food and non-food shopping purposes

in the towns, the extent to which residents are travelling elsewhere to meet their

shopping needs, and the contribution of visitor's to the local economy;

3. a review provision for food & drink, leisure and entertainment facilities in the towns,

identifying any gaps in provision or areas of deficiency;

• Retail modelling for the principal towns and testing of potential alternatives, for instance

between focusing new prime shopping growth in Truro or more decentralised options

such as growth in second tier settlements. This work should lead to an understanding of

the retail hierarchy and the roles of centres with recommendations of a commercially

realistic strategy for each centre. Scenarios should be developed in the context of an

appropriate number of growth & distribution scenarios.

• Identify the scope for specialist roles for Cornish towns.

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• Assessment of retail interest in expanding in Cornwall.

• A commercial assessment of how identified needs for new retail development should best

be accommodated in the principle centres in accordance with the sequential approach

and the objectives of the RSS7.

• Advice on setting up a new system of town centre ‘healthchecks’ for regular monitoring of

town centre performance; and provision of some ‘healthcheck’ data.

7.3 This study forms the first element of the retail strategy for the Local Development Framework.

It provides a picture of the current (baseline) position across Cornwall, including current town

centre health, current shopping patterns, plus the potential for centres to accommodate new

retail development having regard to identified needs. The study provides an evidence base

for the LDF Core Strategy document and will inform the forthcoming LDF Core Strategy

Issues and Options consultation document and the information and analysis contained herein

will be taken forward and explored through the Core Strategy and framework plans for

individual towns across Cornwall.

7.4 The focus for this study, in terms of town centre health, assessing potential future needs and

potential development sites to accommodate identified needs, has been on the following

towns: Truro, Bude, St Ives, Penzance, Camborne, Redruth, Liskeard, Newquay, Falmouth,

Helston, St Austell, Launceston, Saltash, Hayle, Wadebridge and Bodmin. In addition, a

summary of the health of Padstow, Camelford, Callington, St Just, Fowey, Looe and St

Columb Major has also been provided.

7.5 A key contributor to this study has been empirical research in the form of a household

telephone survey of shopping patterns across Cornwall. The survey, which was conducted in

2008, interviewed 4,000 people across a wide geographic area, based on postcode sector

areas, within Cornwall and the western parts of Devon. A plan of the survey area is contained

at Appendix A of this report. The survey has established shopping habits of households for

different types of food and non-food goods and has, in turn, contributed towards the detailed

assessment of need for additional retail floorspace. The survey has also been structured to

ascertain customer profiles, mode of travel to shopping destinations, plus a number of

attitudinal questions determining what users think about the various town centres, and

potential improvements to these centres.

7.6 Outlined below are a summary of the findings of the study into each settlement. The

summary includes a review of town centre health, the findings of the quantitative and

qualitative need assessment, consideration of alternative sites to accommodate new

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development, identification of policy options for retail development across the main

settlements in Cornwall and consideration of the potential role of each settlement within the

retail hierarchy.

7.7 From the outset it should be noted that the quantification of retail need for the key settlements

in Cornwall is informed by four alternative population growth/residential land use development

scenarios. Differing levels of population growth/residential development will influence the

level of retail expenditure which is capable of supporting existing and new retail floorspace.

Therefore, until the scale and distribution of residential development has been set, this study

seeks to outline the range of quantitative need forecasts for each of the key settlements. The

four population growth scenarios which have been tested in the quantitative assessment of

need are:

• High (NHPAU) growth scenario. This scenario assumes that the size and distribution of

population growth is influenced by the development of circa 80,000 new residential units

up to 2031, as shown in recent National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU)

data.

• Population and household growth scenario. Size and distribution of future population

growth influenced by past population growth trends in Cornwall. This is broadly

equivalent to 63,000 new dwellings up to 2031.

• Trend-based growth scenario. Size and distribution of future population growth

influenced by past residential unit development trends in Cornwall. This is broadly

equivalent to 45,000 new dwellings up to 2031.

• Zero development. Size and distribution of population change influenced by zero new

residential development across Cornwall.

7.8 When forecasting future levels of quantitative retail floorspace need across Cornwall, the

assessment is based, in the first instance, on existing shopping patterns continuing in a

similar form over the assessment period (2009-2031) and only amended where there have

been store openings and planning permissions issued since the completion of the 2008

household survey. This form of assessment provides a detailed picture of the scale of

capacity levels which will accrue in each of the main settlements. However, in light of the

dominance of Truro as the main comparison shopping destination in Cornwall which leads to

a centralised approach to shopping provision if existing shopping patterns continue, our

quantitative assessment has modelled an alternative ‘decentralised’ approach to retail growth

in Cornwall and assumes that each of the main second tier settlements (Penzance, Falmouth,

7 Since the commencement of this study, the Coalition Government has revoked Regional Strategies.

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CPR, Newquay, St Austell and Bodmin) are able to claw back around one third of the

expenditure from their local catchment areas which is lost to stores in Truro. The results of

this exercise are outlined below for each settlement along side the ‘constant market share’

quantitative need predictions.

7.9 Moreover, assessments of need tend to focus on expenditure and demand and it is important

to remember that any new retail development will have some impact on existing facilities

either by diverting existing sales or diverting future sales which would otherwise arise as a

result of future growth. As a consequence, the forecasts of ‘retail need’ in this study should

not be regarded as prescriptive as planning for new retail floorspace will inevitably involve

judgements and policy choices, which will also raise related impact considerations.

Therefore, the retail needs outlined in this study should be treated as a broad guide to

additional floorspace, subject to further policy options evaluation when the scale and

distribution of residential development is fixed. For the avoidance of doubt, the floorspace

capacity levels which are outlined in this summary section are cumulative i.e. the forecasts for

a particular date include the forecasts for the previous dates and are not additional to the

previous forecasts.

The Retail Hierarchy in Cornwall

7.10 Before the key aspects of town centre health, retail provision, retail need and key

development locations are summarised for each of the main settlements in Cornwall, a useful

starting point is to summarise the retail hierarchy across the main centres in Cornwall. The

document at Appendix U outlined the key aspects of the retail hierarchy including the key

characteristics of each settlement, its role in the retail hierarchy in Cornwall, along with its

recommended classification.

7.11 The main retail centres have been classified into a three tier hierarchy, comprising strategic

retail centres, major town centres and other town centres and the recommended hierarchy is

summarised below:

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The Retail Hierarchy in Cornwall

Tier in Hierarchy Centres

Strategic Retail Centres Truro, Penzance, Falmouth, St Austell, Camborne-Pool-

Redruth

Major Town Centres Bodmin, Liskeard, Wadebridge, Launceston, Helston,

Newquay, Bude

Other Town Centres Hayle, Saltash, Padstow, Looe, Camelford, Callington, St

Columb Major, St Just, Fowey

Falmouth-Penryn

7.12 Falmouth is one of the larger town centres in West Cornwall and Cornwall as a whole and

occupies a high ranking place in the retail hierarchy. The town centre provides a large

number of retail and service uses and has attracted a range local independent and national

multiple operators. Vacancies within the town centre have been consistently low in recent

years. Falmouth town centre has had investment in a modest amount of retail floorspace in

recent years at the southern end of the centre between the core retail area and the National

Maritime Museum. This has attracted new occupiers to the town centre and there is a need

for further new modern floorspace to be provided. The defined centre in Penryn provides a

more localised shopping function for residents of the Falmouth-Penryn local area, focusing

upon day to day convenience shopping and service needs and providing a complementary

role to the higher order provision in Falmouth town centre.

7.13 In terms of convenience and comparison floorspace, the Falmouth-Penryn area

accommodates the majority of its comparison retailers within Falmouth town centre with only

bulky goods provision (B&Q) and comparison floorspace associated with the ASDA store

located outside the centre. This distribution of provision will have benefitted the health of the

town centre. Conversely, the majority of convenience retail floorspace is located outside of

Falmouth in the Penryn area. The convenience sector is dominated by a large ASDA store

which has been extended on a number of occasions. The ASDA is supported by smaller

Sainsburys (former Co-op) and Lidl foodstores in Penryn, whilst Falmouth town centre

possesses modest-sized Tesco Metro and Iceland stores.

7.14 Falmouth has a comparison retail goods catchment which covers the local area and also

draws trade from Helston to the west, the CPR area to the north and the rural area between

the town centre Truro. Overall, the Falmouth-Penryn area has a comparison goods turnover

of £84m. The convenience shopping catchment area of Falmouth-Penryn covers a similar

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area, with Falmouth-Penryn retaining around 87% of local main food shopping trips and 80%

of top-up food shopping trips. The current flow of some convenience and comparison

expenditure from the Helston area to stores in Falmouth-Penryn (primarily the ASDA) is likely

to be curtailed by the introduction of the new Sainsburys store and extended Tesco in

Helston.

7.15 We have not identified a significant qualitative or quantitative need for additional convenience

(food) retail floorspace in the Falmouth-Penryn area in the short to medium term. As a whole,

the range of provision is considered to be good and the committed foodstores in Helston will

erode part of the identified future convenience quantitative capacity. There is however a

need to try and rebalance convenience retail provision back towards Falmouth town centre

following the increasing level of development in Penryn over recent years. Falmouth is a

successful town centre although it does not provide a large convenience anchor store which is

area which could be improved. In the medium to long term there will be capacity for additional

convenience floorspace if the NHPAU or population/household growth scenarios are adopted

for Falmouth-Penryn.

7.16 Within the comparison (non-food) retail sector in Falmouth-Penryn, we have identified the

opportunity for relatively significant growth: 1260-2115sq m net at 2014, rising to 4249-6407sq

m net at 2021, 6570-10186sq m net at 2026 and 9243-14382sq m net by 2031 based upon

existing market shares continuing in the future. Based upon a constant market share

approach, these are one of the higher capacity levels across the county.

7.17 We have also tested the retail capacity implications for Falmouth/Penryn of a decentralised

retail growth strategy. Based upon the trend-based population growth scenario capacity at

2014 would rise from 1260sq m net to 4507sq m net and rise from 6570sq m net to 10786sq

m net at 2026.

7.18 Whilst Falmouth has one of the better ranges of existing facilities, there are opportunities for

improvement, not least in the need for provision of new modern retail floorspace. A key issue

for the LDF will be the range of sites which are identified to meet the needs arising. Grove

Place & the TA car park potential to provide a southern extension to the core town centre

retail area and build upon the success of an adjacent mixed use scheme which sits next to the

National Maritime Museum (and which is a big attractor of visitors to Falmouth). There may

be potential to include the adjacent Trago Mills site, but apart from that site, there is very little

other space to expand the town centre. The potential of the Quarry site at the opposite end of

the town centre has been constrained by the development of residential uses across the

frontage area and this will decrease the commercial attractiveness of this site. Therefore, we

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highlight the need for further work on the identification of town centre sites in Falmouth in

order that the identified need for new convenience and comparison retail provision can be

captured in the town centre.

Bodmin

7.19 Bodmin town centre has long been recognised as requiring further investment and the recent

Town Centre Framework Plan outlines a number of potential development options to boost its

health. The centre has a range of convenience and comparison operators including a modest

number of national multiple operators, although the convenience retail offer is focused

towards top-up food shopping. In recent years, vacancies within the centre have been rising

and there is a concern that the quality of the existing retail units does not match the

commercial requirements of operators who could be attracted to the town.

7.20 Convenience retail provision within Bodmin is dominated by three large supermarkets located

outside of the town centre. The two largest stores are the ASDA and Morrisons stores which

are located on the eastern side of the town. The third store is a smaller Sainsburys north,

located to the north-east of the town centre and is a converted former Somerfield unit. The

convenience sector as a whole in Bodmin is able to retain 80% of main and top-up food

shopping trips from the local area and also attracts convenience shopping trips from the

Liskeard and Camelford areas. The comparison sector in Bodmin possesses a similar

catchment area with the majority of spending being drawn from the local area, plus

Camelford, Liskeard, Wadebridge and the rural areas to the south. The majority of non-bulky

comparison goods floorspace in Bodmin is contained in the town centre, although the ASDA

store on Launceston Road also provides a significant amount of comparison goods. There is

one existing retail warehouse park in Bodmin, located on Launceston Road, plus

commitments for two further park: another on Launceston Road and one on Dunmere Road to

the west of the town centre.

7.21 Within our assessment of the need for additional retail provision in Bodmin, we have found

that, from a qualitative perspective, there is no need for additional significant convenience

retail stores to be provided. This is also confirmed by our quantitative assessment which

confirms that capacity for additional floorspace will be limited and only arise in the medium to

long term. By 2021, additional convenience floorspace will be between 188-576sq m net,

rising to 164-1133sq m net by 2026 and 497-1730sq m net by 2031. The highest levels of

future capacity arise out of the NHPAU growth scenario, followed by the population/household

growth scenario and then, at the bottom end of range, continuation of existing residential

development trends. These levels of potential capacity (assuming existing market shares are

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maintained) indicate that a new (additional) large foodstore cannot be accommodated from a

quantitative perspective. Instead, the medium to long term capacity that will arise is likely to

be provided in the form of small scale additions to the existing retail floorspace stock.

7.22 Within the comparison sector, there is an identified qualitative need within Bodmin although,

given the commitments for two additional bulky goods retail warehouse parks, the need for

additional comparison floorspace is focused upon the non-bulky retail sector to support the

health of the town centre. The commitments for two new retail parks will reduce short term

quantitative capacity although even on the basis of constant market shares (post-

implementation of these commitments) there is likely to be relatively significant capacity to

accommodate additional provision. By 2014, there will be quantitative capacity for between

391-1004sq m net of additional comparison goods floorspace, rising to 3964-5911sq m net by

2026 and 5762-8429sq m by 2031. Like the convenience floorspace assessment, the highest

levels of capacity arise as a result of the NHPAU growth scenario, followed by the

population/household growth scenario and then, at the bottom end of range, continuation of

existing residential development trends.

7.23 In addition, we consider that there is also the opportunity to plan for an increase in Bodmin’s

comparison goods market share, given the current leakage of trips to Truro and St Austell.

Our decentralised retail growth quantitative assessment indicated that, under the trend-based

population growth scenario, comparison floorspace capacity could rise from 391sq m net to

3756sq m net at 2014 and from 3964sq m net to 8316sq m net at 2026. However, this route

should only be pursued where town centre sites can be made available to accommodate new

provision. A number of potential development sites have been identified through the Bodmin

Town Centre Framework Plan and the prime candidate for new comparison goods floorspace

retailing is the area of land between Dennison Road and Fore Street. Given the significant

levels of growth planned for Bodmin, it will be important to bring forward and promote town

centre sites in order to resist proposals to widen the range of non-food goods which can be

sold from these out of centre locations.

7.24 Based upon the strategy in the Bodmin Masterplan, the BTCFP site between Fore Street and

Dennison Road will be highlighted as the first choice location for additional comparison goods

floorspace within Bodmin. In terms of convenience retail provision, the continuation of

existing residential development trends in Bodmin is unlikely to prompt any changes to the

scale and distribution of existing facilities although should higher levels of residential

development be planned for Bodmin, which include a new link across the town, then there is

potential to relocate the existing Sainsburys store to provide a larger facility on the western

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side of the urban area along with a retained convenience retail foodstore presence within the

town centre.

Penzance-Newlyn

7.25 Penzance town centre is second to Truro in terms of the number of retail units. The centre

provides a wide range of convenience, comparison and service uses including a good

selection of national multiple and local independent retail operators. The centre has

historically had good financial performance indicators and lower than average vacancy rates,

although vacancies have risen slightly in recent years and Penzance is now being

outperformed by Newquay and Falmouth in terms of the strength of yields on retail property.

Nevertheless, this study has concluded that Penzance remains healthy and is a popular

destination for both local residents and tourists to the area.

7.26 Convenience shopping provision within Penzance is orientated towards out of centre locations

with two large supermarkets: Tesco and Morrisons. There are smaller Co-op and Iceland

stores within the town centre along with smaller scale niche convenience uses. These stores

as a whole retain 94% of main food shopping and 81% of top-up food trips from the local area.

These stores, particularly the out of centre Tesco and Morrisons stores, also draw reasonably

significant levels of trade from the Hayle and, to a lesser extent, St Ives areas. Within the

comparison retail sector, stores in the local area have a dominant market share, although

some trips to still leak to Truro. Moving eastwards to St Ives and Hayle, stores in Penzance

share comparison goods shopping trips with Truro, although beyond this area Penzance’s

influence becomes more limited and stops within the CPR area. According to the market

shares from the 2008 household survey, stores in Penzance had a similar level of turnover as

stores in St Austell, these settlements being second only to Truro, although Penzance may

now be in third place (in terms of turnover) following the opening of the White River Place

development in St Austell town centre.

7.27 Based upon qualitative aspects of need, there is not a significant qualitative deficiency in

convenience floorspace across the Penzance-Newlyn area as a whole. The area which will

require attention is the balance of convenience retail provision between town centre and out of

centre locations, with the need for additional space within or adjacent to the town centre area.

The quantitative assessment confirms this conclusion and indicates that, based upon the

continuation of existing shopping patterns, modest levels of future convenience floorspace

capacity are likely to arise: 1288-1759sq m net by 2014; 1754-2589sq m net by 2021; 2077-

3174sq m net by 2026 and 2354-3745sq m net by 2031. The highest level of capacity arises

as a result of NHPAU population growth scenario, whilst the trend based and

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population/household growth scenarios produce level similar levels of capacity for the

Penzance-Newlyn area. Importantly these capacity levels may well be seen as maximums if

a new supermarket is provided in Hayle which will reduce the amount of expenditure which

stores in Penzance attract from Hayle residents.

7.28 For the comparison retail sector, the Penzance-Newlyn area, assuming the continuation of

existing shopping patterns, is identified for a relatively significant increase in comparison

goods floorspace up to 2031 (13141-18729sq m net - depending on the population scenario

adopted). This capacity level may well reduce if the Hayle Harbour mixed development,

which has gained a resolution to grant planning permission, is implemented.

7.29 Within the decentralised retail growth option, the potential comparison goods floorspace

capacity in Penzance/Newlyn would rise from 2160sq m net to 5072sq m net at 2014 and rise

from 9558sq m net to 13383sq m net at 2026.

7.30 However, a key factor which has been identified in our analysis is the need to find and identify

sites which can accommodate the level of identified need, particularly comparison goods

floorspace. The former gas holder site in the town centre has long been identified as a

potential redevelopment site and remains, in our opinion, a key site. However, for the gas

holder site to be successful it needs to be amalgamated with surrounding land. Beyond the

gas holder site, there have been few additional redevelopment sites identified in the adopted

Local Plan although the town-wide framework for Penzance (which is currently being

prepared) has the potential to change this position. It is our view that in order for the town

centre to capture the projected need for additional retail floorspace within Penzance, the

harbour area should be considered as a key development site. Redevelopment of this site is

clearly not an easy concept given that it will require the re-provision of a substantial amount of

town centre parking and there may also be flood risk issues associated with this site.

Nevertheless, the harbour area provides one of the few opportunities to expand the core retail

area of Penzance town centre and provide modern retail units which can attract new retailers

and other businesses to Penzance.

Liskeard

7.31 Our town centre health check suggests that Liskeard town centre has a mixed performance.

The town centre has a slightly higher than average vacancy rate and historically has had a

low number of retailer requirements. The centre has a reasonable mix of uses, including a

small number of national multiples. The largest retailers in the centre are a Co-op foodstore

and a Eurospar (formerly Somerfield) store. In recent years, the town centre has had to

compete with modern out of centre retail facilities which have been developed at the edge of

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the town, including a large Morrisons store and a collection of retail warehouses (which sell

bulky and non-bulky comparison goods).

7.32 Liskeard’s comparison shopping catchment area is primarily concentrated on the local area,

although smaller levels of trade are drawn from the Callington and Saltash/Torpoint areas.

Overall, comparison goods facilities in Liskeard have a annual turnover of around £54m and

two thirds of this expenditure is drawn from the local area. The town’s convenience shopping

catchment is of a similar size, with 80% of local main food shopping trips and two thirds of

local top-up food shopping trips remaining within the town. Stores in Liskeard, primarily the

Morrisons store, also attract convenience shopping trips from other towns in the local area,

particularly Callington and Saltash. Overall, convenience stores in Liskeard attract around

£60m of convenience goods expenditure, the majority of which flows to the out of centre

Morrisons store.

7.33 The assessment of need for additional convenience floorspace has found the potential for the

out of centre Morrisons store to be overtrading, which could be a contributory factor to both

qualitative and quantitative need for additional floorspace. From a qualitative need

perspective, there is also the need to re-balance the orientation of convenience shopping

provision back towards the town centre given the dominance of the Morrisons store. If the

theoretical overtrading within the Morrisons store is taken into account then our analysis

indicates that, based on the continuation of current market share levels, there will be

quantitative capacity for an additional 2584-2859sq m net by 2014, rising to 3057-3758sq m

net by 2026 and 3261-4141sq m net by 2031. This level is likely to reduce as a result of the

implementation of the new Tesco store in Callington, given that Callington residents currently

visit Liskeard for their convenience shopping, although not by a significant amount. However,

to put this level of quantitative capacity into context, if the overtrading of the out of centre

Morrisons store is ignored, then the capacity for additional convenience in Liskeard falls to a

maximum of 700sq m net by 2021, 1,100sq m net by 2026 and 1,500sq m net by 2031.

7.34 As outlined in the Practice Guidance to PPS4, forecasts of retail need should not be regarded

as prescriptive and inevitably involve judgements and ultimately policy choices which raise

related impact considerations. For example, the provision of this higher level of identified

capacity in an out of centre location will have a different impact on Liskeard town centre than if

it was placed within or adjacent to the town centre. A key issue for Liskeard is the dominance

of the out of centre Morrisons store and being able to utilise the identified potential capacity in

a way which offers choice and competition to that store and also benefitting the town centre.

Indeed, it is our opinion that overtrading in one out of centre store should not justify another

out of town facilities where there are unacceptable impacts on the town centre.

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7.35 Therefore, the ability to plan for additional convenience retail floorspace in Liskeard is, in our

opinion, linked to the identification of potential retail development sites in and around Liskeard

town centre. The majority of sites which have been examined as part of this study are

relatively small in size and cannot accommodate a foodstore use. The one exception to this

may be the existing Cattle Market site, which has the potential to become available in the

future. There is a separate current exercise being undertaken to examine the future potential

of the Cattle Market site and the content of this study should inform that process. In

particular, we consider that the potential of the Cattle Market site to accommodate a foodstore

use should be explored.

7.36 The issue and options surrounding the provision of new convenience retail floorspace should

form part of the LDF Core Strategy issues and options consultation. In particular, options

which could be explored include: a scenario which plans for the higher level of quantitative

need outlined in this study even if there are no suitable town centre and edge of centre sites

available; or, the LDF only planning for the higher level of convenience floorspace growth

where it can contribute to the health and vitality of the town centre (i.e. new provision being

placed within or next to the centre).

7.37 Turning to the comparison retail sector in Liskeard, this study has found that there is a clear

opportunity to improve the quality of provision within the town centre. There has been a lack

of investment in modern floorspace in the centre in recent years and the lack of identification

of town centre development sites has led to the approval of bulky and non-bulky comparison

goods retail warehousing in out of centre locations. The quantitative analysis of need

indicates that the town has, based on the continuation of current market share levels, the

potential to generate a need for up to an additional 1076-1671sq m net by 2014, 4606-6406sq

m by 2026 and 6341-8754sq m net by 2031. These are relatively modest levels in the short

term although, following the development of significant out of centre development in recent

years, there is a need to direct this additional capacity into the town centre via new and/or

redeveloped existing floorspace. Given the lack of significant town centre sites to

accommodate new retail development, the ability to accommodate this capacity will be partly

be dependant upon the results of the current Cattle Market feasibility exercise.

Wadebridge

7.38 Wadebridge is considered to be a healthy and attractive town centre, which is clearly popular

with local residents and tourists alike. The attractiveness of the centre benefits from a

pedestrianisation scheme along the core shopping area and the centre has become in recent

years a successful retail destination which relies upon local independent operators rather than

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a large number of national multiple retailers. The centre has a particularly high proportion of

comparison goods retailers, along with a lower than average proportion of vacancies. The

convenience retail sector in the centre is anchored by a modest sized Co-op store which

provides a main food and top-up food shopping function.

7.39 Beyond the Co-op store within the town centre, there is a Lidl discount foodstore to the north

of the centre which is also likely to benefit the centre in terms of some linked trips. However,

the dominant convenience destination in Wadebridge is the out of centre Tesco store. A large

majority of main food shopping trips attracted to Wadebridge flow to the Tesco store, including

a significant number of trips from Camelford. Overall, Wadebridge attracts around £45m of

convenience goods expenditure. The comparison retail sector draws its trade from the local

area, plus Padstow, Bodmin and Camelford. As a whole, comparison stores in Wadebridge,

the majority of which are located in the town centre, attract around £35m of expenditure.

7.40 Our qualitative analysis of convenience retail provision in Wadebridge has found that the town

has a reasonable selection of foodstores, although the town is dominated by the influence of

the Tesco store. Whilst the Co-op store attract main and top-up food shopping trips

(supported by the top-up food shopping function of Lidl), the Tesco store has little competition

in the local area. As a result of this situation, the Tesco store is likely to overtrade and this

situation could contribute towards both a quantitative and qualitative need for additional

floorspace provision in the town.

7.41 If the current trading performance of all stores in the town is taken into account, and constant

market shares applied, then there is quantitative capacity for 1258-1576sq m net additional

convenience goods floorspace by 2014, rising to 1745-2521sq m net by 2026 and 1934-

2930sq m net by 2031. The highest levels of future capacity in Wadebridge when the NHPAU

growth scenario is adopted, although the trend-based and population/household growth

scenarios provide similar levels of future capacity.

7.42 Taking into account overtrading, these capacity levels could allow for new supermarket

although, as already noted in relation to Liskeard, quantitative capacity forecasts should not

be prescriptive. The decision on whether additional convenience goods floorspace should be

provided in Wadebridge is currently being considered by Cornwall Council in the context of

proposals for two new supermarkets and an extension to the existing Tesco store. Through a

detailed assessment of retail policies in the development plan and policies EC14-17 in PPS4,

supported by the evidence base material in this retail study, the Council which (if any) of these

proposals should be granted planning permission.

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7.43 Within the comparison retail sector, our town centre health has found a good range of uses

which serves a localised function, popular with local residents and tourists. There have been

some additions to the stock of retail floorspace on the eastern side of the town centre in

recent years which has successfully attracted new comparison and other business. As a

consequence of these factors, and taking into account the role and function of Wadebridge,

we consider that there remain opportunities for qualitative improvements to be made to the

comparison goods retail offer. Based upon the continuation of existing shopping patterns, our

quantitative assessment predicts modest levels of additional in the short term (581-1108sq m

net by 2014), rising to 2722-4269sq m net by 2026 and 3725-5852sq m net by 2031. Like the

convenience floorspace assessment, the NHPAU growth scenario provides for the highest

levels of capacity followed (jointly) by the trend-based and population/household growth

scenarios.

7.44 In order to meet the identified need for additional retail floorspace, a number of potential

locations have been assessed, including the land to the north of the Lidl foodstore and fire

station, plus land at the northern end of Eddystone Road and land bounded by Eddystone

Road, Goldsworthy Way and Trevanson Street. None of these areas present easy

redevelopment opportunities, due to flooding constraints and the need to redevelop existing

properties although we have recommended that the Council investigate the potential of these

areas further as they are likely to present the best opportunities to provide additional retail

floorspace in and around Wadebridge town centre in the future.

Helston

7.45 Helston is considered to be a relatively health centre which possesses a range of

convenience, comparison and service uses and has seen a falling vacancy rate in recent

years. The town centre benefits from both local independent and national multiple operators

along with a modest sized Co-op (formerly Somerfield) store which provides an important

contribution to the health and attractiveness of the centre. Almost all current comparison retail

floorspace in Helston is contained within the town centre and the primary catchment of the

centre is confined to the town and the surrounding Lizard peninsular. At present, comparison

facilities in the town attract around £28m of expenditure, the majority of which derives from the

local area.

7.46 A similar picture can be found for convenience shopping within Helston, with stores in the

town retaining 80% of main food shopping trips from local residents and attracting small levels

of expenditure from the Hayle, CPR and Falmouth-Penryn areas. Top-up food shopping trip

retention in Helston is 65%. The out of centre Tesco store in Helston has historically

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dominated the convenience retail sector, attracting almost 7 out of every 8 main food

shopping trips in the town. The Tesco was the only store to attract any convenience trips to

Helston from outside of the local area. However, in recent years, new Sainsburys and Lidl

foodstores have opened in the town, the larger of which is the new Sainsburys store located

close to the Flambards leisure park.

7.47 These two new stores, plus the Tesco extension, will remove any previous qualitative and

qualitative deficiency in convenience floorspace provision in Helston. Indeed, our quantitative

capacity assessment predicted that there will not be any need for additional convenience

goods floorspace until the period 2021-2031 and by the end of this period only 900sq m net of

additional convenience floorspace would be available under the population/household growth

and NHPAU growth scenarios respectively.

7.48 These commitments will also soak up part of the short to medium term quantitative capacity

for comparison goods floorspace in Helston and also improve qualitative aspects of

comparison goods provision in the town. The potential for quantitative and qualitative

improvements to the comparison retail sector will remain and we recommend that the focus of

the retail strategy for Helston will be finding and identifying suitable town centre locations to

accommodate additional needs which are likely to arise over the medium to longer term.

Based on a constant market share (after the impact of the commitments has been taken into

account) the quantitative comparison floorspace capacity levels for Helston are: 688-1342sq

m net by 2021; 1491-2420sq m net by 2026; and 2451-3692sq m net by 2031.

Camborne Pool & Redruth

7.49 The CPR area is one of the larger urban areas in western Cornwall and provides three

identifiable settlements (Camborne, Pool and Redruth) which combine into one large urban

area whose town centres and retail provision are interrelated.

7.50 The health check indicators would suggest that Camborne town centre is performing relatively

well, with signs of improvement in the number vacancies in the centre (i.e. fewer). However,

there would appear to be an under provision of multiple retailers within the comparison retail

sector and there is a general lack of supply of modern retail premises which can attract new

retailers. The historic characterisation study identified a number of public realm

improvements which could attract further trade, whilst the main town centre redevelopment

site (the bus station) suffers from a number of problems which could constrain its delivery for

redevelopment. Overall, Camborne town centre is considered to be under-performing at

present. However, it has the potential to become the focus for a large growing population in

the CPIR area and this should be highlighted in the LDF.

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7.51 Reduth town centre faces similar issues to Camborne, although our health check suggest that

the centre, whilst attractive in places, suffers from under-performance. There is a high

vacancy rate in the centre and few large national multiple retailers to encourage footfall. The

town centre is likely to suffer from competition from elsewhere in the CPR area and also from

its proximity to Truro. Beyond the two town centres of Camborne and Redruth, there is a

significant out of centre retail provision at Pool including a large Tesco Extra store and a

collection of retail warehouse units. In addition, there is a Morrisons store in Pool plus a Tesco

store on the edge of Camborne town centre and an out of centre Tesco store in Redruth.

7.52 The CPR area is very successful in retaining locally generated convenience shopping trips.

Around 95% of all main food shopping trips from CPR residents remain in the local area and

existing stores also attract a significant amount of trips from Hayle to the west and the rural

areas east of Redruth. A similar pattern is also observed in relation to top-up food shopping

trips. Overall, stores in CPR attract around £127m of convenience goods expenditure per

annum. The comparison retail sector in CPR has a turnover of around £131m per annum,

with Camborne town centre’s catchment orientated towards the Camborne urban area and

areas to the west (including Hayle). Redruth’s catchment includes the Redruth urban area

plus the rural areas to the east (although this is constrained by the influence of Truro). Pool is

able to retain a reasonably high level of its own comparison goods expenditure given the

range of goods which the local area sells, although there is also leakage of expenditure to

Camborne and Redruth town centres and, in the case of all parts of CPR, significant leakage

of expenditure to Truro.

7.53 In terms of qualitative need, we consider that the findings of the 2009 Camborne, Pool and

Redruth Retail Study remain relevant. This recent study noted that there was not a significant

qualitative deficiency in convenience retailing in CPR and it was recommended that there was

no need to plan for a significant change in the convenience sector. In terms of comparison

retailing, a qualitative deficiency was previously identified and re-examination of factors

relating to CPR indicates that this remains the case for a number of reasons. First, there is

leakage of comparison goods shopping trips from the local area, primarily to Truro, suggesting

an inadequate choice and range of facilities in the local area. Second, we consider that there

is a general deficiency in the retail offer of Camborne and Redruth town centres given the size

of the CPR urban area. Third, the stock of existing floorspace within the town centres is has

not been renewed or updated in recent years and there is a qualitative need to provide

modern retail premises in the centres which can attract new retailers.

7.54 In terms of the quantitative aspects of need in the CPR area, the analysis conducted in this

study indicates no short term capacity for additional convenience floorspace, followed by a

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capacity of between 571-2171sq m net by 2026 and 1064-3088sq m net at 2031. The

NHPAU and population/household growth scenarios for CPR produce higher 2026 capacity

levels than the 2009 CPR Retail Study by between 800-1,200sq m net at 2014. The trend

based growth scenario produces a 2026 capacity level which is slightly below the 2009 Retail

Study prediction although the other two growth scenarios are higher. The reason for the

higher capacity forecasts in some population growth scenarios relates to the use of a higher

forecasts growth in spending on convenience goods (per person) over the assessment period,

with the previous study using forecasts that there published during the worst pasts of the

2007-2009 recession.

7.55 For comparison goods floorspace, this study predicts a quantitative capacity of between

10389-14785sq m net by 2026. The NHPAU and population/household growth scenarios in

this study are broadly in line with the previous forecasts in the 2009 CPR Retail Study

(14,600sq m net) although the trend-based population growth forecasts is below previous

levels. Within the previous CPR retail study an alternative quantitative need prediction was

made which sought to increase CPR’s overall comparison shopping market share and claw

comparison goods expenditure back from Truro. This added an additional 5,000sq m net of

comparison goods floorspace to the quantitative need in CPR. The decentralised retail

growth quantitative assessment conducted for this study follows a similar approach and

outlines a similar (4000-5000sq m net) potential increase in available capacity in CPR at

2026.

7.56 Accommodating the identified need for additional retail floorspace will be a key challenge for

the retail strategy in CPR. In recent years there has been a focus upon the redevelopment

potential of the bus station/depot site in Camborne. The site is relatively large and offers good

potential although recent research work has indicated that there are a number of constraints

to delivering this site as an extension to the core retail area in Camborne. Within Redruth, the

current Redruth Action Plan is focusing on the town centre and will provide further detailed

work on the identification of potential retail development sites in and around the town centre.

7.57 However, with sites in Redruth relatively constrained and doubts over the delivery of the

Camborne Bus station/depot site, consideration should be given within the LDF Core Strategy

issues and options consultation to how the need for additional retail floorspace in CPR can be

accommodated. In particular, if the Council wishes to plan to meet the whole of the identified

need in the CPR area, and indeed explore the possibility of clawing back lost expenditure

from Truro, retail development in Pool may need to accommodate a significant part of the

identified need. In the previous 2009 CPR retail study a new planned centre in Pool was

recommended (centred upon the area around Tesco Extra). At present, the area around

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Tesco presents a poor appearance and there is an opportunity to promote redevelopment of

this area which provide a new centre and which serves the new (substantial) population

created in Pool through HCA development (and others). This remains a recommendation

within this current retail study, although it should not be automatically accepted that failure to

meet the identified need for retail floorspace on Camborne and Redruth sites should allow all

of the identified need to be transferred to Pool.

7.58 However, it is unlikely to be the case that significant new retail development in Pool will simply

exist to claw back expenditure from settlements such as Truro and be supported by

expenditure growth. New floorspace in Pool will diver trade from the existing centres in

Camborne and Redruth and also have an impact upon the attractiveness of those centres for

new retail development schemes. This will be a key issue for LDF Core Strategy issues and

options consultation, particularly the desirability of securing additional retail development

within the CPR area (to curtail expenditure leakage and promote regeneration) alongside the

need to protect the health of the existing two town centres.

7.59 Our view on this issue is that given the inability for Camborne and Redruth to accommodate

the whole of the identified need, plus the desirability of promoting retail uses in Pool to support

regeneration of this area and provide accessible facilities for the growing population, it is

appropriate to plan for a new centre in Pool. The exact scale and status of the centre will

depend upon the scale of growth planned for Pool, along with the capacity of potential sites

and the impact of new provision. Indeed, the forecast retail need in CPR should not been

seen as a rigid and prescriptive level and will, in contrast, be informed by a detailed analysis

of the potential options and related impact considerations.

Newquay

7.60 Newquay town centre is performing well according to the health check indicators covered by

this study. The town centre benefits from the town’s role as a very popular tourist destination

and, in response to this role, there is a varied selection of national multiple and local

independent traders and a large number of service uses. Newquay has performed very well

in recent years in terms of its rental and commercial yield performance and currently has one

of the highest levels of retailer requirements across Cornwall. Vacancy levels in the town

centre have also been very low in recent years.

7.61 Despite its successful performance, Newquay’s comparison retail catchment area is relatively

small and comprises the town and the immediate rural areas. This suggests that the success

of the town is due, in no small part, to the influence of the tourism market. The majority of

residents in Newquay travel to Truro in order to undertake their comparison goods shopping.

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Overall, our quantitative assessment indicates that stores in Newquay have a comparison

retail turnover of £32m. The picture in the convenience retail sector is the same, with the

town’s catchment area not extending beyond the local area. The out of centre Morrisons

store is the by far the dominant store, although the recent change in the Somerfield unit to a

Sainsburys fascia and the forthcoming change in the Co-op to an ASDA store, plus the

addition of an Aldi discount foodstore, will have improved provision in the town centre.

7.62 When considered as a whole, convenience stores provide for a reasonable amount of choice

and competition although the Morrisons store plays a dominant role and is assessed to trade

above its company average performance level, whilst stores in the town centre trade at more

modest levels. However, it should be noted that the household survey was undertaken prior

to the Aldi store being built and the prior to the change from Somerfield to Sainsburys and Co-

op to ASDA. All have the potential to alter shopping patterns and the quantitative data should

therefore be treated with some caution. Whilst the recent addition of the Aldi store has

improved the choice and competition within the convenience sector in the town centre, we

consider that there is the potential to make further qualitative improvement given that town

centre stores are likely to find it hard to compete with the larger more modern Morrisons store.

7.63 These observations on the qualitative aspects of provision will also have an influence on how

the quantitative assessment of need informs the overall assessment of need for additional

retail floorspace in Newquay. Based upon the company average turnover levels for the main

stores, and taking into account the trading performance of stores from the household survey,

there is no existing surplus capacity and future capacity rises out of the growth the per capita

expenditure and population and this is relatively modest. The only scenario where any

significant capacity arises is within the NHPAU growth scenario and this extends to 879sq m

net by 2021, rising to 1,428sq m net by 2026 and 2,006sq m net by 2031. In the trend-based

growth and population/household growth scenarios, which provide similar levels of capacity,

there is even more limited capacity by 2031 (767sq m net and 632sq m net respectively).

7.64 However, it should be noted that these predictions are based upon the continuation of the

market shares obtained by the 2008 household survey. This data indicates some leakage of

main and top-up food expenditure from the Newquay area and, as a consequence, there may

be opportunities for an appropriate form of development to claw some of this expenditure

back. Overall, whilst the baseline quantitative assessment does not indicate a significant level

of future surplus expenditure capacity (based on static market share levels), we consider that

there are opportunities for qualitative improvements within the town centre and this may be

supported by an improved market share for convenience goods retailing within Newquay.

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7.65 With regard to comparison floorspace provision in Newquay, the town centre has not seen

any significant new development in recent years (apart from the Aldi foodstore) and there is

clearly some competition for those units which do become available. There is a low vacancy

level and retailer requirements are one of the highest across Cornwall. Overall, we consider

there to be clear potential for qualitative improvements to the comparison goods retail offer in

the town centre.

7.66 However, a number of planning permissions have been granted for comparison retail

development outside of Newquay town centre in recent years, including an element of

unrestricted comparison goods floorsapce. These schemes have, in our opinion, the potential

to impact upon the future health of the town centre and the ability to deliver future town centre

projects. Commitments for unrestricted comparison goods floorspace are likely to compete

directly with existing retailers in Newquay town centre (along with clawing back expenditure

which is being lost to Truro). In addition, it is also very likely to be able to attract retailers who

would normally be attracted to new retail development schemes in and around the town

centre.

7.67 Our quantitative need assessment for comparison goods floorspace in Newquay indicates that

the committed out of centre comparison goods floorspace in Newquay will reduce short term

quantitative capacity. Based upon current market shares, amended to take into account these

commitments, there is no capacity fat 2014, rising to 953-2019sq m net at 2021, 2119-3599sq

m net by 2026 and 3457-5474sq m net by 2031.

7.68 Given the leakage of existing comparison shopping trips, particularly to Truro, there may be

an opportunity to increase capacity via an increase in Newquay’s market share as and when

suitable town centre development opportunities come forward. This is assessed in our

decentralised retail growth quantitative assessment, which indicates that, where around one

third of the existing leakage of comparison shopping trips from Newquay’s catchment to Truro

is retained, capacity will rise to 3167sq m net at 2014 and from 2267sq m net to 7013sq m net

at 2026.

7.69 For comparison retailing, this study highlights that the Mount Wise/Manor Road/St George’s

Road car parks are still be best opportunity to provide an extension to the core retail area in

town centre and we recommend that the LDF should continue to promote this area for

redevelopment.

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Launceston

7.70 Our health check assessment indicates that Launceston town centre is performing reasonably

well with no sign of significant problems. The vacancy rate is around the Cornish average and

slightly below the national average and there is a reasonable selection of convenience,

comparison and service uses albeit heavily oriented towards to local/independent sector. The

performance of the centre is constrained by the topography of the town, traffic congestion and

limited opportunities for substantial new development due to its historic importance.

7.71 The town is able to retain 90% of its main food shopping trips although the vast majority of

these trips are directed to the out of centre Tesco store. The town centre in contrast attracts

very few main food shopping trips and instead concentrates upon serving a top-up food

shopping role. Beyond the local area the Tesco in Launceston is also a popular shopping

destination for residents of the Callington and West Devon areas. Overall, convenience

stores in Launceston attract around £50m of expenditure. The comparison sector in

Launceston has an annual turnover of around £45m, the majority of which is derived from the

local area, although the town is also successful in attracting expenditure from Callington, West

Devon, the rural areas to the north and Camelford.

7.72 In relation to the qualitative aspects of need, we consider that there is a variety of

convenience retail provision within Launceston with reasonable quality of space across the

town as a whole. The main issue for the town is the clear orientation of provision to out of

centre locations with the town centre relying upon a small Co-op store and smaller scale top-

up food shopping provision.

7.73 Our quantitative assessment has not uncovered significant concerns over the trading

performance of the town centre and the trading performance of stores generally suggests that

there may be some current surplus capacity within the town centre which will grow steadily up

to 2026. Capacity levels are forecasts to be 1876-2175sq m net by 2014, rising to 2539-

3364q m net by 2026 and 2874-3943sq m net by 2031. The NHPAU and

population/household growth provide similar levels future capacity, followed by the trend-

based growth scenario.

7.74 However, a substantial part of the surplus convenience floorspace capacity within Launceston

comprises the out of centre Tesco store and some of the predicted future capacity will be

removed as a result of implementing the Callington foodstore commitment. The higher range

of capacity forecasts, which take into account the theoretical overtrading of the existing out of

centre Tesco store could allow for reasonable sized foodstore: if the population/household

growth scenario is adopted then 2,800sq m net of convenience floorspace could be provided

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by 2021. However, as already noted in relation to Liskeard/Wadebridge, quantitative capacity

forecasts should not be prescriptive. Based upon the level of potential quantitative capacity,

plus the lack of any significant deficiency and the polarisation of overtrading in out of centre

locations, there does not appear to us to be clear and urgent need to plan for a new foodstore

unless it can be provided within or on the edge of Launceston town centre. There is however

a need to rebalance the level of convenience floorspace back towards the town centre and

also provide for better choice and competition with the existing out of centre Tesco store.

The findings of this report should form part of the key issues for the Core Strategy issues and

options consultation.

7.75 Turning to comparison floorspace, Launceston has a relatively small offer which is focused

around moderate-sized local independent traders and a small number of national multiples.

The quality of the comparison retail floorspace stock within the town centre is historic and

there has not been any significant recent additions. The centre faces significant competition

from the out of centre Launceston Retail Park which accommodates Focus, QS, Argos, Co-op

Homemaker and Shoefayre units. By way of comparison, the size of the Retail Park is the

same size as the comparison goods sector within the town centre. However, both elements of

the comparison goods sector combine to allow Launceston to retain good level of shopping

trips across all bulky goods categories and personal/luxury goods. The towns performs less

well in terms of retaining clothes/shoes and recreational goods, although this is to be

expected for a town of this size and the proximity of larger settlements such as Plymouth.

7.76 Reasonably modest levels of comparison floorspace capacity are identified for Launceston:

937-1519sq m net by 2014, rising to 4239-6079sq m net by 2026 and 5903-8452sq m net by

2031. These levels of potential growth are to be expected given the role and function of the

town centre and the modest range of existing facilities. Higher levels of capacity could be

established, through claw back of expenditure. However, there is a lack of readily available

town centre sites to accommodate new provision and therefore attempts to improve the

attractiveness of the town (without town centre sites being available/suitable) could result in

additional out of centre floorspace being promoted.

Bude

7.77 Bude town centre serves a dual role in serving the local population and also a tourist market

during part of the year. The town centre contains very few vacancy levels, even during the off-

peak season which is a sign of the resilience of the centre through the year. The town centre

primarily accommodates local independent traders although Sainsburys (formerly Somerfield)

and Co-op foodstores anchor different parts of the centre and are key attractors for shopping

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trips. Outside of the town centre, the convenience retail sector in the town is dominated by an

out of centre Morrisons store. Within the local area convenience stores in Bude attract 77% of

all main food shopping trips and 66% of top-up food shopping trips. The Morrisons store has

the highest market share of these trips with the town centre stores spread more equally

between main and top-up shopping trips. Overall, convenience stores in Bude attract around

£38m of expenditure. The comparison retail sector is at present largely contained within the

town centre and attracts around £29m of expenditure. The vast majority of this expenditure is

drawn from the local area and very little expenditure is drawn from other parts of north

Cornwall and north west Devon.

7.78 Having regard to qualitative aspects of need, we do not consider that there is a significant

qualitative deficiency within convenience retail provision in Bude. Whilst the Morrisons store

dominates, the town centre has two modest foodstores which provide for choice and

competition and the Sainsburys store is relatively modern. Retail provision would have been

increased further if the Binhamy Farm proposals, which included provision for a discount

foodstore, had succeeded although these were dismissed by the Secretary of State at appeal.

7.79 Our conclusions regarding the qualitative aspects of need in Bude are supported by the

findings of our quantitative analysis which indicate that there is no immediate need to plan for

significant levels of additional convenience floorspace in Bude and, based upon constant

market shares, there is a quantitative capacity for 522-785sq m net by 2021, rising to 677-

1033sq m net by 2026 and 846-1297sq m net by 2031. The highest levels of floorspace

capacity in Bude arise as a consequence of the NHPAU growth scenario followed by the

population/household growth and trend-based growth scenarios which are very similar.

7.80 There are opportunities to widen the range and choice of comparison shopping across all

sectors and fill some gaps/deficiencies in provision. Some further improvements would have

accrued as a consequence of the Binhamy Farm development, as it contained provision for a

number of bulky goods retail units, although the appeal has now been dismissed. Due to the

role and location of Bude, we consider that the ability to achieve qualitative improvements will

be modest and improvements to the non-bulky comparison goods sector should be focused

upon the town centre.

7.81 Our quantitative assessment of future comparison floorspace provision indicates that, should

existing shopping patterns continue, a modest capacity of 555-782sq m net additional

floorspace will be available by 2014, rising to 2391-3123sq m net by 2026 and 3281-4270sq

m net by 2031. Overall, we consider that there are opportunities to retain more shopping trips

in Bude which could raise the market share of the town in order to accommodate a higher

floorspace capacity.

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St Austell

7.82 St Austell town centre has considerable potential given the size of St Austell at present and its

potential future growth (including the nearby eco town proposals). The town centre has a

good range of convenience, comparison and service uses, albeit the main supermarkets in

the town are located outside of the town centre and convenience retail provision in the town

centre is relatively small scale. The recent completion of the White River Place shopping

development has had a significant positive effect upon the health of the centre following of

years where its health was affected by the centre’s protracted development process. White

River Place has been able to attract a number of new national multiple retailers to the centre,

which will boost its overall health.

7.83 St Austell has a catchment area which includes not only the town and immediate rural

surroundings but also extending towards Newquay, Bodmin and the rural areas between the

town centre Truro. Our quantitative assessment forecasts the town, prior to the White River

Place development, to have a comparison goods turnover on a par with Penzance and

second only to Truro. The household survey informing this report indicates that prior to the

White River Place shopping development significant leakage of expenditure to Truro took

place, although the new development will have curtailed this leakage and moved St Austell

into second place in the retail turnover hierarchy. For the convenience retail sector, St Austell

also has a reasonably significant catchment area included the town itself plus the rural areas

to the west and east, plus a smaller market share in the Newquay area.

7.84 Based on the results of the 2008 household survey, we have identified large levels of capacity

for additional convenience floorspace in the St Austell area. This is a product of two

elements: a high market share for food shopping in St Austell and large levels of residential

growth (in the form of the planned eco-town and urban extensions to the St Austell area).

Based upon a constant market share for convenience retailing in St Austell (and taking into

account the Tesco extension commitment), the capacity for additional convenience floorspace

is 2475-3285sq m net by 2014, rising to 4143-5220sq m net by 2026 and 4899-7998sq m net

by 2031. These levels of additional capacity include an allowance for current surplus capacity

(1,670sq m net) although even if this level is removed then capacity (based on expenditure

and population growth) will still be 3,200-6,300sq m net by 2031. The highest level of

capacity is produced by the NHPAU growth scenario, followed by the population/household

growth scenario and then the trend based growth scenario at the bottom of this range of

forecasts.

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7.85 On the basis of these quantitative need figures, it would appear to us that there is scope to

identify the need for a new large single foodstore (or more than one more modest stores) in

the St Austell area, even allowing for some of the surplus expenditure to be soaked up by

existing facilities. The need for a new facility arises as a result of the growth in spending

power caused by the substantial growth planned for the St Austell/China Clay area, rather

than any specific deficiencies in the existing convenience retail sector in St Austell.

7.86 In terms of the location for any new foodstore(s) within the St Austell area, this is a difficult

matter to be precise on at present, given the location and scale of growth for the town is not

fixed. We recommend that further work is undertaken once the Council has decided upon the

location and scale of growth in the St Austell area, as this will guide whether a new store (or

stores) could be provided. The potential for a new store(s) in the St Austell area should be

highlighted in the LDF Core Strategy issues and options consultation exercise and, in addition

to the need for a new facility, the location of its provision should also be covered. In terms of

the potential location for a new store, the options vary: in line with the traditional approach of

the sequential approach to site selection, the LDF plans for the new facility as close to St

Austell town centre as possible. An alternative approach could be to place a new foodstore

close to (or within) the planned urban extension areas or the eco-town areas in order to

improve accessibility to those residents who are creating the capacity for additional

development. This option would follow the approach suggested in the most recent draft of the

Truro and Threemilestone AAP where a new district centre was proposed, to complement the

city centre.

7.87 In relation to the quantitative capacity for additional comparison floorspace within St Austell,

the previous 2007 St Austell Retail Study highlighted the clear opportunity to improve upon

existing provision and identified the WRP shopping centre development as key to achieving

this objective. The WRP centre has now opened and provides a significant amount of modern

large scale retail floorspace which is being occupied by a range of comparison goods

retailers, food & drink operators and commercial leisure operators. Whilst it continues to

reach a settled trading pattern and the remaining vacant units are taken up, we consider that

the WRP scheme will meet the identified qualitative need for comparison retail floorspace

provision in the short to medium term. It should also be noted that the WRP scheme is being

supplemented by a large extension to the comparison goods sales area of the Tesco store

which will provide an enlarged non-food range.

7.88 The consequences of these two developments have been fed into the quantitative analysis,

which, on the basis of an uplift in the market share of St Austell as a consequence of recent

developments, future capacity in the town will occur after 2014 and will be between 7505-

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11768sq m net at 2021, rising to 11706-17926sq m net by 2026 and 16629-25067sq m net at

2031. These capacity levels show a large increase in capacity between 2014 and 2031 due

to the high levels of population growth modelled by the various Council population growth

scenarios. We consider that St Austell town centre should remain the focus for comparison

shopping provision in the local area, supplemented by smaller scale provision to serve the

expanding communities in the St Austell area. In response to the need to allow the WRP

development to reach a settled trading pattern, we do not consider that there is a need for

early delivery of significant amounts of new comparison goods floorspace although we

recommend that the Council prepares a strategy which seeks to guide provision of new

comparison floorspace over the medium to long term, in light of the wider growth agenda for

St Austell and the surrounding area.

Saltash

7.89 Saltash is a small town centre is the eastern part of Cornwall whose role and function is

influenced by the relative proximity of Plymouth, which lies on the opposite side of the River

Tamar. The town centre is linear in format and is small compared to other major centres in

East Cornwall. Accessibility to Saltash is good given the close proximity of the A38 although

this is also a weakness as the A38 provided excellent linkages with Plymouth and Liskeard.

7.90 The centre functions as a day-to-day shopping destination, with small scale convenience and

comparison uses which are primarily local independent operators. The largest convenience

retail facility in the town centre is a modest sized Co-op store which caters primarily for top-up

food shopping trips. Larger convenience facilities are located outside of the centre and

comprise Waitrose and Lidl stores. The Waitrose has recently been extended, although its

style of convenience retail offer means that (pre-extension) only 25% of main food shopping

trips from the Saltash/Torpoint area were being retained by Saltash. As a consequence of its

size, retail function and location, Saltash’s catchment area for convenience and comparison

goods shopping is confined to the local area only.

7.91 There has been a recent proposal by Sainsburys to develop a store in Saltash although

planning permission was refused for, amongst other things, its impact upon the health of the

town centre. As part of its determination of that application, the former Caradon District

Council did not identify any suitable sites in and around the town centre to accommodate a

supermarket use, nor have any sites been identified within this study.

7.92 Turning to the potential need for additional retail floorspace within Saltash, the retail strategy

for the town faces a number of key choices. These are whether to plan for the retention of a

larger proportion of convenience and comparison shopping trips within the town (to stop the

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leakage of trips to Plymouth) through new retail development but, in the absence of

substantial development sites in and around the town centre, allow this new floorspace to

come forward in out of centre locations. Indeed, the only way in which a quantitative need for

significant levels of additional convenience and comparison floorspace can be established is

through the claw back of expenditure which is currently being lost to surrounding settlements.

However, whilst claw back in expenditure could be potentially be achieved, this may be at the

expense of the health of the town centre.

7.93 Based on our the findings of this study, the town centre has a similar performance to when the

Sainsburys application was being determined and refused by Caradon District Council. As a

consequence, based upon the available information on town centre performance, we do not

support the provision of significant additional food retail floorspace in out of centre locations

(such as adjacent to the A38) as it will act as a stand alone retail location and further impact

upon the town centre8. A similar conclusion would also be true for comparison goods

floorspace where it competes with existing provision in Saltash town centre as well as clawing

back trade from Plymouth. However, these issues should be outlined for consultation within

the LDF Core Strategy issues and options document.

Hayle

7.94 Hayle is unique within the main centres in Cornwall as it has two defined town centres within

its urban area: Copperhouse and Foundry. Both centres are relatively small and are

considered to be reasonably healthy, comprising a large number of local independent

operators. The national multiples that are present include a Co-op foodstore in Copperhouse,

which is the largest retail unit in Hayle’s town centres. The Co-op caters for main and top-up

food shopping although the store is modest in size and does not possess a high market share

in the local area. Outside of the town centres, there is a Lidl discount foodstore on the

eastern edge of the town along with the West Cornwall Retail Park, which contains a Marks &

Spencer unit selling food and non-food goods.

7.95 Due the level of convenience shopping provision within Hayle at present, only one fifth of all

main food shopping trips and one half of top-up food shopping trips remain with the local area.

Leakage of convenience shopping trips is generally to Penzance and CPR. Within the

comparison retail sector, the turnover of stores in Hayle is around £16m which is a significant

improvement over the level observed by the previous Penwith Retail Study and is likely to be

due to the trading impact of the West Cornwall Retail Park which draws custom not only from

8 however, if the Council are faced with further retail applications, we would recommended strongly that they are supported by a new household survey which indicates the trading performance of the town centre now that the Waitrose extension and new Lidl store are trading.

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Hayle but, due its location close to the A30, from the wider West Cornwall area. The main

leakages of comparison goods expenditure from Hayle are to Truro, CPR and Penzance

although the West Cornwall retail park also encourages ‘reverse leakage’ of shopping trips

from these areas too.

7.96 In terms of the assessment of need for additional retail floorspace in Hayle, the conclusions of

the previous 2007 Penwith Retail Study remain relevant. In particular, there is a qualitative

need for both convenience and comparison retail floorspace in order to retain more trips with

the town. For convenience retailing, the need is centred upon the provision of a main/bulk

food shopping destination which is able to stop leakage to CPR and Penzance. We are not

prescriptive over the exact size of a store which can serve this function and scale of provision

will be dependant upon the location and potential impact of new floorspace. For comparison

retailing within Hayle, there is also potential to increase the town’s market share through

opportunities to improve the range, choice and quality of provision. Earlier this year, Cornwall

Council granted planning permission for a mixed use development scheme at Hayle Harbour

which includes 13,200sq m of Class A retail and food & drink floorspace. This level of

floorspace is somewhat larger than identified in the 2007 Penwith Retail Study although the

scheme as a whole has the potential to provide a series of benefits to the harbour area. If the

‘approved’ harbour scheme were to be implemented, then comparison goods shopping

patterns across western Cornwall (and potentially beyond) are likely to be affected.

7.97 The Harbour area is identified by both the 2007 Penwith Retail Study and this study as the

most appropriate location to provide new retail floorspace within Hayle. This area is allocated

in the Penwith Local Plan and has the capability of forming links with the adjacent Foundry

town centre area, although the type and scale of retail provision within this area needs to be

complementary to existing town centre provision. The Harbour is much better location for

retail development than the sites of other current retail proposals in Hayle, at Marsh Lane and

Hayle Rugby Club. These out of centre sites, which are separated from the main urban area

by the A30, have little potential to encourage linked trips with the existing town centre areas.

Truro

7.98 Truro is, in terms of retail unit numbers and quantums of floorspace, the largest retail centre in

Cornwall and historically has had the largest number of retailer requirements (for new stores),

the highest rental levels for retail property and best performing retail property yields. The city

centre also has low vacancy rates amongst retail and other commercial property and has a

good range of national multiple and local independent businesses. The overall good health of

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the city centre is supported by a wide range of comparison and convenience retail uses,

including a large Tesco supermarket which lies on the eastern edge of the centre.

7.99 Outside of the city centre, there is a large amount of convenience and comparison retail

floorspace including a Sainsburys supermarket which has recently been extended and a deep

discount Aldi foodstore. Comparison goods retail warehouse provision lies primarily on the

western side of the city’s urban area along the A390 which links the central part of the city to

Camborne Pool and Redruth to the west.

7.100 Convenience stores in the city drawn from a relatively large area including Truro itself plus the

rural areas to the east, north and west. In 2009, convenience stores in Truro as a whole were

predicted to attract some £90m of convenience goods expenditure. The city’s catchment area

for comparison goods shopping is much wider, reflecting its dominant role within Cornwall.

Significant levels of trade are drawn from all parts of the western and central areas of

Cornwall and also, but to a slightly lesser extent, the eastern parts of Cornwall as well. In

2009, comparison goods floorspace attracted a turnover of £461m.

7.101 Having regard to our assessment of quantitative need for additional floorspace in Truro, our

analysis within this study suggests, on the basis of the 2008 household survey results, a

future capacity which is much lower that the levels predicted by work undertaken by DTZ in

2008 to inform the draft Truro & Threemilestone Area Action Plan. The 2008 work undertaken

by DTZ suggested significant levels of convenience goods expenditure being drawn from the

Penzance, Hayle, St Austell, Newquay and, to a lesser extent,

Bodmin/Camelford/Wadebridge/Padstow areas. These levels of expenditure flow are absent

from the 2008 household shopping survey informing this study and other recent comparable

shopping patterns surveys. In addition, the DTZ work modelled a higher population growth for

Truro than predicted by the latest population growth scenarios provided by Cornwall Council

for this study. It should be noted that the previous retail study was based on 2003/2005

shopping patterns whereas this study is based upon a 2008 household survey.

7.102 Based upon the 2008 survey results and the population growth forecasts provided by the

Council, quantitative capacity for significant additional floorspace only arises after 2014. at

2014, capacity levels are between 1054-1556sq m net. At 2021, our assessment (using the

2008 household survey shopping patterns) indicates a capacity of between 1786-2810sq m

net additional floorspace. In contrast, the DTZ study suggested circa 6,100sq m net. By

2026, our assessment of capacity rises to 2227-3623sq m net, whilst the previous DTZ work

predicted over 7,000sq m net of additional floorspace. Whilst account needs to be made for

the recent Sainsburys store extension, the difference is nevertheless significant and can be

attributed to the different market share levels and population growth levels for Truro.

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Nevertheless, these figures do suggest that there will be reasonably significant convenience

floorspace capacity in Truro although this only occurs after 2014.

7.103 This study also notes that convenience shopping patterns associated with Truro may be more

complicated that other towns given Truro’s large employment base which could lead to

commuters using Truro stores for convenience shopping rather than stores in their ‘home

town’. In addition, Truro attracts a large number of comparison goods shopping trips and it is

possible that linked trips to convenience stores also take place on these visits.

7.104 Nevertheless, whilst the current quantitative need predictions are lower than those in the

previous DTZ study, it is clear that there will be capacity for the level of additional

convenience floorspace associated with a new supermarket facility. However, the differences

lie in the timing of that capacity: the current GVA analysis predicts a medium to long term

timeframe whilst the DTZ analysis suggests a short to medium term requirement and

increasing further over the LDF period. The timing of providing this additional floorspace will

not however be wholly dependant on the quantitative forecasts, as they should not be used

prescriptively. Planning for new provision will also relate to how it should serve existing and

planned new communities in Truro, taking into account qualitative factors of need.

7.105 Within the comparison retail sector in Truro, the city’s dominant position, coupled with its high

turnover levels and wide range of existing facilities, suggests that there is not an overall

qualitative deficiency that has been identified in relation to other towns in Cornwall. A different

aspect of qualitative deficiency has been identified by our analysis: based upon the

opportunity to relieve high trading performance levels, taking account of the high number of

retailer requirements for the city and providing more modern floorspace in the city centre. Our

quantitative assessment of comparison retail provision supports the findings of previous

studies which have identified that, if current shopping patterns are maintained, there is the

potential for significant levels of additional comparison floorspace in Truro. However, the level

of predicted capacity has fallen from previous levels due to the impact of the White River

Place development in St Austell and also lower forecasted growth in comparison goods

shopping expenditure. Nevertheless, the level of additional capacity remains significant if

existing shopping patterns are maintained: 17518-22943sq m net by 2014, rising to 34144-

46071sq m net by 2021, 46803-64041sq m net by 2026 and 61206-84503sq m net by 2031.

7.106 A key issue for the retail strategy within the Cornwall LDF will be whether Truro should

continue to maintain (or even enhance) its existing market share in order to deliver significant

levels of additional comparison retail floorspace, which would maintain the current leakage of

expenditure from surrounding settlements across Cornwall. The alternative strategy is to

rebalance some expenditure growth away from Truro in order to allow surrounding

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settlements to claw back some of the expenditure which they currently lose to Truro and, as a

consequence, provide additional levels of new floorspace. These alternative propositions

should be a key question for the LDF Core Strategy issues and options paper. In our view

there are a number of key issues to the explored:

• First, maintaining existing market share in Truro over the course of the LDF has the

potential to restrict the ability of surrounding towns to grow their own comparison retail

offer. Whilst it should be acknowledged that there will be a natural ceiling for comparison

goods floorspace and overall commercial market interest in some more peripheral towns,

the qualitative needs in the towns surrounding Truro are, in our view, greater than those

in Truro itself. This does not mean that Truro has no measurable qualitative deficiency.

The city centre trades very well and there is a need for additional modern retail floorspace

to accommodate retailer requirements. Therefore, looking to the future, we consider that

a balance needs to be struck between satisfying the needs which are specific to Truro

alongside offering the opportunity for other surrounding towns to claw back some

expenditure which is currently lost to Truro.

• This balance has been explored within our decentralised retail growth quantitative

assessment which has assumed that one third of the expenditure which is currently lost

to Truro from the catchments of the second tier settlements of Penzance, Falmouth, CPR,

Newquay and Bodmin is clawed back. Should this level of clawback be achieved across

all of these towns then Truro’s 2014 capacity of 17518sq m net would be reduced to

960sq m net although significant levels of capacity would return in 2021 (15,000sq m net)

and 2026 (25,000sq m net).

• Second, it has been suggested in previous studies that Truro will need to provide a major

new retail development in order to respond to increasing competition from Plymouth. On

this issue, the 2008 survey results informing this study indicate that competition from

Plymouth only arises in the east Cornwall area and therefore the argument for providing

significant levels of new retail development in Truro to match Plymouth (or Exeter) is one

supported by the ‘status’ of Truro rather than one of significant levels of leakage to

Plymouth (or Exeter). Indeed, both Plymouth and Exeter have in recent years benefitted

large city centre retail development schemes which has not been achieved in Truro,

although the levels of comparison goods floorspace capacity outlined in this study for

Truro would, even on the decentralised retail growth scenario, allow Truro to provide a

new city centre scheme which is of a similar size to the Exeter Princesshay scheme.

Indeed, given Truro’s current dominance in the central and western parts of Cornwall,

significant increases in comparison goods floorspace in Truro are likely to cement Truro’s

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dominant role in these areas whilst potentially transferring trips from east Cornwall which

would normally go to Plymouth.

• Third, the desirability of promoting significant levels of new comparison retail floorspace

in Truro will need to be balanced against the impact that it has upon existing and planned

new provision (including the ability to promote new projects) in the surrounding (smaller)

settlements in Cornwall. Truro currently draws a significant amount of expenditure from

settlements in western and mid-Cornwall and significant new provision will increase the

pressure upon turnover levels in other settlements. It will also, in our opinion, make it

harder for other settlements to promote new town centre comparison development

schemes of their own.

7.107 Based on the above, it is our view that there is some merit in the Core Strategy and other LDF

documents allowing for a re-balancing of comparison goods expenditure away from Truro to

the benefit of other surrounding centres. That certainly does not mean a complete halt upon

new comparison goods floorspace in Truro; instead it means a more modest level of growth

than shown by the constant market share scenario. Such a scenario would still allow Truro to

maintain the high levels of future capacity but would allow redirection of some existing

expenditure and some expenditure growth to new provision in other settlements. However, in

order to pursue such a strategy it is important that the other settlements which would benefit

are capable of accommodating this increased growth in sustainable existing town

centre/expanded town centre locations which benefit the overall health of that centre.

7.108 In terms of the locations which should be identified to accommodate retail growth in Truro, our

analysis has found that the Pydar Street area remains a key focus for attention. This area

does have its constraints, including barriers to movement created by the road, potential

viability issue and there have been delays in bring forwards proposals. However, it remains a

potential expansion area for the city centre should not be discounted from the retail strategy in

Truro city centre. We do not feel that the Pydar Street area should be identified to

accommodate the whole of additional retail floorspace provision in Truro city centre as this is

likely to unbalance the performance of the city centre and damage the eastern end of the

centre. Pydar Street should be identified alongside the other city centre sites allocated in the

draft Truro & Threemilestone AAP, in order to identify a range of opportunities.

7.109 In terms of convenience retail provision, meeting the identified need is influenced by a number

of factors which have been subject to analysis in previous retail studies in Truro and the draft

AAP. The existing Tesco supermarket on the eastern side of the city centre, at Garras Wharf,

requires additional space and this store does provide a benefit to the city centre. However,

there are flooding issues associated with this area and there is an aspiration to improve its

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appearance and overall contribution to the waterfront area. After consideration, this study

agrees with the approach taken by the draft AAP to this site, which is to encourage expansion

of Tesco at Garras Wharf, along with an improvement in its attractiveness. However, given

that non-retail planning issues will affect redevelopment at Garras Wharf, coupled with the

need to plan comprehensively for retail provision across the city centre, it is beyond the scope

of this study to confirm that Garras Wharf should be the sole focus for an enlarged Tesco

store.

7.110 Alongside the potential expansion of the Tesco supermarket, our analysis has identified the

potential for additional convenience floorspace in Truro. In previous retail studies, and in the

draft AAP, the potential for a new supermarket on the western side of the city (as part of a

planned new centre) has been identified. However, with the demise of the draft RSS, which

influenced the scale of residential development in Truro and the Council re-examining its

spatial strategy for the city, it is outside of the scope of this study to define a precise location

for any new district centre, although it is very likely that the precise scale and location of new

residential development in Truro and Threemilestone will clearly dictate the location of such a

centre. Section 6 of this study has also offered guidance on the framework for planning for a

new defined centre in the western part of the city.

The influence of the alternative population growth scenarios

on future retail needs in Cornwall

7.111 As already noted, four contrasting population growth scenarios have been used to assess

future retail needs across Cornwall. As shown within the preceding analysis, the differing

levels of population growth result in differing scales of future expenditure growth and potential

retail capacity. Therefore, as the scale and distribution of residential development (which

influences population growth) has not yet been set, this study cannot be precise about the

scale of retail needs arising in each of the key settlements in Cornwall. In any event, as we

have already noted, future retail needs based upon expenditure growth and demand should

not be prescriptive and need to be considered alongside the capacity of centres to

accommodate new development and related impact considerations. Nevertheless, the retail

need assessment provided in this study gives a useful picture of the scale of future retail

growth in the main settlements based upon the differing population growth scenarios. In

general, the NHPAU growth scenario figures provides the highest levels of capacity in the

majority of settlements, although there is little difference in the need projections for Helston,

Truro and Launceston when the NHPAU and population/household growth trend scenarios.

Also, in Falmouth-Penryn, the highest levels of growth can be found based upon the

population/household growth trend scenario rather than the high NHPAU based growth

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figures. The table below summarises which population growth scenario produces the highest

levels of capacity in each of the main settlements in Cornwall

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Settlement Ranking of population growth scenario against future

retail capacity growth

Falmouth-Penryn 1. Population/household growth

2. NHPAU growth

3. trend-based growth

Bodmin 1. NHPAU growth

2. population/household growth

3. trend-based growth

Penzance-Newlyn 1. NHAPU growth

2. population and trend based growth similar

Liskeard 1. NHAPU

2. population/household growth

3. trend based growth

(however, all growth rates provide similar retail capacity

forecasts)

Wadebridge 1. NHPAU

2. population/household & trend based growth levels

similar

Helston 1. NHPAU

2. population/household & trend based growth levels

similar

CPR 1. NHPAU and population/household growth levels

produce similar retail capacity levels

2. trend based growth

Newquay 1. NHPAU

2. population/household & trend based growth similar

(and much lower than NHPAU growth)

Bude 1. NHPAU

2. population/household growth

3. trend based growth

Launceston 1. population/household growth and NHPAU growth

produce similar capacity levels (although

population/household growth is slightly higher)

2. trend based growth

St Austell 1. NHPAU

2. population/household growth

3. trend based growth

Saltash 1. NHPAU

2. population/household growth and trend based

growth similar

Hayle 1. NHPAU

2. population/household growth and trend based

growth similar

Truro 1. NHPAU and population/household growth at similar

levels (although NHPAU is slightly higher)

2. trend based growth

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