SPT5 - Provision for retail development

The Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan has now been adopted! To find out more please visit the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan: Adoption page.

Visit the interactive Plymouth Plan to see other policies that affect decision making across Plymouth City including the Council and its partners.

Proposals which meet compelling 'qualitative' needs for retail development will be considered favourably. In particular these types of need include:

  1. In support of the principle of sustainable linked neighbourhoods and sustainable rural communities, allowing for a small scale local convenience shop in locations where there is no other such shop within a reasonable walking distance of a residential area. 
  2. Within the Plymouth Policy Area:
      1. Continued improvement of the overall provision of retail floorspace within the City Centre, to protect and strengthen its regional shopping role.
      2. New food retail and complementary non-food retail within the proposed Derriford district centre, to meet an identified gap in food shopping in the city, provide services which support the wider economic, education and health role of Derriford, and be a catalyst to the creation of a new heart and focal point for the communities in the north of Plymouth.
      3. New food retail on the western side of the city, to meet an identified gap in food shopping in the city.

Limited objectively assessed 'quantitative' need for new retail floorspace exists within the Plan Area until after 2026.  No sites are allocated in this plan to meet this limited need.  Instead, applications for new retail floorspace will be considered as brought forward by the market in accordance with the provisions of policies SPT6, DEV15, 16, 17 and 18.