DEV18 - Protecting local shops and services

The LPAs will consider proposals which result in the loss of retail and local services and facilities, both within and outside designated centres in accordance with the following provisions:

1. Development within centres should maintain the vitality and viability of the centre as a whole and ensure that the centre retains its role in the retail hierarchy, meeting the needs of the area it serves.
2. Development within centres should create an attractive street frontage and not cause unacceptable fragmentation or isolation of retail premises or a frontage.
3. In the Plymouth Policy Area the LPA will support proposals which:
   1. Preserve the primary retailing role within primary frontages, with complementary supporting A2, and A3 uses and a limited number of other town centre uses which support the principal shopping role of the area.
   2. Provide a mix of principally A1, A2 and A3 uses. with other leisure and town centre uses within secondary frontages, subject to the overall shopping character of the centre being maintained and the use adding to the vitality of the area.
   3. Within the wider centre, provide a broad range of uses which contribute to vitality of the area and do not lead to inactive frontage.
4. In the Thriving Towns and Villages Policy Area the LPA will support proposals which:
   1. Result in the loss of ground floor premises in retail use (Use Class A1) within primary frontages to uses within Use Class A2 and A3 only where they do not create a continuous frontage of more than two non Class A1 uses and would not result in more than 15m of continuous frontage in non-Class A1 use.
   2. Do not result in more than:
   • 30 per cent of the overall number of units within the defined Primary Shopping Frontage being in non-Class A1 uses in Dartmouth and Tavistock;
   • 40 per cent of the overall number of units within the defined Primary Shopping Frontage being in non-Class A1 uses in Kingsbridge;
   • 45 per cent of the overall number of units within the defined Primary Shopping Frontage being in non-Class A1 uses in Ivybridge and Totnes; and
   • 60 per cent of the overall number of units within the defined Primary Shopping Frontage being in non-Class A1 uses in Okehampton.
   4. Provide uses outside Classes A1, A2 or A3 in ground floor premises within primary frontages only where the use would achieve a significant improvement in the vitality and viability of the centre.
   5. Result in the loss of ground floor premises in retail use (Use Class A1) within secondary frontages to other main town centre uses where they encourage footfall within the centre and support the main functions of the rest of the centre.
   6. Within the wider centre, provide a broad range of uses which contribute to vitality of the area and do not lead to inactive frontage.
5. Proposals for drinking establishments (Use Class A4), hot food take aways (Use Class A5), betting shops, pay day loan premises and amusement arcades, when considered individually or cumulatively, will not be permitted where they result in:
   1. Unacceptable levels of noise, smell, litter, disturbance, or otherwise detrimental impacts to the role and function of the area or centre and residential amenity.
   2. Unacceptable traffic and parking problems.
   3. Detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the area.
6. The change of use to other uses of facilities of local community importance, such as local convenience shops, post offices, public houses, cafes, restaurants and community facilities, will only be supported where there is no significant harm to the level of service locally and where there is no reasonable prospect of the business or community use continuing.