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Planning matters

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The High Street Improvement Plans Bill - town centres back on the agenda?
With climate change, biodiversity net gain and housing need hogging the news, the high street has fallen down the planning agenda (again). However, the recently introduced Private Members Bill on proposed new High Street Improvement Plans looks to change this. The Bill has reached Second Reading stage in the House of Commons and, although not guaranteed to get through in this Parliament, is notable for the support it has from the Government.
Jacob Young MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said during the Second Reading debate:
“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Jack Brereton) on his success in the ballot and his sponsorship of this important and worthwhile private Member’s Bill. His unwavering commitment and efforts to champion our high streets, including those he mentioned in his remarks, has led to this matter being raised in the House. I thank other hon. Members for backing the Bill. I confirm that the Bill has the Government’s full support”.
If successful, the Bill would require each Local Planning Authority (LPA) to designate at least one ‘High Street’ (and a maximum of three), with an ‘Improvement Plan’ to be prepared for each one. LPAs would need to consider the High Street Improvement Plan when exercising its planning functions. There would be periodic reviews of the condition of those high streets and – more proactively - five yearly reviews.
So, what’s to like about these plans? The increased focus on the high street (whatever this is ultimately defined as) for one thing. Whilst a range of recent funding opportunities have benefitted town centres – the Future High Streets Fund, Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund to name a few – the investment they have generated needs to be sustained. And a clear plan of how this will be achieved, based on an up-to-date picture of how a centre is performing, is therefore essential.
LPAs would have to publish a draft version of the improvement plan within six months of the High Street’s designation, with the final version being published within twelve months. The plan would have to contain information on the condition of the High Street – including its importance to the local economy – and would need to be consulted on. Sounds great in theory – if somewhat ambitious - but could the idea go further?
We think so. Our understanding is that improvement plans would be material considerations only in planning decision-making. However, whilst slightly out of fashion, the ability to use Area Action Plans (AAPs) to provide a geographic focus and more tailored approach to planning policy still exists, so why not adapt them to town centres? Unlike the proposed High Street Improvement Plans, they have status as part of the adopted development plan. Although this means more onerous consultation requirements, such consultation is important and indeed provides a great opportunity to bring key stakeholders together. Stakeholders that can help to deliver the change needed in town centres – developers, asset managers, operators, other businesses, community groups and of course the general public.
Many authorities will of, course, have been through consultation on other documents – for example town centre masterplans, regeneration frameworks and Town Investment Plans. Or they may feel that their towns are doing just fine. For those that aren’t, or lack a clear framework to attract investment with planning policy status, this could be the way forward. It would bring together two key strands of regeneration and provide a consistency of approach, which is often lacking.
Whilst AAPs are not expressly mentioned in the new (yet to be introduced) development plan system, Supplementary Plans - with their new found development plan status - could perform the same role. A two and a half year period (i.e. 30 months) should be sufficient to produce such documents. This would allow time to gather the necessary evidence base and produce an initial plan for the town centre, which can be subject to the aforementioned stakeholder consultation. This should help to ensure ‘buy-in’ from these stakeholders and also provide confirmation that any proposals contained within the document are realistic. Publication stage consultation would also be necessary, ahead of Examination by an inspector to ensure its Soundness.
An AAP or Supplementary Plan in this form could provide an effective combination between the policy status of the development plan and commercially-grounded investment plan, as developed by many towns across the country to bid for Towns Fund money. Through direct experience in a number of locations, Lichfields has seen how these plans can provide an effective framework to deliver town centre transformation.
This experience has also confirmed, however, that both a robust evidence base and buy-in from the local population – through a thorough process of engagement - is essential. Our experience of working with the Redcar Town Deal Board, in particular, has shown what can be achieved with a committed and talented group of local stakeholders. Elsewhere in the north-east, the evidence base underpinning the proposals for the Stockton Waterfront site confirmed the need for a radical approach, which involved the demolition of an existing shopping centre and creation of a new urban park, linking the town centre with the river.
This does not preclude other planning tools being adopted by the LPA in such areas. These could include Local Development Orders and High Street Rental Auctions. Ultimately, a range of measures will be needed in order to bring fresh life to our town centres, and planners and property professionals can only achieve so much. But planning can and should be central to both establishing a vision and showing how that vision can be achieved. The development plan should contain that vision and be more than just a set of generic development management policies.
Lichfields toolkit for transforming town centres – Revitalise – aims to address the substantial challenges facing town centres whilst capitalising on the significant opportunities presented by recent Government initiatives. We are experienced in preparing regeneration strategies, business cases and funding bids, and can tailor our approach to the various stages of the transformation process. To find out how we can help you achieve your ambitions for your town centre, please feel free to contact us.

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Bishop Auckland - a cultural revolution?

Bishop Auckland - a cultural revolution?

Jonathan Wallace & Daniel Gregg 15 Jan 2020
Town centres must re-invent themselves to survive - so say the experts - but this is easier said than done. In Bishop Auckland, County Durham, however, stakeholders have come together to take a unique approach to regeneration.
It has come off the back of major investment in a number of arts and cultural heritage projects. This has included various galleries and museums – founded by Jonathan Ruffer as part of The Auckland Project, following his purchase of Auckland Castle - and the creation of Kynren an outdoor theatrical show (put together by the charity, Eleven Arches) which recently announced expansion plans for 2020 with the introduction of a new Park offering a host of new attractions and experiences. Kynren in particular is a high profile and spectacular show which has been rated as one of the top five performances to see in the UK by TripAdvisor and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the town every year.

Image credit: Kynren – an epic tale of England, Bishop Auckland

In order to capitalise on this investment, the ‘Brighter Bishop Auckland Regeneration Partnership’ was formed in 2017. It includes a number of stakeholders, such as Durham County Council, The Auckland Project, Eleven Arches, Historic England, the Town Council, Civic Society, Durham University, the South Durham Enterprise Agency and the local college. A Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) was also approved in 2018 and has received funding and expertise from Historic England in order to help tackle heritage at risk and re-use empty buildings.
Partnership working has been the key to success so far, but more needs to be done in order to attract further investment, and ultimately people, into the town centre. This is where the Bishop Auckland Masterplan comes in. Stemming from a wide-ranging community engagement exercise, the masterplan identifies various regeneration opportunities. These seek to improve accessibility/connectivity, enhance the environment, utilise vacant/under-used land and buildings, enhance the retail/commercial and tourism offer and increase dwell time in key areas.
Land use planning is but one component of the strategy set out in the masterplan. However, it helps to provide the framework for many of these opportunities and, if used in the right way, can remove barriers to further investment. Aside from the new Local Plan, other vehicles which can  help deliver regeneration include Area Action Plans (AAPs), Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) and Local Development Order (LDOs). Most planners are aware of these, but how many local authorities are using them as a pro-active tool? Not as many as you’d hope.
One of the objectives of the masterplan is to provide more flexibility over changes of use, to help broaden the town centre’s offer. For any centre to thrive, it must have a range of food and beverage options which help to extend dwell time and draw people in on an evening. The range and quality of restaurants in Bishop Auckland is currently poor but by improving this sector it should be possible to capitalise upon the success of Kynren and the other arts/cultural attractions mentioned earlier. The Council have already responded to the need for flexibility by granting permission for change of use of the former Beales department store to either hotel or residential.
Another big issue in Bishop Auckland was the need for a second hotel within the town centre. Subject to market demand emerging, this will help to consolidate the town’s status as a visitor destination and capture as much tourism spending within the centre as possible. The hotel sector has been relatively resilient, despite wider economic uncertainty, and many of the national and regional chains currently active are considering locations within/on the edge of town centres. 
Although not formally part of the masterplan, the Bishop Auckland HAZ is also playing a significant role in reviving the town’s fortunes. Its delivery plan identifies 49 different projects with a total value of £1.8m, as part of a programme of strategic action, grant aid, specialist support and guidance.
Bishop Auckland is at an early stage in its journey and, like all other centres nationwide, continues to face significant challenges – not least the onward march of internet shopping and the competition from out-of-centre retailing on the town’s outskirts at Tindale Crescent. There is no point trying to turn back the clock and, like many other centres, it is unlikely to attract major new retail development. What it can do, though, is provide a more family-friendly and attractive environment, with a broader range of attractions, which reduces its reliance upon more traditional shopping uses.
Not all town centres will be blessed with the same level of private investment and Bishop Auckland is lucky to have such heritage. But dig deep enough and all towns have something unique about their history and their place in society that can be developed and marketed. A holistic approach involving a range of stakeholders usually offers the best prospects of delivering meaningful change in a range of areas – including both the visitor offer and physical environment.
The masterplan produced for Bishop Auckland Town Centre is just one part of the rejuvenation of the town. It is a step ahead of many locations across the country, though, where a lack of meaningful action is contributing to the decline of town centres. Whilst only time will tell as to whether it is a real success, it shows the value in having a clear vision and reaping the benefit from regional tourist attractions.


Lichfields worked with Ryder Architecture in preparing the Bishop Auckland Town Centre Masterplan. Since then, the town has been selected to bid for the Future High Streets Fund, a new £675 million government fund for interventions which could include investment in physical infrastructure and land assembly. Both Ryder and Lichfields are supporting Durham County Council in preparing their detailed business case for the funding. The masterplan will form a key part of the evidence base for both this bid and funding from a recently announced Town Deal.

Header image: View of Bishop Auckland Food Festival from Auckland Tower. Photograph by House of Hues, courtesy of The Auckland Project

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