Promoting Vitality in Town Centres

Chapter 2 - Creating and Sustaining Jobs

Objective 2 - Promoting Vitality in Town Centres

2.23: The Structure Plan identifies Alloa as a strategic shopping centre and seeks to secure and develop its role as the district centre for Clackmannanshire in the future. National planning policy and the policies set out in the Structure Plan aim to reinforce the vitality and viability of Alloa town centre and the other town centres within Clackmannanshire. It is extremely important to promote vitality and viability in order to ensure essential local services are easily accessible to all and the need to travel is reduced. Town centres provide employment and a focus for social and cultural life. In addition, support is given to the continued controlled development of visitor orientated shopping at Sterling, Tillicoultry, to provide improved shopping facilities in that area and better enable Clackmannanshire to compete effectively with the strong retail attraction of towns such as Stirling and Falkirk.

Retail and Town Centre Development

2.24: Successful and vibrant town centres are important contributors to local economy and society, acting as focal points for community interaction as well as fulfilling a role as service centres. NPPG 8 (Town Centres and Retailing) provides national guidance on retailing and town centres. The Guideline sets out the principles of the “sequential approach” upon which locational decisions on new shopping developments should be based. This gives priority to town centre locations for new shopping developments, followed by consideration of sites on the edge of the town centre. Proposals for out of centre developments are required to satisfy a number of rigorous criteria including their impact on the vitality and viability of town centres and established shopping centres, meeting deficiencies in provision, effects on travel patterns and car usage, and reuse of vacant and derelict land. The 1998 revision of NPPG 8 also applies the sequential approach to commercial leisure developments.

Policy JOB6 - New Shopping Facilities

Major new retail development proposals for stores in excess of 1000m² gross floor area will normally be required to locate within the Alloa Town Centre area, as defined on the Proposals Map. Where no site is available and it can be demonstrated that it is not viable to adapt a proposed development to fit into the Town Centre area, edge of centre sites will be considered provided they can be easily accessed by public transport and by cyclists and pedestrians as well as by private car.

Proposals for retail development in excess of 250m² gross floor area on out-of-centre sites will not be permitted except where it can be clearly demonstrated that no suitable town centre or edge-of-centre site sexist, and that the proposed development would meet all the relevant considerations set out in NPPG 8, paragraph 45.

Proposed retail developments of 250-1000m² gross floor area will normally be required to locate in Alloa Town Centre or within other established town or neighbourhood shopping centres identified on the Proposals Maps at:

Development of up to 250m², which would primarily serve a neighbourhood need, will generally be acceptable throughout settlements.

Retail Impact Assessment will be required for any new retail development in excess of 2500m² gross.

In addition, new shops outside established shopping centres which would significantly detract from the vitality and viability of any town or local centre will not be permitted. New shops will not be permitted in business and industrial areas unless directly related and ancillary to manufacturing operations.

Policy JOB7 - Commercial Uses in Town Centres

There is a presumption in favour of allowing a variety of commercial uses within neighbourhood shopping centres and town centres to help maximise and diversify the range of uses in core commercial areas. Residential development at ground floor level will be discouraged, and will not be permitted in the core area of Alloa Town Centre. The extent of Alloa Town Centre and neighbourhood shopping centres are identified on the Proposals Maps.

Shop Front Design, Advertising and Security

2.26: The design and quality of shop fronts, advertising and security can have a significant effect on the amenity of shopping areas. Proposals that enhance the buildings and their locality will be encouraged, while inappropriate design and signage will be controlled to limit adverse effects.

Policy JOB8 - Shop Front Design, Advertising and Security

Advertising for shops and businesses will normally be limited to one fascia sign and one projecting sign except when commercial uses are on more than one floor. In such instances, further advertising may be acceptable if a particularly high quality solution, involving the creation of artwork, is proposed. All signs and shop/business fronts must be designed to complement the building concerned and the character of the locality. Signage should be specifically designed for the premises and locality and, where necessary, corporate signs may require to be modified. Illuminated signs will only be permitted for premises which are regularly open to the public during the evening. Directional or advanced advertisements will only be approved where they serve road safety interests or form part of a comprehensive scheme to promote tourism.

External security measures should not detract from the character and appearance of buildings or their setting. There is a presumption in favour of internally mounted shutters which maintain a substantial area of vision into the window. Where necessary, external security measures such as grilles and perforated shutters may be acceptable. Solid roller shutters will only be permitted where it can be clearly demonstrated that these are essential due to serious security problems and will not be permitted within conservation areas. Where solid security shutters are required, these must be coloured and designed to minimise their visual impact and harmonise with the building as far as possible. In all cases, shutter boxes must be recessed within frontages.

In the case of listed buildings, shutters will not normally be permitted and security glass will be the preferred solution. Where an applicant can demonstrate a significant security problem other solutions will be considered provided that the architectural or historic character of the building is not significantly harmed.

Alarm boxes should be located to minimise their visual impact on the external appearance of the building, particularly in the case of listed buildings.

Security measures should comply with SAN 3 (Shutters and Grilles).

Protection of Local Shops

2.27: Individual local shops in rural villages and housing estates can often fulfil an important local function, particularly for the elderly and those without a car. Where such shops are economically viable, change of use will be resisted.

Policy JOB9 -

In areas with limited shopping provision, the change of use of a shop will not be permitted except where:

the Council is satisfied that a reasonable attempt has been made to market the premises as a shop, and there is no reasonable prospect of retaining it in retail use; or
the benefit of any proposed use, e.g. business use, when assessed against the policies of the Local Plan, outweighs the loss of the shop

Promotion of Technology in New Development

2.28: Development of technology is opening up new economic development opportunities and new ways of working. The increasing use of digital communications and the pace at which this is taking place is likely to result in significant economic change during the period of this Local Plan. Teleworking, in particular, may allow a significant move towards working from home rather than a separate workplace. This has implications for amenity in residential areas. While the Plan supports teleworking, it will be important to ensure that it can be carried on without undue disturbance or disruption to neighbouring residents.

Policy JOB10 - Promotion of Technology in New Development

Teleworking from home will generally be supported, provided that the business operation is incidental to the residential use and that it can be conducted without detriment to local residents. Approval for changing the use of a house may be acceptable in circumstances where the house location and type are suitable for the proposed use, subject to suitable access and parking provision and the use is capable of being conducted without detriment to local residents.

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