Recommendation 77

Local planning authorities are also responsible for approving individual planning applications. This is a reactive process. For example, they are involved in approving pubs and new buildings on high streets as well as retail parks and out-of-town shopping centres. The impact and extent of these planning powers can be varied by central Government policies. In Staines-upon-Thames local business leaders told us about the impact of the local authority’s planning decisions on the high street, suggesting that the decision to restrict out-of-town shopping centres and require an in-town shopping centre to integrate with the existing town centre had been vital to its success. 152 Licensing