Recommendation 101

Local planning policy impacts where and how developers build new retail developments. Patrick Melia, CEO of Sunderland City Council, emphasised to us that a key requirement for success in town centre renewal was a vision that is backed up by Supplementary Planning Guidance. 191 Through this, LPAs can influence the mix of businesses on the high street and seek to meet wider societal goals such as promoting public health or ensuring that the community is suitably served. Whilst plans for high streets and town centres may be spread between multiple frameworks or masterplans, the Local Plan and its associated Supplementary Planning Guidance remains the central strategic tool for setting out the framework for an area and providing clarity to stakeholders. 192 In particular, local plans can help to balance a place’s long-term vision with short-term pressures across a broader geographic area, understanding how developments in different parts of a local authority will impact on towns, villages and cities in the area. 193 Local authorities must designate high streets and major retail centres within their plans. 194