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Blears: I'll change rules on planning to protect town centres
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor07.07.08
Sweeping curbs on out-of-town supermarkets are to be introduced in a bid to protect smaller shops, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears announced today.
After months of consultation, Ms Blears has decided that planning guidance should be changed to allow councils to preserve their town centres and fight the spread of "clone town Britain".
She said the Evening Standard's Save Our Small Shops campaign had "struck a chord" across the capital, as well as the country, and that it was time to take action.
Under the changes, the current simplistic planning test - which only judges whether there is capacity for an out-of-town supermarket - will be replaced with a more rounded "impact test" which assesses the risks and benefits of new businesses on existing small shops and the town centre.
Special planning guidance, known as "Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres", will be amended to ensure that new outoftown developments do not choke existing small businesses or draw valuable trade away from the town.
The change will see the scrapping of the "needs test" which has seen some proposed town-centre shops turned down because of the presence of out-of-town developments. Councils will now have to take a deeper look at how new businesses affect the health of town centres.
Ms Blears, who will outline the protections later this week, said: "London has many independent small shops at the heart of the local community which are part of its unique history. That's why I putting my support behind the Evening Standard campaign and taking action this week to strengthening the planning rules so they better protect our small shops during the credit crunch and keep them thriving along London's high streets."
"Independent butchers, bakers and booksellers are icons of local pride, giving high streets a style all of their own and testifying to London's unique history. Our priority is to ensure we do not see more stretches of the nation's high streets turned into bland "every towns".
"We need more individuality, more small scale independent shops, and a new spirit of independent enterprise on our high streets."
Reader views (6)
Let us hope Ms Blears puts into practice what she preaches when 'finally' making a decision on proposed relocation of Everton Football Club.
Evertonians around the world say NO to Kirby.
- Mark Watterson, Mindarie (Perth, Western Australia)
A bit late Ms Blears, have you just woken up!
- Peter, n1
Londoncentric preoccupation from both ministers and inhabitants ignore fact that the destruction of high streets and suburban shopping centres is happening everywhere. We are fighting high business rates, supermarkets, out of town warehouses and universal greed from consumers and entrepreneurs both large and small, in order to retain some character and local utility in all our outer city suburbs-what price all the baloney being talked about "locally sourced foods" and "sustainability" if we get no backing from both local and national governments, intent on using us as milch cows for their profits too? We need to pedestrianize our local shopping precincts to create attractive shopping areas and encourage lots of small retailers to come in by lowering business rates and giving small businesses a tax break. People need to be content with less in quantity and be taught to appreciate quality like we used to be. The pile it high and sell it cheap philosophy has had its day. Everyone wants too much,eats too much and appreciates what they have less and less. Our politicians are failing us utterly because they tinker around the edges and serve only the interests of big business instead of those of ordinary people, regardless of which party they serve themselves.
- Mrs H Long, Westbury on Trym-ancient village now inc. into Bristol. UK
It is about time Hazel Blears is looking into this but joined up thinking is also what is needed. I recently parked my car on a Saturday in a loading bay in King Street, Hammersmith in order to deliver some books to the Cancer Research Charity shop. I was there for no other purpose than to deliver the books and, as the street was busy, parked in a Loading Bay, marked loading bay. As I was loading, or rather unloading, I assumed that it was the correct thing to do, especially as it was very near the Charity shop and had been put there for loading to local shops.
A few days later I was sent a Penalty Charge Notice Number HZ30200915, which was supported by a CCTV image showing my car registration and the boot of my car containing a box of books.
I appealed against this charge and stated that I felt I should not be penalised for delivering books to a charity shop and for such a short time.
The appeal was rejected by the unelected by London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Parking Services. So far I have met a brick wall in trying to tell them that I was loading and to a Charity shop in my local High Street.
As a resident of Hammersmith for over thirty years councils need to change a policy intent on fining people in doing their business. I always thought Hammersmith a fair and reasonable borough, but everyone, including the leader of the council, washing their hands of it in such an uncharitable way has made me rethink my view.
Shame on them.
- Mrs J Barber, London UK
One effective move, in addition to curbing out-of-town supermarkets, would be to ban Tesco and the others from opening smallish high-street stores. Their greed has removed the old 'corner shop' and the variety of specialist shops, leaving high streets with mainly charity shops or empty premises. That, the closure of local Post offices, and the 'liberalization' (or devastation) of local bus services has ruined local centres.
- Arthur Norton, Ipswich, England
Our local high street in New Barnet is under threat from Tesco and ASDA, who are both trying to get planning permission for huge developments which will suffocate our town centre. There is already a large and highly profitable Sainsbury's on the high street, so we don't need more 'choice' (well, Heinz Beans and own-brand goods from Tesco or ASDA aren't THAT different from Heinz Beans and own-brand goods from Sainsbury's, are they?).
As part of its plans, Tesco are currently trying to gobble up shops along the Victorian high street, which they will demolish to build their giant 24 hour superstore. They really are the Terminators of British retail.
Our area needs more family homes, but both developments would see several stories of 1/2 bedroom flats above the stores, apparently at the behest of the borough council, even though there are many unlet flats of this type in the area.
We've set up a 'Save New Barnet' campaign to oppose the developments and share our Vision for New Barnet, a document which shows how our town centre can be regenerated without demolishing it. We might be fighting two of the biggest organisations in the world, but we think there's a better way to breath new life into our cherished local high street.
- No To Bulldozers In New Barnet, New Barnet, London Borough of Barnet.
