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Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The following Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) provides additional advice and guidance specific to retail and other main town centre development. It applies to Belfast local government district a

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The key objectives of this SPG are: • to set out the council's advice/guidance to provide a consistent basis against which to consider proposals for retail and other main town centre uses in Belfast l

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Although the guidance contained within this SPG may not cover all site-specific issues that can arise, it covers the main considerations that will be considered when determining a planning application

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

This is not to say that unconventional or innovative proposals will not achieve planning permission, but where there is departure from the guidance the council will expect detailed justification. In s

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Belfast City Council encourages and welcomes early engagement with applicants to agree the scope of any sequential and/or impact test. Applicants are advised to utilise the council's pre application d

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The Regional Development Strategy 2035 (RDS) recognises the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area as the major conurbation in Northern Ireland with a thriving retail, service, administration, cultural and e

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS), published in September 2015, sets out regional planning policies for securing the orderly and consistent development of land in Northern Ireland under t

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The Plan Strategy is the strategic policy framework, for the plan area, across a range of topics. It sets out the vision for Belfast as well as the objectives and strategic policies required to delive

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

RET1: establishing a centre hierarchy, which sets out the districts network and hierarchy of centres and requires proposals for retail and other main town centre uses be directed to the appropriate ce

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

RET2: out of centre development, which requires that proposals for retail and other main town centre uses, outside of centres, demonstrate that they comply with the sequential test and are accompanied

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

RET3: district centres, local centres and city corridors, which sets a threshold of 500sqm for convenience and 200sqm for comparison shopping units;

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

RET5: primary retail area, which restricts non-retail uses to no more than 40% (and no more than 3 adjacent units) within the primary retail frontages.

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The Local Policies Plan sets out site-specific proposals in relation to the development and use of land in Belfast. It contains the local policies, including site-specific proposals, designations and

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The sequential test is an approach that directs development within centres before an edge of centre site or out of centre site. It supports the viability and vitality of town centres by placing existi

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

In the Belfast context, there are no "town centres", rather a city centre with district and local centres, and therefore for the purpose of this SPG, centres are considered to include the traditional

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The sequential approach directs development to the town centre before considering an edge of centre site. Preference will be given to edge of centre land before considering an out of centre site.

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Proposal for main town centre uses, outside of existing centres must: • Demonstrate that there is not a sequentially preferable site in, or on the edge of centre having regard to the criteria of suita

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

at least one food supermarket or superstore, a degree of comparison goods shopping, some retail services, leisure services and business services. The primary purpose of a local centre is the provision

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The sequential test guides main town centre uses to sites within centres locations first. If no centre sites are available, developers should consider an edge of centre location. Only when centre loca

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

For the purposes of clarity, the centres will be defined at LPP stage of the Belfast LDP, but until that plan is adopted the centres defined in draft BMAP 2015 should be used during the transitional p

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The sequential test to site selection for main town centre uses will therefore require applicants to consider sites in the following order of preference: • Belfast city centre's Primary Retail Core (P

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Where it is established that an alternative sequentially preferrable site or sites exist within the proposal's whole catchment, an application which proposes development on a less sequentially preferr

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Compliance with the sequential test however does not guarantee that permission will be granted. The council will have to consider all material considerations in reaching a decision including an assess

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Where proposals relate to extensions to existing retail development the sequential test will also be applied. This approach is in line with para 6.281 of the SPPS which does not draw a distinction bet

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

A sequential test should be applied when an application for retail or other main town centre development is proposed either in an edge of centre or an out of centre location. This is in line with poli

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The designated centres for Belfast are the city centre, district and local centres as indicated in policy RET1 of the Plan Strategy document, which sets out the network and hierarchy of centres. As de

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The sequential approach is intended to achieve two important policy objectives: • First, the assumption underpinning the policy is that town centre sites (or failing that well connected edge of centre

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

There are 4 key steps to follow when undertaking a sequential test: Step 1: Establish the appropriate catchment for the development Step 2: Decide which designated centres should be assessed Step 3:

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The catchment is the area the proposal is intended to serve / draw trade from. This will vary depending on the specific development proposed and will need to take account of the size of development, t

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Catchments should be defined by detailed drive time calculation (which is determined by estimating the catchment served by, for example, a 15 minute drive time). The drive times which are appropriate

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Availability This refers to sites that are available now or are likely to become available for development within a reasonable period of time. A site will be considered available for development when,

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Viability This test is concerned with judging whether there is a reasonable prospect that development will occur on a site. This is likely to be influenced by: • market factors – such as adjacent uses

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Policy RET 2 – Out of centre development Proposals for main town centre uses, outside of existing centres must: Submit a retail impact assessment and assessment of need for proposals that have a floor

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

For the purposes of this policy, developers will be expected to submit a Retail Impact Assessment (RIA) for retail proposals and alternative impact assessment for other main town centre uses. Whilst t

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Paragraph 6.283 of the SPPS gives councils the flexibility to set an appropriate threshold for their area, above which all applications for retail or town centre type developments should be accompanie

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

In the Belfast context it is considered that a threshold of 1000m² was appropriate because of the likely impact that out of centre shops of that scale would have in an urban context due to the proximi

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Whilst the council acknowledges that there are a number of different methodologies to carry out a Retail Impact and Assessment of Need, the council's preferred method is the Step by Step approach. Thi

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

An impact assessment is a methodologically evidenced based approach to determine the relative effect that a proposed development will have on the wider centre hierarchy. The purpose of the impact asse

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The impact test is useful in determining whether proposals in certain locations would impact on existing, committed and planned public and private investment, or on the role of particular centres.

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

It is for the applicant to demonstrate compliance with the impact test in support of relevant applications. Failure to undertake an impact test could constitute a reason for refusing permission.

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The impact test will need to be undertaken in a proportionate and locally appropriate way, drawing on existing information where possible. Ideally, applicants and the council should seek to agree the

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Depending on the size and location of the proposal applicants may be required to submit either an Impact Assessment and/or Assessment of Need. The following table is intended to assist applicants in d

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

In undertaking an impact assessment, the council will seek to agree the scope, key impacts for assessment, and level of detail required in advance of applications being submitted. The basis of any ass

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Where proposals relate to a specific type of goods (for example, a DIY retail warehouse) it may be appropriate to focus the impact assessment on that specific sector, notwithstanding the need to consi

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

If unconditional consent is sought for retail or other uses (for example, with no limitation on net sales area, unit sizes, range of goods and so on) then the supporting assessment should examine all

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

In assessing the impact of the proposal on existing, committed and planned public and private investment, consideration should be given to a range of factors including: • What stage they have reached

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Where the catchment extends into other council areas, the council may ask for input from the relevant neighbouring council(s) in identifying factors which should be taken into account in any assessmen

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

The council's most recent retail and leisure capacity study should provide a starting point to inform any impact assessment.

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

A judgement as to whether the likely adverse impacts are significant can only be reached in light of local circumstances (for example, in areas where there are high

Belfast·SPG009 Retail and Main Town Centre Uses

Evidence showing that there would be no likely significant impact on a centre from an edge of centre or out of centre proposal does not guarantee that permission is granted. The council will have to c