3.3 Town Centres and Retailing

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3.3.1 The Council’s surveys confirm that the shopping needs of East Dunbartonshire’s communities are currently met at a range of locations in addition to local town centres. Many residents of East Dunbartonshire take advantage of the wide range of specialist shopping in the nearby Glasgow City Centre. Similarly some do their main food shopping outwith East Dunbartonshire e.g. to or combined with journeys to or from work. It is however in the interests of the local community that the vitality and viability of our town centres is sustained in order to:

§ ensure a range of town centre services which is appropriate for the needs of the community,

§ reduce the need to travel, and

§ maintain local employment opportunities in town centres.

3.3.2 NPPG 8 on Town Centres and Retailing emphasises the importance of town centres as locations for retailing and other commercial leisure activities, and advocates that planning authorities bring forward policies to sustain and enhance town centres.

3.3.3 The Council established a Town Centre Management Company in 1998 to promote the vitality and viability of the four town centres in East Dunbartonshire (Kirkintilloch, Bishopbriggs, Bearsden and Milngavie). Town centre steering groups (involving town centre traders and other community interests) have also operated very effectively for a number of years.

3.3.4 A series of initiatives have been developed to enhance the attraction and strengthen the role of these centres as key elements of community identity. These initiatives have included amongst other things a range of projects to upgrade streetlighting, paving, landscaping and street furniture in the town centres, in addition to ongoing promotional events relating to the Forth and Clyde Canal and Christmas. Improvements to shopfronts are encouraged and a pilot grant scheme is established for Bishopbriggs Town Centre (see policy DQ 2D), and the Council will look to extend this to the other town centres as resources permit. Parking and access strategies for the town centres (see policy TRANS 1) are also being developed. Additional proposals are identified in RET 1 which should enhance the centres concerned and improve their vitality.

RET 1 Town Centre Environment

The Council will support and bring forward proposals for improvements in the quality and environment of existing town centres and other local shopping centres in particular:

Kirkintilloch • Reference is made to Kirkintilloch’s Initiative implications in Urban Capacity Schedule UC2B.

• Reassessment of options to create a pedestrian friendly thoroughfare centred on Cowgate and Townhead.

Bishopbriggs • Creation of high quality civic spaces including a ‘town square’ and upgraded green space at Churchill Way.

• Redevelopment of Churchill Way to include town centre uses (see also HMU Table 1).

• Creation of a high quality pedestrian access from the town centre to Bishopbriggs Park.

• Improved parking arrangements.

• Continuation of the pilot shop front improvement grant scheme.

Milngavie • A programme of widespread environmental improvements including replacement street furniture, replacing trees, improving footways and repairing walls.

Bearsden • An assessment will be undertaken to consider the appropriate measures to improve the town centre environment.

Lennoxtown • Townscape improvements along Main Street to be implemented through the Lennoxtown Initiative, including a village centre feature.

The Council will carry the town centre improvements forward with the assistance of the town centre steering groups and in partnership with appropriate agencies and funding sources.

RET 2 Development Within Existing Shopping Centres

Shopping provision within East Dunbartonshire will be enhanced, by encouraging and supporting retail development within existing shopping centres (town, village and local) and other established retail locations, as long as it can be demonstrated to:-

a. sustain or enhance the range or quality of shopping provision and the vitality and viability of the centres,

b. be in keeping with the scale and character of the centre,

c. not harm the amenity of the area,

d. be readily accessible by public transport, bicycle or on foot as well as by car, and

e. meet other relevant planning criteria.

3.3.5 NPPG 8 also sets out the components of the sequential approach to retail development location and requires local authorities to work with developers to identify and bring forward sites for retail and commercial leisure development that are supportive of town centres and are accessible by a variety of means of transport.

3.3.6 In addition NPPG 17 on Transport and Planning emphasises the accessibility of town centres by all modes of transport including walking, cycling and public transport, and advocates that developments serving a wide community of interest should be located there.

3.3.7 Across the Conurbation as a whole, the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan provides strategic policies in support of town centres and sets out the requirement for retail development in those locations which are currently under provided.

3.3.8 The analysis of household shopping patterns, from a survey carried out in 1998, has led to the definition of retail catchment areas for convenience shopping (food and associated products) and for comparison shopping (clothes, shoes, jewellery, etc... as well as bulky goods such as electrical and DIY).

3.3.9 Within the comparison catchments of Glasgow North West/Clydebank (includes Bearsden and Milngavie) and Bishopbriggs/Kirkintilloch/Springburn (includes Strathkelvin area) shortfalls are identified leading to additional floorspace requirements as follows:

Bishopbriggs /Kirkintilloch

up to 8,000 square metres gross floorspace, and

Bearsden/Milngavie

up to 6,000 square metres gross floorspace.

3.3.10 In seeking to identify sites to meet these shortfalls, the Council has considered locations in accordance with the sequential approach. No suitable sites within or adjoining the town centres could be identified. As a result two out of centre locations were identified adjoining established retail locations and are sited adjacent to the main public transport corridors. The Bishopbriggs/Kirkintilloch requirement has now been met by the implementation of the extension to the Strathkelvin Retail Park in 2004. The Bearsden/Milngavie requirement is still outstanding and is reflected in RET 3.

3.3.11 No strategic planning requirement is identified in the Structure Plan with regard to convenience shopping within either of the catchments covering East Dunbartonshire. However a retail assessment carried out for the Council in 1998 indicated a limited requirement for additional convenience floorspace to serve the Kirkintilloch area. The Council has sought to identify a site to accommodate this requirement in a location that will be supportive of the town centre.

3.3.12 The most appropriate means of addressing the requirement would be through expansion of convenience retail floorspace within or adjoining the Town Centre, subject to appropriate contributions to ensuring satisfactory access for any development and the Town Centre.

3.3.13 The Council’s retail policy is based primarily on sustaining and enhancing the established town centres, as they provide the main social and cultural focus for our communities. Any new proposals will be assessed on the basis of the needs identified above and in terms of the sequential approach.

3.3.14 In addition, the Structure Plan recognises the need to address qualitative deficiencies in existing retail provision as a material consideration in the assessment of large retail planning proposals and this issue will be taken into account with regard to any proposals of this nature which come forward.

RET 3 New Retail Development Opportunities To meet the requirements for new retail floorspace outlined above, the Council will support proposals which provide for the following additions:-
*Type of goods*	*Floorspace area*	*Location*	*Site*
Convenience retailing	Additional floorspace (approx. 2000 sq.m. to be confirmed by further research).	Kirkintilloch	Town Centre
Comparison ( bulky goods )	Up to 6,000 sq. m.	Bearsden & Milngavie	Land on or adjacent to Homebase/Halley’s Garage at Burnbrae (see also UC 2C).

RET 4 Large Retail and Commercial Leisure Proposals

The Council will apply the sequential approach to large retail and commercial leisure proposals.

The Council will generally encourage large new retail (over 1000 sq.m. gross food and over 2000 sq.m. gross non-food) and commercial leisure developments to locate on sites within the existing town centre shopping areas, subject to conformity with other plan policies.

Development proposals on sites adjoining the existing town centres will only be positively considered where it can be demonstrated that there are no alternative sites available within the existing town centre shopping areas, and that criteria (a)-(e) below are satisfied.

Development proposals on out-of-centre sites will be resisted unless it can be satisfactorily demonstrated that there are no alternative sites available within, or on the edge of, the town centre, and that criteria (a)-(e) below are satisfied.

Development proposals on sites adjoining the existing town centres and on out-of-centre sites will be assessed against the following criteria:

a) such proposals, along with existing floorspace, can be supported by the retail expenditure available from the appropriate catchment population (see requirements in text above),

b) such proposals would not adversely affect the vitality and viability of existing centres,

c) there would be no unacceptable adverse impacts on the surrounding environment and local amenity,

d) the site would be adequately served by public transport, cycling and footpath networks and would not generate longer car journeys, and

e) the proposal would not have significant infrastructure implications, nor would it conflict with other plan policies.

3.3.15 There are a number of categories of retail/commercial centres in East Dunbartonshire :-

a. town centres,

b. local and village shopping centres,

c. retail warehouse locations,

d. out of centre supermarkets, and

e. other ‘commercial’ locations such as hotels, car showrooms and petrol filling stations.

3.3.16 Each of these categories have their differing, but important, role to play, firstly by providing shopping opportunities for the residents of East Dunbartonshire; and secondly by contributing to the economy and employment in the area.

3.3.17 NPPG 8 recognises the changing role of town and local shopping centres, which can include leisure and other service uses, however it is clear that retailing should remain the core function. The Council is aware of the threat to the vitality and viability of the town centres of East Dunbartonshire represented by the loss of retail floorspace to non-retail uses.

3.3.18 As suggested in NPPG 8, the Local Plan has defined ‘prime shopping areas’, which are the areas recognised as being at the core of each of the town centres and where the uses remain predominantly retailing. Within these prime areas the Council will not support any further loss of retail uses.

3.3.19 Outwith the prime areas, including the village and local shopping centres, the Council will encourage and permit a mix of uses, whilst still retaining retailing in the majority.

RET 5 Retention of Shops

Within the town, village and local shopping centres, the Council will support the retention of those uses within Class 1 (Shops) of the Use Classes Order.

Within the ‘prime’ areas of the town centres (as identified on the proposals map) the Council will not permit further conversion of existing or vacant shop (Class 1) premises to non-retail uses.

Within shopping areas which are not ‘prime’, the Council will encourage a mix of retail and non-retail uses, and will allow up to 50% of frontages to be non-retail. Any development proposal which would reduce the percentage of retail uses below 50% will be assessed against the following criteria:-

a) compatibility with existing land uses, particularly the effect on residential amenity,

b) whether reasonable attempts have been made to market the premises or site for retail use, for a minimum period of one year, and

c) the avoidance of concentrations of non-retail frontages.

3.3.20 The Council needs to apply a strict policy on potential bad neighbour uses in order to protect the amenity and road safety of existing residents and road users.

RET 6 Bad Neighbour Uses

The Council will oppose changes of use to ‘hot food shops’, public houses and other uses likely to create noise, smell or disturbance, in situations where there are residential properties in very close proximity, or where there are flats above the premises in question and those flats are not proposed for occupation by the proprietor or staff of the proposed business. Any such proposals will also be assessed with regard to traffic implications and other relevant local planning criteria.

3.3.21 The Council wishes to retain vitality within the town centres in the evenings, thus ensuring an attractive and secure environment for residents and visitors alike. It is therefore considered to be beneficial to retain residential uses in the town centres. The Council will encourage the conversion of appropriate properties to residential use where this does not conflict with other town centre policies, particularly on floors above retail premises where floorspace can often be underused.

RET 7 Retaining Residential Units in Town Centres

In the town centres the Council will generally oppose the change of use of any residential units on upper floors to non-residential uses and will encourage the conversion of floorspace above retail or other town centre premises to residential use.