ACS

9 September 2010

Local shops have warned the EU Commission against unnecessary meddling in national planning laws in a submission to the Directorate General for the Internal Market.

The Commission, which is planning to publish a Communication on Relaunching the Internal Market, has been looking at the performance of retail across the UK. One of the issues under consideration is the impact of commercial planning laws and their subsequent impact on entry and investment in retail stores.

ACS’ submission explains the importance and value of convenience shopping to the consumer and the community. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Local shops are a vital feature of a diverse and healthy retail sector. We welcome an EU level debate on how retail can perform even more strongly in the future of the internal market. That debate must focus on fairness and establishing a platform where small new businesses can exist and compete with the largest companies.

“We have made it clear to the Commission that intervention in national policies on commercial planning would not be helpful. In the UK, town centre first planning rules are the tool by which we can ensure that retail growth is sustainable. Relaxation of this policy could lead to acceleration in the building of out of town supermarkets; this would further entrench the dominance of the big four and remove retail from the heart of communities.”

ACS met with representatives of DG Internal Market in early 2010. The Commission report ‘Towards more Efficient and Fairer Retail Services in the Internal Market for 2020’ published in July sets out a range of problems presented in the EU retail sector that the Commission will seek to address in its communication on “Relaunching the Internal Market” planned for this autumn.