ACS

ACS has committed to lead the fight for retail diversity after the publication of a new approach to town centre planning has left retailers feeling ‘uneasy’.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on a new streamlined planning policy: Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Prosperous Economies. The new policy which supersedes previous developments on town centre first planning policy is designed to ‘present policies for economic development in an integrated way’.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “A robust town centre first policy that is effectively and consistently applied is absolutely vital to the health of every local economy and the social fabric of where we live. We are committed to working constructively to ensure that national policy provides a robust basis for local decision making. Above all the policy must ensure that local planners have the right tools to put the needs of the community above the vested interests of developers.

“The confusion and shifting goal posts that we have seen in the past three years of town centre policy development make us uneasy about the priorities of Government. In particular the Ministerial commitments on the importance of local shops and of diversity in the previous incarnation of the policy are absent from the latest draft. We are seeking reassurances that these remain the Government’s priorities.

“ACS will not rush to a conclusion on all aspects of the policy and we need to engage in thorough consultation with members. However without the tough objective tests that characterise the existing policy, especially the need test which assesses local market capacities, this new proposed policy is weaker than the current one.”

Deadline for response to the consultation is 28th July 2009. ACS will be making a full response.