ACS has called for more action to enforce a town centre first planning policy, after the influential BIS Select Committee failed to draw attention to this crucial issue in its report on the retail industry, published today.
ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “We are disappointed the committee missed this opportunity to hold Government to account over the weaknesses in the planning system that are undermining retailer confidence to invest in town centres.
"We made clear in our evidence that any discussion on the future of retail can not ignore the planning policy decisions that are preventing retailers from investing in our declining town centres. It is now vitally important that MPs in the Communities and Local Government select committee take up this issue and we will be pressing them to consider the enforcement of ‘town centre first’ policy in their upcoming inquiry on planning.”
ACS’ research has shown that since the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework there has been an influx of approavals for out of town developments.
On the issue of business rates, the Committee have set out the need for Government to lead a wider review of the rates system including rate relief, more frequent revaluations and how rates are linked to inflation indicators in future. ACS’ evidence to the committee called for a cap on rates increases to provide businesses in more certainly and encouraged greater use of discretionary rate reliefs.
Mr Lowman continued: “We support the Committee’s recommendation for the Government to lead the debate on rates and to look again at reliefs. We are currently working with the Treasury and Department for Communities and Local Government in their administration review and hope they will consider these recommendations when a discussion paper is published in the spring.”
