Policy interventions required to prevent continued decline of neighbourhood shopping parades says report

A report (41-page / 494KB PDF) published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) stated that policy interventions affecting neighbourhood shopping parades "should form part of neighbourhood planning processes".

Local planning policy should plan for changes in neighbourhood shopping parades if they are going to fully reflect local needs and economic circumstances and prevent continued decline, the report said.

The report concluded that neighbourhood shopping parades tend to fall into a number of  specific types, identified as 'local neighbourhood parades', 'local neighbourhood hubs', 'radial parades' and 'radial destinations'. Neighbourhood parades have a potential influence on local housing markets and could play an important role in developing local economies by providing a 'seed-bed' function for start up businesses, it said.

"The conclusions of this report seem sensible, particularly the reference to policy interventions forming part of the neighbourhood planning process," said planning law expert Jamie Lockerbie of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com. "A parish council or neighbourhood forum that is considering making a neighbourhood plan may well consider how it might set policies to aid the regeneration of neighbourhood shopping parades within its area. The local community would no doubt have a wealth of suggestions as to how existing retail might be converted to other uses to stem decline and boost the local economy."

"The requirement for a neighbourhood plan to be in general conformity with the development plan for the area would necessitate discussions between the parish council or neighbourhood forum and the local planning authority with regard to neighbourhood plan policies relating to shopping parades", said Lockerbie.

The report aims to help policy-makers to understand the characteristics and performance of neighbourhood parades. It supplements the recently published Portas review on the future of Britain's high streets.

The report highlighted that neighbourhood retailing has suffered a decline in past 30 years which is "largely due to increasing competition within a sector that has experienced significant consolidation".