§ Mr. PurchaseTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make it his policy to support high quality expansion of existing district shopping centres as an aid to encouraging(a) competition and (b) additional investment in nearby shopping centres. [58855]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Government's policy is to focus additional retail investment in existing centres. Proposals for extensions of regional shopping centres should be brought forward through Regional Planning Guidance. In the case of town and district centres, local planning authorities should establish in their development plans where they wish to encourage additional retail development and investment, including (where appropriate) expansion to existing shopping centres. The aim should be to improve competitiveness and provide a better service for the local community but without undermining the vitality and viability of other existing centres.
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§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement on Government policy in respect of(a) in town and (b) out of town supermarket developments; [58885]
(2) what factors he takes into account when considering planning applications by supermarket chains for (a) town and (b) out of town stores. [58882]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Government's policy is set out in our Response to the House of Commons Environment Committee report on Shopping Centres (Cmnd 3729). This reaffirmed our commitment to the policy set out in Planning Policy Guidance note 6 (PPG6: Town Centres and Retail Developments). The Government have clarified that the policy in PPG6 applies just as much to proposals to extend existing retail development as it does to new supermarkets.
The policy aims to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of our city, town and district centres, by focusing new development and investment, particularly for retail and leisure uses, in these centres; and to provide a wide range of facilities to meet people's day-to-day needs accessible by a choice of means of transport.
Local planning authorities should develop a plan-led approach to accommodating new retail development. Having considered the need for new development, both local authorities and developers should then apply the sequential approach to selecting sites for accommodating additional development. We expect new supermarkets to be located in existing centres or failing that, on the edge of such centres, and for the store to be of an appropriate size for the role and function of the centre.
Exceptionally, applications are called in for determination by the Secretary of State. In deciding such cases, the Secretary of State takes account of all relevant policy and the recommendations of the Inspector who conducted the public inquiry.
§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many planning decisions have been called in since 1 January; and how many of these concern food retailing. [59075]
§ Mr. RaynsfordInformation is collected quarterly. In the first three quarters of 1998 (1 January to 30 September), 102 planning applications were called in, of which 17 involved some element of food retailing.