RETAIL LED CPOs FOR HIGH STREET REGENERATION – ANY
PORTAS IN A STORM? Stan Edwards, Chartered Surveyor, Director, Evocati Consultancy;
Stan Edwards is a Chartered Surveyor and Director of Evocati Consultancy specialising in the CPO process and is also visiting lecturer in retail planning and development at Cardiff University. He was formerly Vice-Chairman of the Compulsory Purchase Association. He worked on town centre retail and project managing CPOs over 40 years in Cwmbran, Land Authority for Wales and the WDA. stan.edwards@
evocati.co.uk
One of Mary Portas’ 28 recommendations in The Portas Review (featured in the Spring Terrier) was that local authorities should make more proactive use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers to encourage the redevelopment of key high street retail space. In the light of what we know of CPOs can they be used effectively in dealing with these problems?
Mary, Mary au contraire-e How do the high streets grow? From empty shelves, In empty shells Through CPOs all in a row? Stan Edwards
Introduction
Mary Portas was asked by the Prime Minister to conduct an independent review into the state of our high streets and town centres. Her statement in terms of using CPO powers to encourage the redevelopment of key high street retail space is accurate but probably not in the way that she meant
Her other recommendations 36
suggest marshalling the resources relative to the high street to create a managed, deregulated shopping centre. Such would require, inter alia, additional legislation and adjustment to national policy by making an explicit presumption in favour of town centre development. The cost and validity of such proposals are challengeable (and have to be) in terms of the operation of the retail industry, sustainable development and public interest otherwise the inadequacy of assessment will lead to unintended and unanticipated consequences. CPOs have to be judged on their individual merits.
Definitions
It is important to state key definitions from the outset.
a) In Wales the definition of “sustainable development” relates to the enhancement of the economic, social and environmental well-being. The English National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) defines it as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The English presumption is in favour of sustainable development
Drivers and influencers for analysing sustainable development and public interest are:
1) ECONOMIC WELL-BEING / ROLE
The success of any retail centre is geared to prime characteristics of retail demand identified by spending power (income and population), the existence of substitutes and consumer preference so that people actually choose where they spend their income.
THE TERRIER - Summer 2012
focusing on growth. Well-being has been removed and replaced by mutually dependant economic, social and environmental roles.
b) Sustainable Development aligns with the “public interest” which has been defined by the English government as “the considerations affecting the good order and functioning of community and governmental affairs, for the well- being of citizens………common to all members of the community (or a substantial segment of them), and for their benefit”.
Drivers and influencers
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68