Question 6: Do you agree with the proposed approach to maintaining a prosperous retail centre? Please explain your answer.

Object

Representation ID: 2301

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Indigo Planning

Agent: Royals Shopping Centre

Part 7 of Policy DS1 states that the Council will encourage the landowner/landlord of a unit with little prospect of being occupied in the primary or secondary frontage to display local art. This should be removed. If this situation arises, the Council should liaise with the landowner/landlord and ask if this could be provided. It is not appropriate to set this out in policy.

Object

Representation ID: 2302

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Indigo Planning

Agent: Royals Shopping Centre

Policy DS1 seeks to ensure that new retail development is well integrated and closely linked with the Town Centre Primary Shopping Frontage and that proposals for retail development inside or outside the Primary Shopping Area will be determined in accordance with Core Strategy Policy CP2 (relating to Town Centre and Retail Development). The policy should be amended to state that any out of centre retail will be determined in accordance with the NPPF and Policy CP2 of the Core Strategy (in so far as it conforms with the NPPF). Policy CP2 was drafted before the publication of the NPPF and is out of date in some respects, referring to the needs test, for example.

Support

Representation ID: 2334

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Belfairs Gardens Residents Association

Yes if improvements to shopping area are made. A bright and clean shopping area will attract custom but much of the shopping area is uneven and dirty.

Support

Representation ID: 2363

Received: 15/02/2016

Respondent: Southend & District Pensioner's Campaign

Yes - need reliable buses

Comment

Representation ID: 2385

Received: 12/02/2016

Respondent: Procuresure Consulting

The city centre lacks large retailers such as John Lewis etc and the shopping centres are outdated and house little of use to the population. Smaller retailers should be housed in the more traditional road side areas as opposed to shopping centres. A regular farmers market should be promoted further in the pedestrian centre and local Essex produce promoted. This should run over the weekend to allow workers to take advantage of this useful and enhancing function. Chelmsford has a new John Lewis and a thriving farmers market and the town centre is better for it.

Comment

Representation ID: 2386

Received: 12/02/2016

Respondent: Procuresure Consulting

Shop fronts should have strict planning permission on them and rid the town of dilapidated and tacky cheap plastic oversized advertising frontage. This will enhance the areas look (Bury St Edmunds), assist with job creation and the local economy.

Comment

Representation ID: 2399

Received: 03/03/2016

Respondent: Historic England

Note that the current wording does not explicitly set out the importance of roof scape as a part of overall building frontages in paragraph 6.

Comment

Representation ID: 2427

Received: 01/03/2016

Respondent: National Federation for the Blind

All shops in the High street should have flat entrances and therefore be totally accessible for all customers including disabled people. Shops should not have A-boards or other obstacles outside them, restricting the safe passage of pedestrians especially Blind people. If restaurants and cafes want to have tables outside then they must have a metre high barrier, preventing blind people from walking in to them.
When market stalls are positioned in the high street it is very difficult and dangerous for blind and partiality sighted people to walk.