Client
HDD Buxton Ltd.
Size
2,918 sq. m
Local Authority
High Peak Borough Council
Sectors
Retail and Town Centres
Key Project Information
- We secured full planning permission for the erection of a new local centre, including an Aldi foodstore (1,804 sq. m), a children’s day nursery (557 sq. m) and a small scale retail parade comprising five units (557 sq. m ) (Use Class E and Sui Generis).
- The proposed local centre will serve the new Foxlow Farm residential development. The Aldi store will act a replacement for their existing store in the town.
- The scheme was designed to reflect the local character of Buxton and the Peak District. All the units make extensive use of reconstituted stone to reflect the building materials used within this locality. A detailed landscape strategy was prepared to create a visually appealing environment for visitors and surrounding neighbours and ensure that it fits in with the approved landscaping scheme of the adjacent residential development.
- The development will generate a significant number of new jobs in the local area.
The site was allocated in the High Peak Local Plan for 440 dwellings and a new local centre. The site has outline approval for the local centre and subsequent reserved matters approval for the residential development, which is under construction. HDD were looking to bring forward the Local Centre element of the allocation however required additional floorspace to that which has already been approved and set out in the allocation. Both the Local Plan Policy and the outline permission for the Local Centre capped the total gross town centre floorspace at 2,500 sq. m. Furthermore, the Local Plan policy set out what the Local Centre should comprise of, and this did not allow a foodstore larger than 200 sq.m.
HDD were looking to bring forward the Local Centre and Aldi were interested in occupying the site. As such, HDD required additional floorspace to be permitted on site as well as a unit which was over the 200 sq. m restriction. We were required to prepare a retail assessment to support the foodstore element on this site and demonstrate that it would not result in a significant adverse impact upon Buxton Town Centre and that there were no sequentially preferable locations within Buxton.
The site forms part of a wider Local Plan allocation for the delivery of around 440 homes and a new local centre. However, the Local Plan allocation, and previous outline permission sought to restrict the overall scale of the local centre and individual units/uses. This included an overall cap on main town centre uses of 2,500 sq. m and a convenience store of less than 200 sq. m. The proposals for the site exceeded these restrictions and included a total floorspace of 2,918 sq. m and as part of this, a foodstore of 1,804 sq. m. As such, our expert team was required to set out clear justification for exceeding the restrictions set out in the Local Plan and demonstrate how the proposed Aldi foodstore would still help to deliver the aims and objectives of the local centre allocation. As part of this, we demonstrated that this proposal would not result in a significant adverse impact upon Buxton Town Centre. Through the Retail Assessment, we demonstrated that although some trade would be diverted from the town centre to this local centre, the impact would be limited and would not affect the viability of any existing foodstore in the town centre.
As part of the negotiations with the Council and demonstrating the acceptability of the proposal, we were required to explore the potential for indirect impacts caused by potential loss of linked trips as a result of the relocation of the existing Aldi store. We demonstrated that the impact would be minimal given the ease of access to Buxton Town Centre and the need for such trips still required to meet other retail and service needs of customers. A detailed sequential assessment was also prepared demonstrating that there were no suitable and available sites within, or on the edge of, Buxton town centre to accommodate the proposed development which included the existing Aldi store.
The development will generate a significant number of new jobs in the local area. The Aldi store alone will generate 40 – 50 full and part time jobs on site, and various other indirect jobs. The retail parade and nursery will generate around 51 new jobs as well as additional jobs in the supply chain. The local centre will provide a significant boost to the local economy.
Images courtesy of West Hart Partnership Ltd.