1. Local community shops outside centres that serve local or convenience needs and meet the criteria of Use Class F2, will be assessed according to the following considerations:
  2. The scale of development;
  3. The sub-division of units; and
  4. The goods that can be sold from any retail outlet.
  5. effect on residential amenity;
  6. satisfactory resolution of pedestrian and vehicular access and road safety;
  7. the effect on the vitality and viability of nearby centres;
  8. the availability of sites within defined nearby centres; and
  9. the extent to which alternative facilities exist in the local area.
  10. Conditions will normally be imposed on any permission for local community shops to restrict goods sold in the interest of preventing the character of retailing changing from serving local or convenience needs.
  11. Planning permission will only be granted for the change of use of local community shops to other uses when:
  12. There is an alternative facility within 1 km providing essential daily goods;
  13. The applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the council that the current or last use is no longer economically viable by providing evidence that the property has been actively marketed over a period of at least 12 months; and
  14. It is not within an area that is judged to have a lack of access to an affordable, healthy and sustainable source of food.

Explanation

  1. 523) The borough has a large range of retail parks and, owing to their target market of customers travelling by car, are located close to the M60 motorway and major routes. Retail warehouses are defined as large stores specialising in the sales of household goods such as carpets, furniture and electrical goods, DIY and other ranges of goods. Main town centre uses are defined in the NPPF.