Policy information sourced from the Effingham Neighbourhood Plan

ENP-LE1: Safeguarding Village Shops and Retail Facilities

To ensure the continuation of a healthy retail sector in Effingham, the Neighbourhood Plan supports the role of the Effingham Local Centre (defined on the Policies Map at Section 8) as the focus for the local community in providing for everyday shopping and service needs. Proposals for residential use of upper floors add to the liveliness of centres, and will be considered positively.

In order to strengthen the liveliness and economic resilience of the Local Centre, retail developments consistent with the scale and function of the centre will be supported.

Where no suitable sites are available, sites on the edge of the Effingham Local Centre will be considered for town centre uses of greater than 100sq m (gross).

Retail and leisure development proposals over 500sq m (gross) which are not located in the Effingham Local Centre, and where the site is not allocated for the proposed use must be supported by an impact assessment.

Within the Effingham Local Centre, proposals for change of use of a ground floor shop (Use Class A1) to use for financial and professional services (Use Class A2) and/or food and drink (Use Class A3/A4/A5) will be permitted where all of the following criteria have been met:

  • the proposal will not result in a concentration of such uses that would be harmful to the local shopping centre’s vitality and viability; and
  • the proposal will not result in loss of amenity in terms of noise, smell, litter or traffic generation; and
  • the proposal will not prejudice the character and appearance of the local centre and its immediate environment.

Exceptionally loss of town centre uses (Use Class A) at ground floor level will be permitted, subject to the above criteria, where the proposed use is appropriate to the Local Centre.

To ensure that people living and working in Effingham can access everyday goods and services, the loss of rural shops and service units within the village but outside the Effingham Local Centre will be resisted where they provide for everyday needs (within Use Class A).

All development
 proposals
 for 
retail facilities
 should
 comply 
with
 local building styles in keeping with Effingham Conservation Area and other local building styles, as set out in Policy ENP-G2. Environmental improvements are encouraged that:

  • Enhance The Street Retail Parade area as a natural centre of the village community for example by improving community seating / meeting and / socialising features.
  • Improve the setting of the retail units on Guildford Road.

For more information please see the Neighbourhood Plan