Policy information sourced from the Harrow and Wealdstone Area Action Plan
AAP17: Primary Shopping Areas and the Primary Shopping Frontage
Major retail development will be directed to locate on sites allocated for such use in Chapter 5 and on any available and suitable site within the Primary Shopping Area of Harrow town centre as defined on the Policies Map. Proposals not within the Primary Shopping Area of Harrow town centre will be required to demonstrate a sequential approach to site selection in accordance with the following order of preference:
- Sites within the secondary shopping frontage of Harrow town centre that falls outside of the Primary Shopping Area;
- All other sites within the Harrow town centre boundary;
- Allocated and other sites within the Primary Shopping Area of Wealdstone district centre;
- All other sites within the Wealdstone town centre boundary.
In the event that the above sequential order of preference fails to identify a suitable or deliverable site, applicants should continue the search starting with all other sites allocated for retail development in the Borough or any other available site within the Primary Shopping Area of the Borough’s other town centers in accordance with Policy DM35 of the Development Management Policies DPD: New Town Centre Development.
New retail development within the Primary Shopping Area should incorporate a canopy to provide shelter along the shopping frontage. The loss of existing canopies will be resisted.
Within the primary shopping frontages, the use of ground floor premises for retail, financial and professional activities, restaurants & cafés and pubs & bars will be permitted provided that:
- The length of the primary frontage in non-retail use at street level in the centre (excluding any extant planning permissions) would not exceed 15% within Harrow town centre and 25% within Wealdstone district centre;
- The proposal would not result in a concentration of more than three unit frontages in non-retail use;
- The use would not create inactive frontage during the day; and
- The use would not be detrimental to the amenity of neighbouring occupiers (See Policy DM1) or highway safety.
Where proposals fall foul of criteria a or b the Council may consider an exception to these thresholds where is can be adequately demonstrated that the proposal will make a significant contribution to the vitality and viability of the town centre.
Proposals for other uses within the primary shopping frontages will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated that the use would be directly related to shopping trips and would support the retail function of the Metropolitan centre.
Proposals for temporary use (see Criterion H) of ground floor premises within the Primary Shopping Area will be supported where:
- The vacancy rate within the primary and secondary frontages of the centre is in excess of 10%;
- The premises has been vacant and marketed for more than a year; and
- The proposed temporary use will not be detrimental to the amenity of neighbouring occupiers (See Policy DM1) or highway safety.
The grant of temporary use will be limited to a period of two years, with discretion for a further two year period of extension of permission where vacancy levels across the town centre still remain above 10% at the time of applying for the extension. A longer period of initial temporary use may be considered where applicants can demonstrate that the proposal represents a significant level of investment in terms of remodelling and fit-out of the retail unit.
For more information please see the Area Action Plan