Policy information sourced from the Hounslow Local Plan Part 1
TC4 - MANAGING USES IN TOWN CENTRES
Our approach
We will seek to maintain and enhance the fundamental retail role of town centres, while ensuring that they are responsive to changing needs and provide scope for a diversity of uses, in appropriate places, that contribute to their vitality and viability.
We will achieve this by
- Establishing town centre boundaries, as shown on the Policies Map;
- Designating primary and secondary frontages in the four town centres, as shown on the Policies Map;
- In addition, establishing a primary shopping area in the four town centres, as shown on the Policies Map;
- Protecting the strong retail role of the borough’s town centres by ensuring that primary frontages and primary shopping areas retain a high proportion of A1 retail uses. This will be achieved by assessing the impact of development proposals on the retail function of the remaining frontage, to ensure that it remains strong;
- Supporting a diversity of uses, particularly in secondary frontages, undesignated frontages and areas where there is surplus retail and/or office floorspace; and
- Encouraging proposals that contribute to the vitality and viability of the town centre, such as achieving an active frontage during the day and evening; and
- Considering the cumulative impact of proposals on the vitality and vibrancy of town centres and the amenity of local residents, particularly avoiding the over-concentration of non-retail uses such as hot food takeaways.
We will expect development proposals to
- Maintain a high proportion of retail uses in primary frontages and primary shopping areas by demonstrating that the retail function of the frontage is not undermined where change of use from A1 retail is proposed;
- Maintain a diversity of uses, including A2 financial and professional Services and A3 cafes and restaurants, in secondary frontages, undesignated areas of town centres or areas where there is surplus retail and/or office floorspace, while maintaining an A1 retail function that will usually make up at least half of a shopping parade or frontage;
- Contribute to local townscape character and have a high quality of design and appearance, in accordance with the council’s Shop Front Design Guidelines SPD;
- Retain retail or business use at ground floor level, or another active frontage that contributes to the centre; and
- Encourage effective use of upper floors that contributes to town centre vitality and regeneration, such as business or residential use, provided this is consistent with other Local Plan policies.
Supporting facts
Town centre healthchecks
The town centre designations (including boundaries, primary and secondary frontages and primary shopping areas) are based on evidence collated and analysed in the borough’s town centre healthchecks. A summary for each of the town centres is provided below.
Hounslow
Primary frontages perform well in terms of their retail function, with 79% of units in retail (A1) use. In the secondary frontage 48% of units are in retail use, showing a balance with other town centre uses. Despite containing a range of high street retailers, there are a number of low value goods shops and national retailer representation falls short of that in nearby Metropolitan Centres, such as Kingston or Ealing. There is also a lack of high quality restaurant, leisure and entertainments uses, and limited activity in the evenings and nighttime. The council will seek to improve the quality of retail offered in Hounslow while also boosting the range of other activities to offer diversity. It is therefore important to protect the strong retail function of primary frontages and promote further retail development in the primary shopping area, while ensuring nonretail development is appropriately located and benefits the centre as a whole.
Chiswick
The primary frontages contain 68% A1 retail uses and secondary frontages contain 56% A1 retail uses. In both frontages, retail units are generally small in terms of their frontage lengths, so constitute a lower proportion of frontages when looking at lengths. However, Chiswick offers a good range of high street multiples and independent shops and boutiques, the latter by their nature often being smaller units. A range of other uses - particularly restaurants, bars, financial and professional services, offices and leisure uses - contributes to the diversity and vitality of the town centre. Consolidation and enhancement of the centre is encouraged, and careful management of retail and non-retail uses is needed to maintain an appropriate balance of uses to protect the centre’s retail function while continuing to enable the diversity of uses (mainly in secondary and undesignated frontages) that contributes to its success.
Brentford
While frontages in Brentford perform well in terms of their retail make up (63% A1 in the primary frontage and 55% in the secondary frontage) the range of goods sold and types of shop (such as high street multiples) represented is poor and does not fulfil the role of the centre or meet the needs of local residents. The leisure, cultural and entertainment offer is also limited and dispersed, with its greatest asset, Watermans Arts Centre, being located outside the town centre boundary. The regeneration proposals for Brentford seek to tackle these issues, and are supported by the town centre designations.
Feltham
Frontages in Feltham perform well in terms of their retail make up (66% A1 retail units in the primary frontage and 55% in the secondary frontage) and offer a good range of retailers following recent redevelopment. The centre contains a range of services such as a library and health centre. The Leisure West development is the borough’s only multiplex cinema and bowling alley, and together with supporting restaurants, provides a leisure cluster just outside Feltham town centre. Links and access to the town centre from Leisure West should be improved, and opportunities taken to improve the leisure and entertainment offer in the town centre itself, to promote activity in the evening and nighttime. The designations seek to build on recent development and strengthen and enhance Feltham as a vibrant District Centre.
For more information please see the Hounslow Local Plan Part 1