Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035
ED11: Local centres and dispersed local shops
The council will support and protect the role of local centres and local shops in meeting the day to day needs of communities. Active frontage uses, and particularly retail uses, will be encouraged and protected. Where new ground floor units are created, generally 50 per cent of this ground floor floorspace should be in commercial, business and service use. Where necessary and justified, the council will use conditions/and or planning obligations to limit uses consented within Class E to achieve the objectives of this policy.
To ensure the vitality, viability and function of local centres, the change of use of ground floor units will be supported only where the use proposed is an active frontage use and an appropriate mix and balance of uses is retained. The requirements of Local Plan policies ED8, and ED10 also apply.
Exceptionally, the loss of active frontage uses within local centres will be allowed where it is demonstrated that:
- the premises have been actively marketed over a continuous period of at least one year for an active frontage use compatible with the function of the centre, and it has not been possible to secure an occupier; and
- the proposal would not detrimentally affect the character of the centre.
The loss of dispersed local shops outside of local centres will only be supported where:
- the premises have been actively marketed over a continuous period of at least one year for an alternative shop or social infrastructure use compatible with the location, and it has not been possible to secure an occupier; and
- there is a town centre or accessible provision of essential daily goods within reasonable walking distance (within 400m).
For more information please see the Local Plan