Policy information sourced from The Waltham Forest Local Plan Development Management Policies

DM25 Managing Town Centre Uses

Primary Frontages

A) In the primary shopping frontages of Walthamstow and the District Centres (See Schedule 5 and the Policies Map), the Council will seek to ensure that retail uses (use class A1) predominate on ground floors. Other uses will be permitted where all of the following criteria are met:

  1. the proposal will not result or contribute to the proportion of non-retail uses in the relevant frontage exceeding 30% of its total length; and
  2. the proposal will not result or contribute to the equivalent of a group of three or more adjoining standard size shop units in non-retail uses; and
  3. the use proposed provides a service directly related to a shopping trip (such as banks, building societies, cafés).Additionally, in making decisions, the Council will consider the following factors;
  4. the extent to which the proposed use is capable of attracting a significant number of shoppers/visitors to the centre;
  5. the extent to which the proposed use meets an important local need as may be identified through a local need survey;
  6. the extent to which the proposed use contributes to the Council’s aspirations and priorities, in particular, the regeneration objectives for the local area;
  7. the contribution the proposed use will make to the vitality and viability of the proposed frontage and the centre generally and will contribute to shoppers’ experience and;
  8. the availability of suitable alternative vacant premises outside the primary frontage.

Secondary Frontages

B) Within the secondary shopping frontages of Walthamstow and the District Centres (See Schedule 6 and the Policies Map), the Council will seek to maintain and encourage shops (use class A1) at ground floor level. Other uses will be considered as follows:

  • unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated, development at ground floor level should not lead or contribute to the proliferation of non-retail uses comprising Class A2, A3, A4 or A5 uses such that more than 50% of the length of the relevant shopping frontage contains non-retail uses;
  • provided that the proportion of the frontage length does not exceed 50%, other uses appropriate to a shopping centre including créches, aid centres, doctors/dentists surgeries may be permitted subject to the contribution the proposal can make to the vitality and viability of the proposed frontage and the centre generally; and
  • the proposal will not result or contribute to the equivalent of a group of three or more adjoining standard size shop units in non-retail uses.

Neighbourhood Retail Parades

C) Within Neighbourhood Centres (See Schedules 7 & 8 and the Policies Map), the Council will only grant permission for changes of use from shops (use class A1) outside the designated retail parades.

Local Retail Parades

D) Within Local Retail Parades (See Schedule 9 and the Policies Map), the Council will only permit changes of use at ground floor level from a shop (use class A1) where:

  • local residents would still have a reasonable range and choice of essential shops within the parade or within a reasonable walking distance; and
  • the replacement use would be beneficial to the local community.

Where the above criteria are not met, permission will only be granted if it can be demonstrated that the unit has been vacant and actively advertised on reasonable and realistic terms for class A1 use for a continuous period of at least 6 months.

Non-Designated Frontages or Parades

E) Within the designated boundaries of Walthamstow Town Centre and the District Centres but outside the primary and secondary frontages, changes of use from retail (class A1) to other town centre uses (28) will be permitted subject to other policies of this plan, in particular, Policy DM25 (H).

F) Outside Designated Centres and Local Retail Parades, the Council will generally permit changes of use at ground floor level from shops (use class A1) to other alternative uses. Proposals must however meet other policies in this plan, in particular, Policy DM25 (H).

Proliferation of Particular Uses

G) With regard to non retail service uses (those relating to Classes A2, A3, A4, & Sui Generis),(29) other than banks building societies and cafes, where proposals comply with policies DM25 (A) to (F), the Council will in addition consider all of the following factors:

  • the nature of the business operation and the number of such occupiers in the designated centre or parade and the local area generally;
  • the concentration or clustering of such business operators in particular locations or frontages and the impact on the retail image of the designated centre, parade or local area in which it is located;
  • the extent to which the proposal can be demonstrated to contribute to the Council’s regeneration objectives or help to tackle social deprivation in the local area; and
  • the implications for crime and anti-social behaviour.

Townscape Character

H) Where proposals comply with the above policies, the Council will in addition consider the impact of the proposals on amenity, the character and function of the parade in which the proposal is to be located. Acceptable uses will be those that create activity and interest along a shopping or commercial street and can be well integrated in design terms in accordance with the relevant principles set out in Policy DM29. As a general approach, the Council will ensure that:

  • along commercial frontages (at ground floor/street level), planning permission will be granted for active uses (those that can operate with display windows and shop fronts and create activity and interest directly related to passing pedestrians);
  • ground floor housing conversions within commercial frontages will be supported in locations where commercial activity has significantly declined and the proposal is part of a scheme involving a group of properties in the street block or parade.

Shopfronts and Signs

I) Permission will be granted for new shop fronts and signs which comply with all of the following:

  • the design is related to the scale, proportion and appearance of the building and respects the character of the area or parade where the proposal is located;
  • the design is in keeping with standards for the local area or parade as being promoted under existing shopfront improvement schemes;
  • the design retains, and where practicable provides a separate entrance to upper floor accommodation where this is separate from the ground floor use and;
  • principal entrances to upper floor accommodation avoid the rear of buildings where practicable as this can give rise to personal safety and security issues;
  • the design incorporates measures to improve or maintain access for all users;
  • an appropriately designed shutter is provided. Solid roller shutters on shopfronts of commercial properties, will not normally be permitted, other than in exceptional circumstances. This might include where:
    • the shop is an open design without a shopfront (e.g. as with some fishmongers and greengrocers’ shops);
    • the shop has special security needs (e.g. jewellers’ shops);
    • there is an existing roller shutter installed with the benefit of previous planning consent - and there are no planning or other reasons to object to the installation of a replacement.
    • the shop entrance only is to be obscured and displays will remain visible.

Applicants should note that there are additional controls relating to advertisements and signs in Conservation Areas.

For more information please see the Local Plan Development Management Policies