Agenda item

The Head of Planning submitted a report in respect of application no. N/2012/0122, elaborated thereon and in particular referred to paragraph 7.1 of the report that set out the additional information supplied by the applicant.

The Committee discussed the application.

RESOLVED:   That Northampton Borough Council objects very strongly to the application for the following reasons:

·           The Retail Assessment submitted with the scheme fails to pay adequate regard to the impact of the development upon Northampton Town Centre or Weston Favell District Centre.  The application site is within 13km (8 miles) of the eastern edge of Northampton and the catchment of a development of this nature and scale would clearly cover Northampton and the residential areas served by its town centre.  The Retail Assessment currently submitted makes unrealistic assumptions regarding the catchment of the proposal and thus, fails to pay adequate regard to the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework in terms of the retail impact and the sequential approach (paras 24- 27).

·           The sequential assessment conducted in relation to Northampton town centre is flawed and fails to adequately assess the ability of Northampton town centre to accommodate development of the scale proposed.  NBC, along with its partners, are currently in detailed discussions with Legal and General (the key landowner) relating to a major town centre redevelopment incorporating a substantial increase in retail floorspace at the Grosvenor Centre.  The submission version of the Northampton Central Area Action Plan identifies that the Grosvenor Centre will accommodate between 32,000 – 37,000 (gross) A1 comparison goods floorspace.  NBC maintain that Northampton Town Centre is a sequentially preferable site that is supported in planning policy.  The application should therefore be refused in line with the NPPF (para. 27).

·           The assessment of the retail impact provided by the applicant is based on unrealistic assumptions regarding the trading patterns and catchment of the proposed development.  NBC consider that the sub-regional scale of the development, and its location on the principal highway network, are such that the retail catchment would be significantly wider than suggested by the applicants and would directly compete with Northampton Town Centre.  Northampton Town Centre is identified as the Principal Urban Area within RSS8 and the development of an out of centre retail scheme of this magnitude within easy reach of its catchment is contrary to the aims of Policies MKSM SRS Northamptonshire 1, MKSM SRS Northamptonshire 2, MKSM SRS Northamptonshire 3 and MKSM SRS Northamptonshire 4 which set the spatial framework for the sub-region.

·           The independent retail assessment of the impact of the Rushden Lakes proposal, conducted on behalf of the North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit (NNJPU) by GVA Grimley Ltd is considered to be a more realistic assessment of the likely impact of the scheme.  This identifies that the proposal will have a significant negative impact upon Northampton Town Centre resulting in a cumulative trade diversion of between 9 and 15% of turnover at 2016.  Therefore, it is considered that the proposal will have a significant detrimental impact upon the vitality and viability of the Town Centre and make planned investments within the centre significantly more difficult to achieve.  Where significant retail impact on existing centres is anticipated the NPPF directs that applications should be refused (para. 27).

·           The proposal is considered to be an unsustainable form of development by virtue of its location to the major highway network and poor accessibility in relation to non-car based modes of travel.  The nature of the proposal and the likely catchment area is such that the scheme would result in a significant increase in the level of vehicular traffic movements, contrary to the aims of paragraph 34 of the NPPF.