Many of the city’s and region’s town centres are in a “death spiral” and initiatives such as the Mary Portas fund will not halt this decline, experts in Bristol have warned.
A survey of local authorities by property adviser GVA found that more than four in 10 town centre redevelopments in England and Wales are delayed, halted or permanently stalled. At the same time a third of councils have no schemes planned at all.
While Bedminster in Bristol will receive a share of the Portas money to help regenerate, the report adds that the initiative is “mainly palliative” and does not address the root cause of decline.
Matthew Morris, director of planning, development and regeneration at GVA’s Bristol office, said: “These findings illustrate the significant challenges that both local authorities and the private sector are facing while trying to progress retail-led town centre development.
“The Government has restated the long-standing ‘town centres first’ planning policy, but the clear focus of development activity remains out of centre, to complement online sales growth. Unless there is a pipeline of suitable, viable and available town centre opportunities, and the Government enforces its policies, this trend will accelerate.
“Given the critical importance of new investment in our town centres, it is vital that existing and new opportunities are re-evaluated. It is too early to write off our town centres as being in a ‘death spiral’, but for some that is a very real risk without urgent action.”
The initial findings of GVA’s survey shows a number of common factors are responsible for the delays in regenerating town centres including development viability (in 45% of cases), problems with site assembly (28%), weak occupier demand (23%) and problems with development financing (21%).
The survey also shows that, of the schemes progressing with an original opening date, almost three quarters are anchored by a food store.
The survey results and GVA’s latest research bulletin which explores how successful retail development can be promoted and delivered, is available from www.gva.co.uk
Being a propery expert i like your blog very much, Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.
Trouble is though, liberal lefties can spout off all we like but the sad fact is that most Brits will carry on voting with their feet – or rather their wheels – and driving in to the out of town developments that are so convenient for consumers with motors. These big sites with their huge, free, car parks also provide the kind of sanitised 'family friendly' immersive *experience* that so many people seem to crave now.
Tescopoly are not the bloody answer. I agree that you make some noise but you at best occasionally deflect the steamroller. They built a Tesco in Stokes Croft for christ’s sake.
There is no real opposition. GVA are even complaining that only 6/10 of their schemes get the go ahead straight away whilst the other 4 get delayed. And they can complain that this is threatening the end of town centres unless we submit further!
RE "submit further"; correct… they will stop at nothing
Dear arry, bless you. At last someone's copped-on to the mole in the quasi-judicial farcical procedures that they claim to be democratic.
Dear arry, bless you. At last someone's copped-on to the mole in the quasi-judicial farcical procedures that they claim to be democratic.
Here's mention of their "war chest" for global domination:
http://www.beattiegroup.com/prclients/pr-press-re…
There is an opposition, don't lose hope.
Ol' bllighty's not done yet!:…..
http://www.tescopoly.org/images/stories/Planning%…
If you were to tell the FT and they ran an article that Murdoch couldn't control… hmmm!?
What's particularly depressing is that, other than sounding off on message boards, there is no response to this.
GVA and others have all the money, all the staff, all the contacts, in the financial incentive, all the PR and press, all the power.
Meanwhile, all our politicians and councillors are following party whips and doing nothing – spouting meaningless drivel designed to make it look as if they "care" but doing nothing. All our officers are simply kowtowed to GVA and others or wined and dined into compliance.
There is no response. There is no opposition. There is no alternative. There is no hope.
We will soon have only supermarkets who sell food and chains who sell everything else. This is no longer a nation of shopkeepers and stallholders. We are a nation of duty managers and shelf stackers.
By "trying to progress retail-led town centre development" I presume he means knocking down existing shops and building new malls and supermarkets.
Yes – we do need so many more malls and supermarkets to keep our city centres alive. If only there were more franchised chains in our city centres paying hyped rents in brand new retail outlets.
The last thing we need is all those empty shops forced to rent at reasonable rents so that ordinary traders can do business.
And GVA would never produce a self serving report would they.
Read the comments and the links within: http://www.bristol247.com/2011/08/02/gva-ranked-t…
Is it any wonder when the fox is in charge of the chickens?
"Independent" planning consultant my derriere.
Not when the client is also the applicant.
Keep taking the medicine.