Agenda item

Consultants GVA Grimley were instructed in June 2007 by City of York Council to undertake a citywide Retail Study for York. This report summarises the key findings and recommendations of the retail study for consideration by Members.

Members considered a report which summarised the key findings and recommendations of the Retail Study for York commissioned by the Council in June 2007 from consultants GVA Grimley.  The purpose of the study had been to provide a context for retail policies and proposals within the forthcoming Local Development Framework (LDF) for York, with particular reference to the amount of floor space to be allocated for future retail development. 

The headline findings from the study were that York City Centre was essentially healthy and performing well but with a number of weaknesses that needed to be addressed.  These included: lack of convenience offer in the city centre, lack of new and refurbished department store offer, and small format units not suited to modern retailing requirements.  York city centre was also drawing a declining share of overall retail spending within its catchment area, with the prospect of further decline if nothing was done.  The study forecast that there was capacity for significant additional retail floor space in York in the period up to 2029 and went on to consider the best locations for meeting this extra demand.

Members received a presentation from a representative of GVA Grimley, outlining the methodology and sub-regional context of the study and providing details of the qualitative and quantitative assessments carried out and of the resulting recommendations regarding Convenience outlets and Strategy.  During the discussion that followed, Members stressed the need to understand the wishes of York residents, with a view to ensuring that their custom was not lost to other retail centres, such as Leeds.  Officers agreed to carry out further analysis to determine the shopping patterns of York residents.  It was noted that a number of local shopping parades had been omitted from the study; however, these would be covered by an analysis of neighbourhood shopping provision currently being carried out by Officers.

Members enquired about internet shopping and it was noted that an allowance had been made for this in the projections.  Members asked about the basis on which the projections had been made and it was confirmed that they had been based on long term economic trends of the past 20 years but took no account of the recent dramatic rise in oil prices, ‘credit crunch’ or developing world recession.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the publication of the City of York Retail Study as part of the LDF Evidence Base be endorsed, on the understanding that additional information requested by the Working Group may be published at a later stage and that the results of the analysis of neighbourhood shopping provision will be brought to the Working Group prior to publication of the preferred options.¹

REASON:      To inform decisions on the policy options for retail for York as part of the LDF.

                        (ii)        That it be agreed that authority be delegated to the Director of City Strategy, in consultation with the Executive and Shadow Executive Members for City Strategy, to make any necessary changes to the Retail Study arising from the resolutions of the Working Group, prior to its publication.²

REASON:      So that any recommended changes can be incorporated into the Retail Study prior to its publication.