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CASE STUDY 8

TITLE: SHOPPING IN THE BRISTOL AREA

ISSUE: The past, current and future pattern of shopping; in particular the arguments for and against out-of-town shopping developments and city/town centre shopping.

RESOURCES: Illustrations of the many different forms of shopping; extracts from planning policy documents; newspaper cuttings relating to shopping issues.

TASKS: l Assessing and analysing a local shopping centrel Analysing points for and against a new out-of-town shopping

centrel Analysis of four specific shopping issues

ROLE: Students can assume the roles of:

l A developer putting forward the case for new shopping development

l Owners / operators of existing shopping centres concerned atthe impact of new developments

l Customers seeking the best quality of goods at the lowest cost

l Environmental groups concerned at the possible impact upon the countryside of new out-of-town developments

ISSUE: The key issue to be considered is the future relative role of out-of-town shopping facilities as against facilities in city/town centres, on radial roads, in the suburbs and in the rural areas.

DECISION: The difficult task of weighing up all the options and coming to a decision for or against a proposed out-of-town shopping development.

SHOPPING IN THE BRISTOL AREA

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CASE STUDY 8

INTRODUCTION:

Shopping plays an important role in today’s society. The wayin which shopping is done is ever changing and today’s activities are vastly different from those which were familiar toprevious generations.

This case study explores these changing shopping patternsthat serve our cities, towns and rural areas. It focuses particularly on the Bristol area but the issues apply throughoutthe South West and indeed all parts of the country.

SHOPPING TODAY:

Current shopping habits

l Most items purchased come from shops. Newspapers and milk may be delivered to the door; some items that have been ordered from catalogues or newspaper advertsarrive by post or delivery van. Increasingly, use is now being made of Internet shopping

l Most often, however, local shops or supermarkets are visited to buy food and items needed frequently (1). For other items such as shoes, tools or furniture that are bought less often (2) shoppers go to a specialist shop or to a department store. Probably several shops are visited to look for the best bargain which combines low price withquality.

Different types of shop

l From the above it is clear that the word ‘shop’ is used to describe many different kinds of facilities. Shops can be the local corner or village shop visited several times a week; or the supermarket/superstore where the weekly/fortnightly purchase of food is undertaken; or the retail warehouse where, for instance, furniture or do-it-yourself equipment is bought; or the major department store where a wide range of items can be purchased.

l Many of these different types are part of a chain of shopswhich means that there are similar ones with the same name in other parts of the town or city or in other urban areas throughout the country (eg Littlewoods). These shops and stores with different names are oftenowned by the same company.

(1) Known as ‘Convenience’ goods(2) Known as ‘Comparison or Durable’ goods

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Shoppers

Local shop

Department store

Village shop

A chain shop


CASE STUDY 8

l Some shops sell a wide range of goods whilst others specialise. Specialist shops might sell meat, books, fashion clothes or computer equipment. These shops become known from their names and shop front displays. Compared with the corner and village shops, the department store sells much bigger and more expensive “durable” items which, as the name suggests, last a long time.

l Today shoppers are so used to supermarket/superstoreshopping that it is hard to realise that few existed 30 - 40 years ago. In those days there were many small family run food shops; many of these have closed down or beentaken over by a supermarket company. Such companies run supermarkets/superstores in many towns and there are often a number in one large town or city (eg Asda, Safeway, Sainsbury, Tesco, Somerfield).

l These supermarkets/superstores involve the principle of self service with customers selecting goods displayed on open shelves or racks and paying at one of many checkout points. This makes theseshops cheaper to run than those employing many assistants serving customers.These big supermarkets can buy large amounts of goods from manufacturers or wholesalers at a lower price than if smaller amounts are obtained, say by owners of corner or village shops. Thus supermarkets can offer lower prices for the customer.

l A further significant feature of recent years has been the development of retail warehousing often located in whatare called retail parks. In these large buildings goods aredisplayed and sold often of a specialist nature, such as do-it-yourself goods or furniture. These large warehousesare particularly good for those items that need large floor areas for display purposes; they are also where customers can park close by making it easier to take away bulky or heavy items.

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Computer shop

Superstore

Furniture retailwarehouse


CASE STUDY 8

Where are today’s shops?

l Apart from corner or village shops, most shops are clustered together, usually with other uses such as banks and offices. Such clusters may be in the form of small parades on housing estates or in more significant suburban centres often focusing on old villages that have,over the years, been absorbed by the growing urban area. Others are sited in what are termed radial centres along roads leading out from town or city centres or in the town/city centre itself. In most urban areas there are a lot of shopping parades, a number of suburban centres and radial shopping streets and one large central shopping area.

l Most shopping centres are busy places; they have developed where they are because they are easy to get to by a large number of people. Mixing shoppers and traffic can be dangerous however, and traffic-free or traffic-reduced precincts have now been built in many towns and cities. Good car parking facilities, often multi-storey, are provided wherever possible near such precincts. A further refinement of the traffic-free shopping environment within urban areas has come with the development of enclosed, air conditioned shopping ‘malls’ sited either adjacent to existing town centre shopsor on the site of demolished, previously developed, shop units.

l Supermarkets of various sizes can be found in today’s suburban shopping parades, on the radial roads or in town/city centres. However numbers situated in these locations have dwindled significantly in recent years with the advent of the major supermarket/superstore located on the edge of either the town/city centre or the town/city itself. Such facilities draw customers from relatively long distances for their weekly/fortnightly major shopping expedition, attracted by both the relatively low prices and the free, ground level, large car parking facilities. Sometimes these out-of-centre supermarkets are sited on retail parks along with other retail warehousing buildings.

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A shop parade

A radial shoppingstreet

A precinct

Superstore


CASE STUDY 8

l A further significant development in recent years has been the development of a number of major out-of-town regional or sub- regional shopping centres.These centres, located on large sites at the edge of towns and cities and often near motorway junctions, (providing easier access to large catchment areas), bring together in modern, air conditioned buildings a wide range of shopping facilities (usually including a department store), surrounded by very large car parks.In some instances good public transport links are also in place.

The development of such major out-of-town facilities such as at Cribbs Causeway, north of Bristol, has been particularly controversial because of their potential impact upon the economy and viability of adjoining town and city centre shopping centres and also, to some degree, nearby suburban centres. They draw large numbers of customers both from nearby urban areas, and the surrounding rural areas but also attract customers from large distances via the national motorway network.

l A final trend to note is the advent of the factory outletwhere a number of shopping units are brought together normally selling factory ‘seconds’ and surplus stock at discounted prices. Such developments are usually on former factory sites; two examples in the South West being Clarks Village on part of the former shoe factory at Street in Somerset and the Designer Village in part of the former railway works at Swindon. A number of the architectural and engineering features of the original buildings are sometimes incorporated in the shopping centre.

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Major regional shopping centre

Clarks outletStreet, Somerset


CASE STUDY 8


This section provides an example of how the above general characteristics andtrends in shopping have, and continue to influence, the Bristol area. These featuresare repeated in many other cities and towns both in the South West and elsewhere.

l Prior to the Second World War, Bristol’s shopping pattern was typical of many British cities and towns. A major shopping centre in the Wine Street/Castle Street area formed a strong focus; with buildings of great character, it was a vibrant and busy shopping area drawing customers from right across the city and further afield. A secondary centre also focused on the Park Street/Queens Road area. The suburban areas were characterised by major shopping facilities along many of the radial roads (along which the city’s trams ran at great frequency), smaller shopping parades and numerous corner shops, the last being virtually all privately owned and forming focal points for the local communities.

l During the Second World War disaster struck; as in many other cities and towns the central shopping area was extensively bombed. In the case of Bristol, the Wine Street/Castle Street area was virtually destroyed (nearly 500 shops were damaged). Businesses in this area were forced away either right out of the city or to the radial roads (eg East Street, Bedminster and Gloucester Road). Some never returned to the city centre.

l In the early 1950s a new central shopping area was developed - Broadmead - on a site adjacent, and to the north of, the original shopping area which, after years of delay, eventually became a major open space, Castle Park. Taking on board the planning and transport principles of the time, the new Broadmead centre incorporated considerable segregation of customer’s cars and servicing vehicles with rear service courts having access to many of the units. Nevertheless there developed considerable pedestrian/vehicle conflict. In other parts of the city the radial shopping centres, the suburban parades and many of the corner shops revived. In developing communities around the city (eg Thornbury, Yate, Keynsham and Nailsea) shopping centres developed in parallel with housing.

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Old Wine Street/CastleStreet area

Castle Street, Bristolbombed

East Street, Bedminster

Pedestrian/vehicleconflict

Broadmead


CASE STUDY 8

l Two significant trends in the late 1960s generated changes in the shopping pattern of the Bristol area; the growth of the supermarket and the ever increasing rise in car ownership and use. Supermarkets began to trade on the radial roads, in the suburbs, in the surrounding towns and, to a limited degree in the Bristol central shopping area. As a direct result the viability and the number of corner shops declined.

Sketch map of shopping centres in Bristol area in 2000

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CASE STUDY 8

l The early 1970s saw a very significant event with a series of shopping schemes being proposed for supermarkets / hypermarket (a very large supermarket) on the northern edge of the city adjacent to a junction on the M5 motorway. Also proposed was a very large regional shopping centre incorporating two department stores and a large number of varied shopping units. All of these schemes were eventually refused planning permission following a Public Inquiry, apart from a major hypermaket. This subsequently opened - the Carrefour Hypermarket - the largest at that time in Britain, based on the principle and trading pattern of stores already operating in France. This store, now operated by ASDA/Walmart, is some 16,290 sq m (gross) with 1900 car spaces.

l Over the following 20 years a series of supermarket / superstores opened on a number of sites, mostly away from existing shopping centres eg Brislington and Whitchurch. Often they were associated with new housing developments (eg Longwell Green, East Bristol and Bradley Stoke). Othersdeveloped on former industrial sites (eg Ashton). All these developments, including large numbers of free parking spaces, combined to seriously undermine the viability of many of Bristol’s radial shopping streets, the suburban centres and particularly the corner shops. Significantly the only major supermarket in the Broadmead centre closed, though some years later a small metro type supermarket opened.

l A major revamp of the Broadmead shopping area was undertaken in the early 1970s with a large area being pedestrianised, despite some initial opposition by traders. Some 20 years later came significant further alterations with the incorporation in Broadmead of Bristol’s first major enclosed shopping centre - The Galleries. Constructed on three levels on a site following demolition of a large number of units built only in the 1950s, such a modern facility had come late to the city, some years after similar schemes had commenced trading in other cities and towns. Its multi-storey nature has permitted much greater floor space on the same ground space used previously for single and two storey units.

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Hypermarket

Superstore

‘To Let’ notices in radial shopping street

Re-opened supermarketin pedestrianised

Broadmead

The Galleries, ShoppingCentre, Broadmead


CASE STUDY 8

l The development of the Galleries was, without doubt encouraged by the City Council in the light of the threat posed to the Broadmead area by a new out-of-town regional shopping centre which had eventually gained planning permission following a further two Public Inquiries. This new shopping centre - The Mall -at Cribbs Causeway opened in 1998 on a site close to a junction on the M5 motorway almost adjacent to the location of the similar, but even larger, development that had been refused permission in the early 1970s. The new centre (69,200 sq metres gross) is surrounded by some 7,000 parking spaces at ground level or in two storey car parks. It draws customers from a very wide area, particularly using the M4/M5 motorway network (eg South Wales, Midlands, other parts of the South West). A particularly significantfeature of The Mall is the incorporation of a John Lewis department store (21,400 sq metres gross) which transferred fromthe city centre Broadmead shopping complex. The other “anchor” store at The Mall is a large Marks and Spencer (13,470 sq metres gross); a similar size store continues to also trade in Broadmead.

l The opening of The Mall prompted yet more enhancement of the Broadmead centre in an effort to maintain its attractiveness as a shopping centre. In particular great efforts were made to replace the John Lewis department store, which was eventually replaced by a Bentalls department store, its first major development outside the South East. Other enhancement measures have included improved paving and new street furniture; seats, bollards, signs etc. A number of schemes are now being considered for further expansion of the Broadmead centre; most important these incorporate significant new car parking provision, often considered a weakness of Broadmead.

l There is little doubt that trading at the Mall has affected the economy of Broadmead to some degree but it is probable that the effects have been even greater on Bristol’s secondary central shopping area based on Park Street / Queens Road (The West End). The impact of the Mall on Bristol’s other shopping areas, along the radials, in the suburbs and on the surrounding town centres will, without doubt, be a continuing issue for many years.

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The Mall

BroadmeadEnhancement

Bentalls

Cover sheet ofExpansion Strategy Document

Newspaper cutting illustrating decline

of Bristol’s West Endas a shopping centre


CASE STUDY 8

RESOLVING THE ISSUES

The above sections illustrate that the provision of shoppingfacilities highlights a number of difficult issues, some of theseconflicting:

l the requirements of shoppers - need for choice, value for money, ease of access etc

l the impact of proposed facilities upon local communities and the environment

l the economic effect of proposed facilities upon existing shopping areas

l the impact of traffic generated by shopping areas, both by customers’ and service vehicles

A key fact is that shopping facilities involve operations that require planning permission: issues considered when planning applications are submitted include:

l the impact of the facility on other shopping areas; however the issues of competition between different stores cannot be considered - only the impact of the shopping schemes on the overall “vitality and viability” of other town/ city/local shopping centres

l measures taken to reduce the environmental impact of the development

l the implications for traffic movements in the area, both by customers’ cars and service/delivery vehicles; also important is the scale and availability of car parking and public transport facilities

Increasingly the issue of whether edge/out of town shopping centres provide a sustainable form of development is being actively considered. This is particularlybecause of their dependence upon access by the private car and the increase in car trips they generate in an area.

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Traffic

Shoppers


CASE STUDY 8

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AND IN MAKING DECISIONS?

l The retail operators who submit planning applications for shopping development which can range from a single shop unit to a supermarket or major shopping centre. Such planning applications must normally include details of the floor space involved and the uses to which this space is to be put (eg offices, shopping floor space, circulation area), thedesign of the buildings, the hours of operation, the car parking facilities and availability of public transport.

l The Local Planning Authority (LPA) which takes the decision on the planning application; this will be the District or Unitary Council applicable to the location of the proposed development. These planning authorities, in making the decision, must weigh up all the factors considered above. In making thesejudgements, they will refer particularly to planning documents that set out the Authority’s policies on shopping (eg the District Local Plan). Also relevant will be the Government’s national planning policies onretailing, for instance the Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 (January 1996). This sets out a policy of a ‘sequential test’ which, in simple terms, indicates that out-of-town shopping developments should only be given favourable consideration if appropriate sites are not available within the urban area itself. When planning permission is granted, conditions will be attached, setting out requirements in relation to design, hours of opening, car parking facilities, highway access and servicing etc. The LPA subsequently monitors operations and, if planning conditions are not being met, enforcement action can be taken to ensure that they are. If planning permission is not granted, the LPA must clearly state the reasons why not, in particular relating to both the Government’s and its own planningpolicies. Refusals of permission can sometimes result in a Planning Appeal and a Public Inquiry (see below).

l The Government through the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions is involved in two ways. Firstly, as noted in the previous paragraph, the Government sets out national policies for retailing, these are set out not only in PPG6, but also in Regional Planning Guidance (RPG). Secondly,the Government becomes directly involved if the

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A Planningapplication form

Local Plan

PPG 6


CASE STUDY 8

proposed shopping development is refused by the LPA or agreed but with conditions unacceptable to the operator who then appeals. The Secretary of State will give a decision on an application after a Public Inquiry has been held before an Inspector. At the Inquiry all the different arguments both for and against the proposed operations are discussed. Again the policies in the Local Plan will be a key issue.

l The general public through local councils (eg town or parish councils), local chambers of trade, village/town groups and as individuals. These groups/individuals are able to make comments both when the initial planning application is being considered by the local planning authority and also, if appropriate, at the later Public Inquiry. The involvement of these groups and individuals can come through participation in local campaigns, usually against the proposed development, but in the case of retailing, significant support can be voiced by those who see the proposed development as bringing about lower prices andalso the generation of new jobs.

THE ROLE OF THE PLANNING OFFICER

The Planning Officer, working for a local planning authority, is involved in a numberof ways in the processes described above:

l Preparation of the District Local Plan; this sets out policies regarding thelocation of, and conditions required for, future new shopping development

l Assessment of Planning Applications; reporting on these to the Local Planning Authority Committee usually recommending approval or refusal of the application

l Negotiating with the retail developer, seeking clarification on the proposals and possible improvements/changes (eg in the nature / mix of uses / design of the scheme)

l Monitoring the operations, to ensure that the planning conditions are being met, and, if necessary, initiating enforcement action

l Explaining the proposals to the local community and organisations (eg local chamber of trade)

l Defending the Local Planning Authority’s decision at a Public Inquiry,if permission is refused

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Local campaigns(letter to newspaper

re shop closures)

Draft RPG for theSouth West 1999


CASE STUDY 8

QUESTIONS AND TASKS

A. ASSESSMENT OF A LOCAL SHOPPING CENTRE

A particularly valuable exercise in examining shopping trends and facilities is toundertake an assessment of a local shopping centre in your area. A good startingpoint is to carry out a survey of the centre making notes on the different uses, thegeneral condition of the buildings and the physical characteristics of the centre.

For example:

l Is it a relatively compact or linear centre?

l Is the location level or hilly?

l Which roads through the centre are busy, which are quiet?

l Condition of the buildings (attractive/well maintained/run down/derelict)

l How do you think characteristics such as these affect the attractiveness of the centre for shopping?

l What features do you think attract people to use this particular shopping centre?

l What features do you think might put people off from using the centre?

l Does the whole of the centre have the same features or do different parts have varying features?

The quality of the shopping environment has been shown to be an important issuefor shoppers. Observation is a useful method of making an assessment of this environment. Set out below is a suggested check list which can be used. For comparing shopping areas a scoring system can be used: good (2), average (1) and poor (0), for each factor considered to give an indication of the shopping centre’s quality. The lists of points under each heading in the checklist can beadded to in appropriate circumstances.

Select a local shopping centre or part of a large town or city centre to undertakeyour analysis.

To assist all this work a base map of the shopping centre can usually be obtainedfrom the local planning department. You may also consider illustrating your points ina sketch plan form. An example is provided overleaf.

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CASE STUDY 8

SKETCH MAP APPRAISAL OF LOCAL SHOPPING CENTRE

(EXAMPLE)

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CASE STUDY 8

SHOPPING CENTRE CHECK LIST

NAME OF CENTRE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOOD AVERAGE POOR

STREET / ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ATTRACTIONS

Range of ShopsLocal Services (Information, Library)Banking/Building Society provision

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ACCESS

Ease of movement for pedestriansAvailability of car parkingFrequency of bus service

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

AMENITY

CleanlinessStreet signsCondition of buildings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

OTHER

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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CASE STUDY 8

You can also analyse the facilities provided in the centre:

l How many offices and shops are there in the local shopping centre? (including those at ground level only)

How many of these are;

a) shops selling convenience1

goods?

b) shops selling comparison / durable1

goods?

c) services1?

d) offices?

e) other uses

1 See below for definitions

l What features do you think attract people to use the shopping centre you have surveyed?

l What features do you think put people off using the centre you have surveyed?

l What improvements do you consider should be carried out to make your chosen local centre more attractive to shoppers?

- Examples might include: providing more parking spaces, increasing the range of shops, making it easier for pedestrians to use.

- Why do you think these improvements will attract more shoppers?

In undertaking an analysis of shop types and services it is useful to divide them intothe following types:

l Shops selling convenience goods, this includes: grocers, supermarkets, newsagents, bakers, butchers, off-licenses etc.

l Shops selling comparison / durable goods, this includes: clothing and footwear, household goods, furniture etc

l Service trades, this includes banks, estate agents, building societies, solicitors,cafes and restaurants, public houses, hairdressers etc.

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CASE STUDY 8

B. APPRAISAL OF A NEW OUT-OF-TOWN SHOPPING CENTRE

A new out-of town enclosed, air conditioned, two storey shopping centre is proposedon a site adjacent to your local city/town. The centre is to include a departmentstore, a major supermarket, 75 other varied shops, two banks, three café / restaurants; also provided are 3000 free car parking spaces and a small bus stationserved by a number of routes leading into and out of the adjacent city / town.

Set out on the following two schedules points in support and those against.

APPRAISAL SHEET FOR STUDENTS

B.1 Points in support of the new out-of-town centre

1.

2.

3.

4.

B.2 Points against the new out-of-town centre

1.

2.

3.

4.

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CASE STUDY 8

TEACHER’S NOTES IN RELATION TO APPRAISAL SHEET

B.1 Points in support of the new out-of-town centre

1. Provides more choice / better value for money for shoppers in one location

2. Good environment for shoppers; air conditioning; protection from inclement weather; secure and safe environment

3. Good facilities for disabled shoppers and also parents with children; level access to shopping floors; lifts between floors

4. Good, extensive free car parking facilities; also reasonable public transport links. Normally good access via motorway/main roads in contrast to town centre congestion

B.2 Points against the new out-of-town centre

1. Considerable impact upon the economy and viability of shops in the city / town centre; also impact on radial and suburban shopping centres by taking away trade which can affect their viability

2. Loss of green fields on the edge of the town/city to yet more development; impact upon footpaths, loss of woodland etc

3. The scale of these developments often means they do not relate well to the surrounding environment

4. Impact upon the local road network - in particular potential problems at local motorway junction (if one is adjacent)

5. Relatively poor access by public transport because of centre’s location on edge of city/town; much inferior public transport links compared with city / town centre shops

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CASE STUDY 8

C. SPECIFIC ISSUES / QUESTIONS

The following issues / questions can be the subject of analysis, either in the classroom or in the shopping centre itself:

1. Why is it good to have a shop sited on a corner in the suburbs? What services can it provide for the community?

2. What are the advantages in having shops grouped together in a parade in the suburbs rather than scattered throughout the housing area?

3. What are the benefits to the community of having a village shop? What services can it provide for the community?

4. Imagine you are a) the owner, b) a customer. What are the advantages / disadvantages of a supermarket over the older type of family shop with a number of shop assistants?

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