Abstract
This study is a quantitative investigation into the retail markets of England and Wales between 2005 and 2010. We examine the performance of retail over space and time with particular reference to town centre activity and the impact of large off-centre retail, over a period of economic recession. We also estimate the relative income generated for Local Authorities by town-centre or off-centre location, to propound market significance by geography. Despite a widespread discussion of the impact of de-centralised planning over more than 30 years there have been no detailed studies quantifying this impact; the results aim to address a gap in current empirical evidence at the national extent. We use Valuation Office Agency (VOA) business rates as a proxy performance measure and geo-statistically defined town centre boundaries to create a nationally and statistically consistent methodology. The variation of business ‘rateable values’ is in part a facet of economic performance, and spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allowed us to illustrate those areas over and under-performing the national economic market over the same period. New off-centre large retail developments were identified over the same time frame, to identify any correlations between new developments and the resilience of proximate town centres. The study highlighted multi-scale forces and patterns of impact and found a relationship between the proximity of new off-cenre large retail developments and retail floor space value change over time in town centres.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barclay, C. (2012). House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/SC/1106. HOC Library, London. http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/briefing-papers/SN01106/town-centres-planning-and-supermarkets. Accessed 1 December 2012.
Batty, M., Batty, S., Boott, R., Cadell, C., Falk, N., Haklay, M., Hyman, S., Lloyd, D., Tomalin, C., & Thurstain-Goodwin, M. (2002). Producing Boundaries and Statistics for Town Centres. London: The Stationary Office.
Bennison, D., Warnaby, G., & Pal, J. (2010). Local shopping in the UK: towards a synthesis of business and place. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 38(11/12), 846–864.
Bennison, D., & Davies, R. (1980). The impact of town centre shopping schemes in Britain: Their impact on traditional retail environments. Progress in Planning, 14(3), 1–104.
British Council of Shopping Centres (2006). Future of Retail Property. London: BCSC
Cheshire, P., Hilber, C., & Kaplanis, I. (2011). Evaluating the Effects of Planning Policies on the Retail Sector: Or do Town Centre First Policies Deliver the Goods? London: Spatial Economics Research Centre, Department of Geography and Environment, London School of Economics.
Department for Communities and Local Government (2006). Producing boundaries and statistics for town centres: London Pilot Study Summary Report. London: DCLG.
Department for Communities and Local Government (2012). Business rates retention scheme: The economic benefits of local business rates retention. London: DCLG.
Department for Business Innovation and Skills (2011). Understanding High Street Performance, a report prepared by GENECON LLP and Partners.
Department of the Environment Urban and Economic Development Group (1994). Vital and viable town centres: meeting the challenge. London: HMSO.
Department of the Environment (1992). The effects of major out of town development: A literature review for the Department for the Environment, prepared by BDP Planning and the Oxford Institute of Retail Management. London: The Stationery Office.
Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions (1998). The impact of large foodstores on market towns and district centres. London: The Stationery Office.
National Economic Development Office Distributive Trades Economic Committee (1988). The Future of the High Street. London: HMSO.
National Retail Planning Forum (1998). The impact of out-of-centre food superstores on local retail employment. Nottingham: A report prepared by The Boots Company Plc.
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (1996). Planning Policy Guidance 6: Town Centres and Retail Developments. London: HMSO.
Portas, M. (2011). The Portas Review: An independent review into the future of our high streets. London: Department for Business Innovation and Skills.
Trevor Wood Associates (2003–2012). The Definitive Guide to Retail and Leisure Parks: Executive Summary. High Wycombe: Trevor Wood Associates.
Unwin, D., & Thurstain-Goodwin, M. (2000). Defining and Delineating the Central Areas of Towns for Statistical Monitoring using Continuous Surface Representations. Transactions in GIS, 4(4), 305–317.
Urban Task Force (1998). Towards a strong urban renaissance. London: Urban Task Force.
Valuation Office Agency (2013). Business rates, an introduction. London: VOA.
Verdict Research (2012). UK retail 2012 and beyond. London: A Verdict Consulting report in association with SAS.
Welsh Government (1996). Planning Guidance (Wales), Technical Advice Note 4 (Wales), Retailing and Town Centres. Cardiff: Welsh Government.
Wrigley, N., & Dolega, L. (2011). Resilience, fragility and adaptation: new evidence on the performance of UK high streets during global economic crisis and its policy implications. Environment and Planning A, 43, 2337–2363.
Wrigley, N., Lambiri, D., & Cudworth, K. (2010). Revisiting the Impact of Large Foodstores on Market Towns and District Centres. Southampton: University of Southampton.
Acknowlegdements
This work was made possible through fellowship funding from the UK National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) and the Talisman research group at the University of Leeds and University College London (UCL). Thanks is given for advice and support throughout the work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Astbury, G., Thurstain-Goodwin, M. Measuring the Impact of Out-of-town Retail Development on Town Centre Retail Property in England and Wales. Appl. Spatial Analysis 7, 301–316 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-014-9111-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-014-9111-5