strategic review of retail planning policy - swansea€¦ · strategic review of retail planning...

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Strategic Review of Retail Planning Policy

Prepared on behalf of

City and County of Swansea

August 2013

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City & County of Swansea:

Strategic Review of Retail

Planning Policy

1

Contents

1 Introduction 2

2 Out-of-Centre Retailing 3

3 Qualitative Assessment of Retail Hierarchy 21

4 Foodstore Development 39

5 Conclusions and Recommendations 45

Appendices

1 Swansea Enterprise Park: Key Planning History 52

2 Parc Tawe: Key Planning History 57

3 Fforestfach Retail Park: Key Planning History 59

4 Parc Cwmdu: Key Planning History 62

5 Morfa Retail Park: Key Planning History 64

6 Pontardulais Road Retail Park: Key Planning History 68

7 Map of Existing Foodstore Operators 71

8 Existing Foodstore 15 Minute Catchment Drive Time Maps 72

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Planning Policy

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1 Introduction

1.1 DTZ has been appointed by The City and County of Swansea Council (the Council) to provide a review

of their current retail planning policy and strategy and to provide recommendations for retail

planning for the administrative area going forward. This includes an assessment of the retail

hierarchy, the impact of out of centre retailing and the importance of prioritising suitable locations

for future retail investment.

1.2 This report follows work previously undertaken by DTZ for the Council, including a Property Analysis

and Development Strategy that underpins the adopted Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework

(SCCSF) Supplementary Planning Guidance (2007). Since publication of the SCCSF, DTZ has been an

advisor to the Council on the changes to the retail and property markets, which have both been

subject to significant fluctuation in recent years. In the retail context, this advice has been clear that

the impact of out-of-town retailing will collectively continue to erode the in-town offer and that it is

only where the quality and quantity of the latter, and associated issues (other uses, accessibility,

parking, environment and the like) are strong, will this not be the case.

1.3 This report has been prepared by DTZ who were commissioned by the Council as part of a consultant

team to review its retail strategy, which also includes retail specialists FSP and consumer insight

specialists Emotional Logic. The analysis provides a detailed evidence base to underpin the Swansea

City Centre regeneration agenda and future policy development. In this respect, one of the main

priorities for the City and County of Swansea is to focus investment in retail and leisure development

in the most sequentially preferable locations. This is in order to significantly improve the vitality and

viability of the City Centre, and to support the complementary regeneration of district centres. The

Council recognise the importance of strengthening their planning policy position to facilitate major

City Centre development, and deterring further out-of-centre retail development and the erosion of

the City Centre and district centre retailing.

1.4 This report reviews the impact of out-of-centre retailing in the City and County of Swansea, the role

and purpose of the identified retail centres and the strategy for managing foodstore planning

applications. In the context of the Council’s adopted planning policy framework and previous

decisions on retail planning applications, the purpose of this analysis is to identify the key issues in

the retail locations across the administrative area and the impact of out-of-centre retailing upon the

Council’s priority to regenerate and strengthen the City Centre as its retail core.

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2 Out-of-Centre Retailing

Introduction

2.1 This Chapter considers the impact of retailing at locations outside of the City Centre and the

designated district centres within the City and County of Swansea.

2.2 The Chapter comprises a review of the existing planning policy framework for retailing within the

administrative area of Swansea, a review of the available planning history information for out-of-

centre retail parks and consideration of the lawful use of retail premises at Swansea Enterprise Park.

2.3 Conclusions are drawn upon the extent to which out-of-centre retailing is controlled in the current

planning policy context to ensure the prevention of harm to retailing in the City Centre and district

centre locations.

2.4 The extent to which historic planning permissions restrict and set precedents for retail development

at out-of-centre retail parks is also identified. This is in order to understand the context for

development control decisions for such applications in these locations. Conclusions are drawn upon

the extent to which previous planning permissions impact upon the amount and type of out-of-

centre retail park development in the City and County of Swansea.

Planning Policy Context

2.5 Planning policy for retail development in the City and County of Swansea comprises policy at the

national and local level.

2.6 Planning Policy Wales (“PPW”) (Edition 5, 2012) contains national planning policies which set the

framework for land use planning across Wales. It is supplemented by Technical Advice Notes (TANs)

including TAN 4: Retailing and Town Centres (1996) which sets out the detailed national planning

policy for retail development in Wales.

2.7 Strategic planning policies and proposals for the unitary authority area are contained in the adopted

City and County of Swansea Unitary Development Plan (UDP) (2008).

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2.8 Relevant adopted Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) is contained within pre-UDP SPGs,

published prior to the adoption of the UDP, and post-UDP SPGs, published after the adoption of the

UDP. The UDP takes precedence over the former, which include the Swansea Enterprise Park

Planning Policies SPG (1996). The latter include the District Centres, Local Centres and Community

Facilities SPG (2010) and the Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework SPG (2007), which was

formally adopted as SPG in 2009.

2.9 In terms of emerging planning policy, the Council are at the initial stages in the preparation of the

City and County of Swansea Local Development Plan (“LDP”), which will replace the UDP when

adopted.

2.10 The Council consulted on the LDP Strategic Options Consultation Draft (2012) and LDP Vision and

Objectives Consultation Draft (2012) documents from July to October 2012. These documents

respectively comprise potential strategic development options upon which the LDP could focus and

potential overarching aims of the LDP to underpin the strategic options.

2.11 The Draft LDP has not yet been published for consultation by the Council. The forthcoming stages of

the LDP will include the publication of the LDP Preferred Strategy in 2013, followed by the LDP

Deposit Plan. The Preferred Strategy will identify the Council’s proposed way forward in strategic

planning terms by identifying the proposed scale of population and household growth and key

drivers for the plan, including aspirations for economic growth. It will set out the overall spatial

development strategy for Swansea, the key strategic development areas and the broad strategic

policies.

2.12 The LDP Deposit Plan will identify the Council’s proposed land allocations and build upon the

strategic policies of the LDP Preferred Strategy to set out detailed policies and proposals for the

future development and protection of land within Swansea. The Deposit Plan is not anticipated to be

published until 2015.

2.13 This report reviews adopted planning policy and makes recommendations for which elements need

to be changed to ensure an appropriate and sustainable balance of retail development across the

City and County of Swansea in locations outside of the City Centre. This is in order to ensure the

establishment of a successful retail hierarchy in Swansea, which cascades down from the City Centre

as the priority location for high street A1 retailing. These recommendations feed into the suggested

new planning policies for inclusion in the LDP to form a new retail strategy for the City and County of

Swansea set out in Chapter 5 of this report.

National Planning Policy

2.14 Chapter 10 of Planning Policy Wales (“PPW”) contains national planning policy for retailing and town

centres.

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2.15 Key objectives of PPW are to promote established town and district centres as the most appropriate

locations for retail, leisure and complimentary uses, including enhancing their vitality, attractiveness

and viability. In this respect, PPW promotes the restoration of redundant buildings and public realm

improvements in existing town and district centres (para. 10.2.5).

2.16 The accessibility of town and district centres by public transport, walking and cycling is a central and

“essential” objective of PPW (para. 10.1.1 and 10.2.6). It further states that “access by car and short-

term parking can also help centres to compete with existing out-of-centre locations, but they should

be managed to minimise congestion, pollution and parking problems which would otherwise reduce

the convenience, attractiveness or competitiveness of these centres” (para. 10.2.6).

2.17 PPW seeks for “development plans to identify changing pressures and opportunities and devise

appropriate responses to them” and to “identify measures to reinvigorate centres, or to manage

decline in the relative importance of a centre as other centres expand” (para. 10.2.1).

2.18 With regard to the allocation of sites for retail development, PPW seeks for retail and leisure uses

which need to be accessible to a large number of people to be located in town centres and for

“smaller scale retail provision, including appropriately sized supermarkets, [and] leisure facilities” to

be located in district and town centres (para. 10.2.9).

2.19 A key consideration in the allocation of sites for retail development is whether there is a need for

additional provision. Quantitative need should be given precedence before qualitative need is

considered, and “where the current provision appears to be adequate in quantity, the need for further

allocations must be fully justified in the plan”. Such justification could include where: the proposal

supports the strategy and objectives of PPW and the LDP; the site is in a highly accessible location

which would contribute to a reduction in car journeys; the proposal would contribute to the co-

location of facilities in and vitality of existing town and district centres; and where the scheme would

alleviate a lack of convenience provision in a disadvantaged area (para. 10.2.10).

2.20 Where there is an identifiable need for new retail development, local planning authorities are

required to adopt a sequential approach, with a preference for town centre locations, then edge-of-

centre sites, then district centre sites and only then out-of-centre sites which are accessible by a

range of transport choices.

2.21 Floorspace, convenience, attractiveness, quality and traffic should all be taken into account when

allocating sites for retail development (para. 10.2.12).

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2.22 With regard to planning applications for retail and leisure schemes best located in a town centre,

PPW seeks that the following matters are taken into account: compatibility with the up to date

development plan strategy; need for the scheme (unless the application is in relation to a site in a

defined centre or site allocation); the sequential approach; impact upon existing centres; “net gains

in floorspace where redevelopment is involved, and whether or not it is like-for-like in terms of

comparison or convenience”; the take-up rate of allocated sites; accessibility by a range of transport

modes; impact upon travel patterns; and the “best use of land close to any transport hub, in terms of

density and mixed use” (para. 10.3.1).

2.23 Where need is a consideration for planning applications for retail development, PPW requires

precedence to be accorded to establishing quantitative need. It further states that the decision

maker must justify the weight given to any qualitative assessment. Moreover, “regeneration and

additional employment benefits are not considered qualitative need factors in retail policy terms,

though they may be a material consideration in making a decision on a planning application” (para.

10.3.3).

2.24 PPW requires that local planning authorities retain an adequate level of food shopping provision in

existing town and district centres and states that out-of-centre food supermarkets is not permissible

if this would lead to the loss of general food retailing in the centre of smaller towns (para. 10.3.8).

2.25 Where appropriate edge-of-centre or out-of-centre retail developments are approved, local planning

authorities are required to place conditions on the initial permission and on any subsequent variation

allowed. This is to control any future aspirations that retailers might have “to change the range of

goods they sell or the nature of the sales area, for example by subdivision to a mix of smaller units, or

to a single ‘department’ store” or to redevelop, extend or add mezzanine floors to the retail unit”.

Furthermore, “applications to remove or vary such conditions should be considered in accordance

with” (para. 10.3.11).

2.26 Where suitable sites for bulky goods retail uses are not available in town centres, PPW seeks for

these to be located at edge-of-centre sites, or where these are not available, at locations accessible

by a range of transport modes. Retail parks are only considered to be appropriate where they are

accessible to public and private transport (para. 10.3.12).

2.27 With regard to applications to renew planning permission for retail, leisure and other uses best

located in town centres, PPW seeks that these are determined in accordance with the up-to-date

development plan, PPW and the sequential approach (para. 10.3.16).

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2.28 TAN4 reflects the need for a sequential approach and requires that all applications for retail

developments of over 2,500 sq m are accompanied by a Retail Impact Assessment. It also requires

car parking standards to achieve an adequate level of town centre parking to reflect the range of

town centre uses the range and level of public transport alternatives.

Unitary Development Plan

2.29 Adopted UDP planning policy defines locations outside the City Centre as being those set out in the

first three columns of Table 2.1 below:

Traditional District

Centre

Modern District

Centre

Employment Location

with a ‘Retail Zone’

Other Retail

Locations Not

Identified in Planning

Policy*

• Clydach

• Gorseinon

• Killay

• Morriston

• Mumbles

• Pontarddulais

• Sketty

• Uplands

• Parc Fforestfach • Swansea Enterprise

Park

• Parc Cwmdu

• Parc Morfa

• Pontardulais Road

Retail Park

Table 2.1: Retail Locations outside the City Centre Identified in Adopted Planning Policy

(Source: Swansea UDP (2008) and the Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework SPG (2007))

* Whilst retailing also occurs at other out-of-centre locations other than those listed in column 4 of Table 2.1,

only the above locations are considered to have sufficient critical mass and cohesiveness to warrant

classification as specific retail destinations going forward.

2.30 In addition, retailing in the City and County of Swansea takes place at Parc Tawe, which is defined

within adopted planning policy as forming part of the City Centre, however in practice this acts as an

edge-of-centre retail park. These locations are reviewed in detail in Chapter 3.

2.31 The UDP Spatial Strategy promotes as its primary focus the reinvigoration of the City Centre and

waterfront, and also seeks to ensure appropriate levels of growth at urban settlements across the

County to stimulate the regeneration of old industrial communities. A core element of this strategy

is “to develop a modern, attractive and vibrant waterfront area integrated with a revitalised City

Centre. Delivering a significant enhancement to retail facilities that reinforces Swansea’s role as a

regional centre will be central to the City Centre revitalisation”.

2.32 Key objectives of the UDP which are relevant to this study are:

• Objective 2.d: to reinforce and improve the City Centre as a vibrant regional focus for business

and administration, shopping, culture and leisure;

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• Objective 2.e: to improve the range, choice and quality of shopping opportunities accessible for

all sections of the community and visitors to the area; and

• Objective 2.f: to resist further out of centre/town retail development.

2.33 Strategic Policy SP6 states that the City Centre will be the primary focus for new retail development

and that the improvement and enhancement of District Shopping Centres will be supported. These

are considered to be the best locations for new retail development and such development will not

generally be supported at out-of-centre sites. Additional edge-of-centre shopping will only be

permissible where it would not prejudice established shopping centres.

2.34 Improving accessibility across the Swansea administrative area is a key strand running through the

UDP. Strategic Policy SP14 favours the location of new development in areas that are highly

accessible by public transport, walking and cycling and which will minimise dependency on the

private car. Sympathetically designed proposals which facilitate sustainable travel choices and

promote accessibility by a range of transport modes are encouraged.

2.35 Need and accessibility are key requirements for new retail development set out in Policy EC4. This

policy states that all new retail development proposals will be assessed against the need for

development and will only be permitted where the site is the most sequentially preferable option.

“There would be no material adverse impact upon the attractiveness, vitality and viability of the City

Centre and other established shopping centres, the proposal is compatible with the function, scale

and character of the centre within or adjacent to which the site is located”. The site is required to be

in a location which is accessible by foot, bicycle, public transport and car and the scheme must

satisfactorily address design, environmental and highway considerations.

2.36 The UDP designates two types of district centres, ‘Traditional’ and ‘Modern’. Traditional District

Centres comprise Clydach, Gorseinon, Killay, Morriston, Mumbles, Pontarddulais, Sketty and

Uplands. Parc Fforestfach Retail Park is designated as a “modern superstore-based district shopping

centre that caters primarily for car borne shoppers”. In practice, it operates as an out-of-centre retail

park which is distinct from and has different characteristics to the other district centres in the

Swansea administrative area.

2.37 With regard to designated district centres, Policy EC5 seeks for development to be of an appropriate

type and scale to maintain or improve the range and quality of shopping facilities within the district

centres, along with improvements to the physical environment and accessibility of such centres for

public transport users, cyclists and pedestrians.

2.38 Policy EC6 seeks for appropriate small-scale local shopping and neighbourhood facilities to be

encouraged in areas of acknowledged deficiency to meet local need.

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2.39 The UDP Strategy Map designates Swansea Enterprise Park as an Employment Location. Within this,

the UDP Proposals Map designates an area as the Enterprise Park ‘Retail Zone’. In the Enterprise

Park Retail Zone, Policy EC7 states that retail development is sought to be restricted to the sale of

“bulky goods items that do not pose a threat to the vitality, attractiveness and viability of the City

Centre and surrounding town [and] district ... centres”. It further states that proposals for new retail

development outside the retail zone will not be permitted. Therefore, at the Enterprise Park, only

bulky goods retailing is permissible within the designated ‘Retail Zone’ and no retailing is to be

allowed outside of the ‘Retail Zone’.

2.40 The UDP seeks for retail warehouses (i.e. bulky goods) to be directed to suitable locations within

existing retail centres first, then to the edge of existing retail centres. Only where such sites are not

available, suitable locations at established retail parks will be considered (Policy EC8).

2.41 Policy EC9 resists retail development in out-of-centre locations, with the exception of: “small scale

local shopping facilities required to meet local needs”, “retail warehouses engaged in the sale of bulky

goods that do not pose a threat to the vitality, attractiveness and viability of the City Centre and

surrounding town and district shopping centres”, units requiring large showrooms and factory outlets

in connection with manufacturing centres on industrial estates.

2.42 Policy CC2 places the highest priority upon enhancing shopping facilities through the refurbishment

and redevelopment of the City Centre retail core. It resists proposals for retail development which

would be detrimental to objectives for the enhancement of this retail core.

2.43 Policy CC3 defines the St. David’s/ Quadrant area as the highest priority for redevelopment in the

City Centre. Proposals that would put its comprehensive retail-led regeneration at risk, or which

would adversely affect the enhancement and redevelopment of shopping facilities elsewhere in the

retail core, will not be supported.

2.44 Parc Tawe comprises two phases, Parc Tawe Phase 1 which lies to the south of the Parc Tawe Link

Road and Parc Tawe Phase 2 which lies to the north of the Parc Tawe Link Road. A wide range of

uses are considered to be appropriate in Parc Tawe Phase 1 by Policy CC4, including retail (A1 and

A3), leisure (D2), hotel (C1), residential (C3), education (D1), office (A2 and B1) and car parking. The

amount of retail (A1 and A3) and leisure (D2) must not exceed 19,000 sq m combined (gross),

however this threshold has already been reached. Opportunities to promote the wider integration of

Parc Tawe with the City Centre are sought. The supporting text to this Policy states that Parc Tawe

Phase 1 is a very important gateway to the City Centre. It further states that “development and

physical improvements will specifically be sought on the Strand/ Quay Parade Frontages whilst

respecting the regeneration initiatives arising from the rest of the City Centre. This will help generate

the activity and viability between Parc Tawe (Phase 1) and the rest of the City Centre”.

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2.45 Policy CC4 refers to Parc Tawe Phase 1 only, however the text supporting this policy recognises that

proposals could come forward for the Parc Tawe Phase 2 site in the longer term and states that such

proposals will be considered on their planning merits in accordance with the UDP and Swansea City

Centre Framework principles (see below). Any scheme at Parc Tawe Phase 2 is required to be

compatible with the proposed comprehensive development for Parc Tawe Phase 1 set out in Policy

CC4 in the short to medium term.

2.46 Improvements to the accessibility of the City Centre are sought by Policy CC6, through:

• Completion of the strategic road network around the City Centre;

• Introduction of further park and ride facilities;

• Improved public transport and bus and rail interchange;

• Improved facilities for taxis;

• Redevelopment of the Quadrant Bus Station;

• Introduction of bus priority measures;

• Introduction of City Centre circular bus route;

• “Broadly maintaining the existing level of car parking to serve the City Centre, whilst

promoting the better management of both on-street and off-street car parking”;

• Improved pedestrian routes through the City Centre and connections with the waterfront;

and

• Provision of facilities to encourage cycling.

2.47 In addition, improvements to car parking provision serving the city centre are sought by Policy CC7.

Supplementary Planning Guidance

2.48 The Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework SPG (2007) shows that the boundary of the City Centre

extends along the River Tawe to the east, Swansea Rail Station marks the northernmost point,

Alexandra Road forms the north western boundary, West Way and County Hall mark its western

edge and Swansea Bay forms the southern boundary. The SPG promotes the creation of a vibrant

mixed-use heart to the City Centre including the St. David’s/ Quadrant area, the Oxford Street/Castle

Square area, Oxford Street West/ West Way area and the Wind Street/ Salubrious Place/ Lower

Princess Way area. In the rest of the City Centre, the SPG promotes the creation of a high quality

“European Boulevard” along Oystermouth Road, Victoria Road and Quay Parade. A key objective is

to connect the City to the waterfront via Paxton Street, the Sailbridge and the Maritime Quarter. The

SPG also promotes developing the identities and complementary roles of all districts including the

Mansel Street/ Alexandra Road area, Kingsway/ Orchard Street area, the High Street and Parc Tawe.

Parc Tawe is identified as a “more recently developed bulky goods retail and leisure area”.

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2.49 The District Centres, Local Centres and Community Facilities SPG (2010) identifies eight district

centres in the City and County of Swansea, including Clydach, Gorseinon, Killay, Morriston,

Mumbles, Pontarddulais, Sketty and Uplands.

2.50 The SPG identifies the primary frontages of core retail activity and secondary frontages of more

mixed commercial character in each District Centre. It promotes the safeguarding of A1 shop units to

ensure that retailing underpins District Centres and promotes sufficient vehicle parking provision.

Where appropriate, A3 food and drink, A2 financial professional services and a complementary mix

of non-retail uses, including B1 offices and D2 leisure facilities are also permitted.

2.51 Significantly, whilst the UDP designates Parc Fforestfach as a ‘modern district centre’, this SPG states

that “this area comprises only 15 units in mainly large format, warehouse style buildings that are

typical of out-of-centre retail parks, together with a large foodstore. It is also supported by a large

area of adjacent free car parking that caters to the needs of the car borne shopper. In view of the

markedly different character and form of Parc Fforestfach as compared to the traditional district

centres identified above, this area has been excluded from the scope of this document”.

2.52 The Swansea Enterprise Park Planning Policies SPG (1996) was prepared prior to the UDP but remains

adopted. The SPG states that Swansea Enterprise Park was originally set up as an Enterprise Zone in

1981 to restore private sector activity to the Lower Swansea Valley by introducing tax benefits and

relaxing or speeding up a number of statutory planning controls. This was to establish an area for

businesses to develop and to create jobs. The Enterprise Zone status came to an end in 1991, leaving

most of the area subject to “normal planning control”.

Planning History

Swansea Enterprise Park

2.53 On 28 December 1978 planning permission was granted for the development of an ‘industrial park’

on ‘land to the south of the A48’ (ref. 2/1/78/1464/03).

2.54 On 21 May 1979, outline planning permission was granted to ‘build industry and ancillary distribution

and warehousing (Use Class III, IV, X)’ on ‘land north of A48, Llansamlet, Swansea’ (ref.

2/1/79/0000/11). For clarification, under the Town and Country Planning General Development

Order 1973, Use Class III related to light industrial uses (now Class B1(c)), Use Class IV related to

general industrial use (now Class B2) and Use Class X related to storage and distribution (now Class

B8). It is not clear whether planning conditions are attached to this permission to restrict the type of

Class B1(c), B2 or B8 development on the site.

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2.55 Swansea Enterprise Park was set up as an Enterprise Zone where relaxed planning controls applied

from 1981 to 1991. The available planning history does not provide clarity on what, if any,

restrictions are placed upon retail warehouse buildings constructed at Swansea Enterprise Park from

1981 to 1991. As the retail units were built as part of the Enterprise Zone, planning permission was

not required and therefore no planning conditions were imposed. As these units have therefore

been established for more than 10 years, we consider that they constitute unrestricted lawful retail

(A1) units, where any type of retailer falling within the A1 use class could occupy these buildings

without applying for planning permission (and thus without consulting the adopted development

plan), should there be no physical alteration of the building occupied.

2.56 Many of the retail warehouses in Swansea Enterprise Park are reaching the end of their operational

life. Planning permission would be required for the construction of a replacement building of the

same or different size and for any alteration to or the extension of the existing building.

2.57 The UDP promotes bulky goods retail in part of the Enterprise Park and resists high street retail at

this location. However if an application were to be submitted to demolish a retail warehouse on the

Enterprise Park and replace it with a new building of the same size to accommodate a high street

retail use, there will need to be a detailed appraisal of the specifics of the application to ascertain

whether it is appropriate for the Council to refuse it on land use terms. Any refusal would need to be

carefully considered due to the lawful unrestricted retail (A1) use on the site. The Council would be

able to consider the application on material grounds such as in design terms, however the extent to

which a redevelopment proposal could be considered entirely afresh would be largely dependent

upon what could be argued is a reasonable ‘fall back’ position for use of the existing building for the

same proposed use. This could vary depending on the nature, siting and location of the building or

buildings in question. Developers are likely to argue that it is indeed unreasonable to refuse an

application on land use grounds when that use is already established and no increase in floorspace is

being proposed.

2.58 The above analysis also applies to proposals for external alterations to (such as to re-clad) an existing

retail unit on the Enterprise Park.

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2.59 If a planning application were to be submitted to replace a retail warehouse on the Enterprise Park

with a building with a larger retail sales area, the issues raised above would again apply for the area

covered by the existing building, however in this situation it is more clear that the Council would

need to assess the retail impact of the additional sales floorspace and must carefully consider this

element of the application in land use terms. The applicant’s submission of a retail impact

assessment is likely to be necessary to assess the impact of the additional element proposed in

comparison to the existing building, although planning policy may only require this if the proposal

exceeds 2,500 sq m. The same applies for an application to extend an existing retail warehouse on

the Enterprise Park. However, the Council’s refusal of any such application on land use grounds is

again problematic for the reasons identified above relating to the long established lawful use

covering the existing retail building. Notwithstanding these problems there are considered to be

very good planning reasons to prevent proliferation of unrestricted A1 retail space as this location in

units that could become attractive to high street occupiers, as described below.

2.60 Due to the former Enterprise Zone status of the area, no planning history exists in the period

between 1981 and 1991. A summary of the planning history relating to retail uses in the Enterprise

Park since 1991 is provided at Appendix 1.

2.61 The extent of unrestricted retail floorspace developed within the former Enterprise Zone and the

implications of this going forward is an important factor in formulating a robust new retail

investment and planning strategy that prioritises the City Centre. The particular area of concern is

the potential for the unregulated occupation of lawful retail units by high street (i.e. non-bulky)

retailers at the Enterprise Park, which is contrary to the prioritisation of the City Centre for such uses

in the UDP.

2.62 The Council own the freehold of the Enterprise Park and therefore as a landowner, have a degree of

control over who they let their retail buildings to.

Parc Tawe

2.63 On 9 June 1987 planning permission was granted for ‘leisure and retail development: multiplex

cinema, public toilets and fast food units’ at North Dock, now known as Parc Tawe Phase 1 (ref.

2/1/87/0656/03). Condition (g) states that ‘the permission now granted for the retail units ... shall

only be used for Class I activity as defined by the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1972

and notwithstanding the contents of that Order specifically excludes food and DIY retailing from the

scheme’. Under this Order Class I refers to Class A1, therefore this translates as a Class A1 use

excluding DIY and food retail use (under the current Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order

1987 (as amended) in use today) at Parc Tawe Phase 1.

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2.64 In 1996 planning permission was granted for ‘the development of 12,586 sq m of retail (A1) and

restaurant (A3) use plus associated car parking and landscaping’ at Parc Tawe Phase 2 (ref. 95/1363).

On 4 October 1996, planning permission was granted for the ‘development of 12,513 sq m of retail

(class A1) plus associated car parking and servicing (amendment to planning permission 95/1363

approved 17 May 1996)’ at Parc Tawe Phase 2 (ref. 96/0764). The planning conditions attached to

this consent do not include restrictions to the type of Class A1 retail development on the site.

Planning permission 95/1363 was however granted subject to a Section 106 Agreement which

included a floorspace restriction. Clause 3 of the Third Schedule reads: “No unit of accommodation

for use falling within Class A1 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 forming

part of the development shall have or be subdivided such that it has a gross floorspace which is less

than 700 sqm (7,500 sq ft) without the specific consent of the Council”.

2.65 The A1 planning permission (excluding food and DIY) at Parc Tawe Phase 1 and the unrestricted A1

planning permission for Parc Tawe Phase 2 have the same implications as outlined above in relation

to the Retail Zone within the Enterprise Park. In this respect, there are similar concerns with regard

to the risk of high street (i.e. non-bulky) A1 retailers locating at Parc Tawe without the need for

planning consent. This is contrary to the aims of the adopted UDP for Parc Tawe, which although in

the City Centre boundary is sought to be a bulky goods location, with high street retail to be focussed

in the City Centre ‘Retail Core’. There is however some control that can be imposed through the

Section 106 agreement at Parc Tawe Phase 2.

2.66 Key elements of the planning history for Parc Tawe are summarised at Appendix 2.

2.67 The Council own the freehold of Parc Tawe Phase 1 and have a degree of control over leasehold

issues.

Out-of-Centre Retail Parks

2.68 To understand the potential impact of retail parks upon the success of high street A1 retailing in

Swansea City Centre, the key elements of available planning history in relation to key out of centre

retail locations both within and outside the administrative area of the City and County of Swansea

have been reviewed. Summary schedules are attached at Appendices 3 - 6.

Modern District Centre Other Retail Locations Not Identified in

Planning Policy

• Parc Fforestfach • Parc Morfa

• Pontardulais Road Retail Park

• Parc Cwmdu

Table 2.2: Out-of-Centre Retail Parks in the City and County of Swansea

(Source: Swansea Unitary Development Plan (2008))

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2.69 Whilst in practice the following retail locations subject to this planning history review have the

characteristics of out-of-centre retail parks (that is, they are located on out-of-centre sites with large

retail warehouse units with a largely A1 retail offer), they are not specifically defined as being such

within current adopted planning policy. As Table 2.2 shows, the UDP identifies Parc Fforestfach as a

‘Modern District Centre’ and the other four locations are not specifically identified as retail locations

in the UDP.

2.70 At Parc Fforestfach, the available planning history shows that on 22 March 1995 outline planning

permission was granted for the ‘erection of retail park, petrol filling station and fast food outlet’ (ref.

94/1331). On 2 August 2000 planning permission was granted for the ‘redevelopment of existing

district shopping centre comprising new Tesco superstore (10,000 square metres gross floor space),

petrol filling station and 8 no linked retail units (11,670 square metres gross floor space), petrol filling

station and 8 service yards and staff car parking areas, alterations to existing access off Pontardulais

Road, closure of existing access off Carmarthen Road, construction of two new accesses of Ffordd

Cynore, off site highway works to Ffordd Cynore and the Pontardulais Road Junction, provision of

1,275 space customer car park, site landscaping and accommodation works (subject to S106

agreement)’ (ref. A00/0366).

2.71 No conditions are attached to either of these decision notices to restrict the type of retail

development. This has the same potential implications as the Retail Zone within the Enterprise Park,

the A1 planning permission (excluding food and DIY) at Parc Tawe Phase 1 and the unrestricted A1

planning permissions for Parc Tawe Phase 2.

2.72 A number of planning applications for new retail units, the extension of retail units, sub-division of

retail units and construction of mezzanine levels within retail units have since been approved. This

regular flow of planning permissions from 2001 to present is summarised in Appendix 3 and indicates

that the expansion of retailing and restaurant/leisure uses at Parc Fforestfach continues to be a

threat to the City Centre, largely due to its designation in the UDP as a Modern District Centre.

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2.73 At Parc Cwmdu, the available planning history shows that planning permission was granted in 1989

for mixed industrial (B1, B2, B8) and retail floorspace, with a limit placed on net retail floorspace of

70,000sq ft (6,500 sq m) (ref 89/0053). Subsequently a proposal for a 23,000 sq ft (2,100 sq m) retail

unit was granted permission and occupied by a low cost foodstore (ref 92/1037). On 22 June 1994

permission was granted for ‘general and light industry (Class B1 and B2) warehousing (Class B8) and

retailing (Class A1 retail floorspace limited to a maximum of 47,000 sq ft)’ (ref. 94/0177). Permission

was granted for the renewal of this planning permission on appeal in 1998 (ref. 98/0042) (see

Appendix 4). The appeal allowed a variation in the outline planning permission by deleting Condition

11, which stated ‘the retail element of the scheme shall be limited to a maximum of 47,000 sq ft gross

retail floorspace. Any A3 uses developed on the site under this or any other permission shall count

against this 47,000 sq ft allocation’. This was substituted with the following wording for Condition

11: ‘the retail element of the scheme shall be limited to a maximum of 4366.3 square metres [47,000

sq ft] gross retail floorspace’ (appeal ref. JWKD/DMW/98/088). Individual planning permissions for

additional retail units followed in 2000 for floorspace of 40,000 sq ft (A00/0377), 10,000 sq ft

(A00/1439) and 11,250 (A00/1578).

2.74 Since the original outline permission for the Cwmdu estate, subsequent planning permissions have

granted in excess of 80,000 sq ft (7,400 sq m) of retail floorspace. The conditions attached to the

various decision notices vary in their ability to restrict the type of retail development. Again,

depending on the conditions attached to each consent, there are potentially similar implications in

relation to the existing units as those within the Enterprise Park Retail Zone, the A1 planning

permission (excluding food and DIY) at Parc Tawe Phase 1 and the unrestricted A1 planning

permissions for Parc Tawe Phase 2 and Parc Fforestfach. It is significant however that the retail

floorspace permitted by the original consent for the site has now been exceeded by subsequent

permissions, which provides the opportunity to restrict any further additional A1 retail floorspace.

2.75 The planning history indicates that there are likely to be further applications to try and further

expand retailing and restaurant/leisure uses at Parc Cwmdu. New retail floorspace at this location

would be a potential threat to the vitality and viability of the City Centre, which is recognised in the

site’s recent planning history records which include a dismissed appeal for a proposed Class A1 retail

unit on a vacant site within the estate. The inspector found that the proposal would be at variance

with national policies and the Council’s policy framework that resists out of centre retailing where

this would compromise efforts to regenerate the city centre.

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2.76 At Parc Morfa, the available planning history shows that planning permission was granted on 28 June

2002 for the ‘construction of sports stadium, leisure facilities (including health club, multi-screen

cinema, ten pin bowling centre, alterations to existing tennis centre, hotel and restaurants) and

provision of enabling retail development, petrol filling station and necessary infrastructure’ (ref.

A00/1410).

2.77 A number of planning conditions are attached to this permission to restrict the type of retailing at

the buildings permitted at Parc Morfa “in order to minimise any adverse impact upon surrounding

shopping centres”. These are:

• Condition 17, which restricts the following items from being sold at the permitted DIY/

garden centre premises: items of clothing, food and drink, audio and video goods/

equipment, computers, mobile telecommunications equipment, furniture other than self-

assembly, flat-pack or garden furniture, sports goods and keep fit equipment;

• Condition 18, which states that “the use of Unit 2 (sport retail) is restricted solely to the sale

of sports equipment, sports clothing and footwear, and other sports related goods, and for

the provision of ancillary sports training accommodation. The premises are to be used for no

other retail purpose than that specified (including any other purpose in Class A1 of the

Schedule of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987)”;

• Condition 19, which states that “the use of the non-food retail building will be restricted to

the sale of the following bulky goods: carpets and floor coverings, furniture and ancillary soft

furnishings; gas and electrical goods; DIY/hardware and garden products items; motor

accessories; office furniture; and the sale of goods ancillary thereto. The premises are to be

used for no other retail purpose (including any other purpose in Class A1 of the Schedule of

the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987”; and

• Condition 20, which states that “none of the non-food retail units shall be subdivided so that

the gross retail floorspace of a single user is less than 1,000 sq m”.

2.78 In terms of restrictions upon leisure uses, Condition 21 states that “the proposed health and fitness

premises shall be used as a health and fitness club and for no other purpose (including any other

purpose in Class D2 of the Schedule to the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 ...

without the prior approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority”.

2.79 A number of planning applications for new Use Class A3 restaurant units, the extension of retail

units, subdivision of retail units and relaxation of planning conditions to increase the permissible

floorspace of retail units have been approved since the initial planning permission for Parc Morfa

(ref. A00/1410). This regular flow of approvals from 2002 to present is summarised in Appendix 5

and indicates that the expansion of retailing and restaurant/ leisure uses at Parc Morfa continues to

be a threat to the City Centre.

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2.80 The permitted multi-screen cinema and ten pin bowling centre have not been implemented at Parc

Morfa and the permitted timescale for their delivery under planning permission ref. A00/1410 has

lapsed. There is the risk that this might be viewed as setting a precedent for the development of

leisure uses in this location, however this would pose a threat to the Council’s aspirations for the City

Centre to be the focus for retail and leisure uses. This includes A3 leisure uses that would serve to

significantly enhance the location’s appeal for ‘destination dining’ in preference to the City Centre.

Current levels of A3 appear largely incidental to the retail use but, similar to concerns at other retail

park locations in Swansea, future development that would deliver a greater critical mass of dining

experiences at the retail park could threaten the viability of the City Centre going forward.

2.81 Parc Morfa is not identified as a retail location with the UDP. Any retail application that comes

forward at Parc Morfa in the context of adopted planning policy will therefore be considered against

the general planning policies which resist retail development outside defined retail centres. Any such

application will also be subject to the sequential test and will largely be considered on the basis of

retail need. This is in accordance with national planning policy contained in Planning Policy Wales

(“PPW”) (2012) and Technical Advice Note 4 (“TAN4”).

2.82 The available planning history for Pontardulais Road Retail Park shows that a number of planning

applications have been approved for the construction of mezzanine floors and to increase the range

of goods sold at retail units at Pontardulais Road Retail Park. These are summarised in Appendix 6

and indicate that the expansion of certain forms of retailing at this location continues to be a threat

to the City Centre.

2.83 There are other out of centre locations across Swansea where a retail presence has been established

but they do not necessarily take the form of an established retail park. This includes industrial

locations such as at Garngoch where the further proliferation of retailing could have an adverse

effect on efforts to direct retail investment into the City Centre.

2.84 Parc Trostre and Parc Pemberton are large out-of-centre retail parks, which lie on the edge of

Llanelli, which comprise a mix of non-bulky and bulky A1 and A3 units. These are located outside of

the administrative area of the City and County of Swansea and fall within the remit of

Carmarthenshire County Council, however their catchment extends into the former. Parc Trostre

and Parc Pemberton have experienced significant expansion, including alterations and enhancements

to the retail units in recent years. Continued expansion of these retail parks is a key threat to the

vitality and viability of Swansea City Centre, particularly as they lie outside of the control of the City

and County of Swansea as a local planning authority.

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Reflection

2.85 This section provides a reflection upon the above analysis of adopted planning policy and previous

planning decisions.

2.86 In terms of national planning policy and adopted local planning policy, overall it is clear that the

overarching goal is to prioritise the City Centre, particularly the Retail Core, as the focus for retail

development, followed by district centres then out-of-centre locations.

Complementary

City Centre

District within

City Centre

Traditional

District Centre

Modern District

Centre

Employment

Location with a

‘Retail Zone’

Other Retail

Locations Not

Identified in

Planning Policy

• Parc Tawe • Clydach

• Gorseinon

• Killay

• Morriston

• Mumbles

• Pontarddulais

• Sketty

• Uplands

• Parc

Fforestfach

• Swansea

Enterprise Park

• Parc Cwmdu

• Parc Morfa

• Pontardulais

Road Retail

Park

Table 2.3: Current Definitions of Retail Locations in the City and County of Swansea

(Source: Swansea Unitary Development Plan (2008) and the Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework

Supplementary Planning Guidance (2007))

2.87 Aside from the ‘Retail Core’, the classification of retail locations within adopted planning policy

(shown in the first four columns of Table 2.3) is unclear, particularly terms such as ‘Traditional District

Centres’ and ‘Modern District Centres'.

2.88 Moreover, three established retail locations (shown in the fifth column of Table 2.3) are not

identified within planning policy. Planning applications in these locations are therefore judged upon

their own merits on the basis of general retail planning policies set out in the UDP, rather than more

stringent location-specific policies.

2.89 The current retail hierarchy in the City and County of Swansea is therefore unclear, making the

interpretation and implementation of the overarching policy goals for retailing set out in PPW and

the UDP more difficult. Chapter 5 makes recommendations to redefine the shopping locations in the

administrative area in order to clarify the retail hierarchy and to ensure the achievement of these

goals.

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2.90 Further proliferation of unrestricted A1 retail space at the out of centre locations described above

(including Parc Fforestfach) poses a threat to the future vitality, viability and attractiveness of

Swansea City Centre. The emergence of significant new leisure floorspace (including A3) at these

locations would pose a further threat through the creation of multi-use leisure and dining

destinations which would be more appropriately delivered in the City Centre.

2.91 The existing retail units at Swansea Enterprise Park, Parc Tawe Phase 2, and Parc Fforestfach pose a

particular high risk to the Council’s prioritisation for A1 high street retailers to locate in the City

Centre ‘Retail Core’. These sites do not appear to be restricted to bulky goods by means of extant

planning permissions and are considered attractive locations for high street retailers going forward.

This is a difficult issue for the emerging LDP to address due to the limits of influence for new policies

having regard to permitted development rights.

2.92 The available planning history information for out-of-centre retail parks is a concern as it indicates

planning applications for the expansion of retailing at these locations have continued to be approved

from the date of the original planning permissions to the present date. This includes at Parc

Fforestfach, Pontardulais Road Retail Park, Parc Morfa and Parc Cwmdu. This is therefore a key

threat to retailing (and leisure uses due to those at Parc Morfa) in the City Centre.

2.93 It is clear that all possible measures need to be taken to address these issues at Swansea Enterprise

Park, Parc Tawe and the out-of-centre retail parks to ensure that emphasis is placed upon the

strengthening of retailing in the City Centre supported by the remainder of the (redefined) retail

hierarchy within the administrative area.

2.94 The City and County of Swansea have no planning powers over the out-of-centre retail parks at Parc

Trostre and Parc Pemberton, which fall within the administrative area of Carmarthenshire County

Council. It would be beneficial for the Council to explore avenues of collaborative working and cross

partnership agreements with Carmarthenshire County Council in conjunction with the Welsh

Assembly, particularly in view of Swansea’s proposed role as the driver for the City Region.

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3 Qualitative Assessment of Retail Hierarchy

Introduction

3.1 This section of the report considers Swansea’s retail hierarchy and assesses the role and specific

retail functions of locations outside the City Centre ‘Retail Core’. The assessment covers the retail

locations identified in Table 3.1.

Complementary

City Centre

District within

City Centre

Traditional

District Centre

Modern District

Centre

Employment

Location with a

‘Retail Zone’

Other Retail

Locations Not

Identified in

Planning Policy

• Parc Tawe • Clydach

• Gorseinon

• Killay

• Morriston

• Mumbles

• Pontarddulais

• Sketty

• Uplands

• Parc

Fforestfach

• Swansea

Enterprise Park

• Parc Cwmdu

• Parc Morfa

• Pontardulais

Road Retail

Park

Table 3.1: Current Definitions of Retail Locations in the City and County of Swansea

(Source: Swansea Unitary Development Plan (2008) and the Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework

Supplementary Planning Guidance (2007))

3.2 In addition to the above locations, retailing within the administrative area of Swansea experiences

significant competition from Parc Trostre Retail Park and Parc Pemberton Retail Park in Llanelli,

which lie outside of the administrative boundary within the remit of Carmarthenshire County

Council. This is a strong pull for shoppers residing in western Swansea. The retail function of Parc

Trostre Retail Park and Parc Pemberton Retail Park is therefore included in this analysis.

3.3 First, the position of the centres within the NSLSP 2011 UK retail location rank is reviewed. Second,

a high level qualitative assessment of the role and purpose of the retail locations is provided in

proforma format, identifying the mix of retail uses in each location and areas of visible deficiency in

convenience goods retail provision and deficiency. This is informed by desk research and a number

of site visits.

3.4 This section concludes by identifying the key issues in each of the identified retail centres and

recommendations to improve retailing at each.

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UK Retail Centre Ranking

3.5 The National Survey of Local Shopping Patterns (NSLSP) is the largest continuous household survey of

consumer shopping destination preferences undertaken in Great Britain. Established in 1995, the

survey has compiled almost 20m responses, creating the largest single database of consumer

shopping destination preferences in the industry, with a further 3m records added annually. The

survey provides a detailed, robust insight into resident and shopping catchments across Great Britain

and allows individual locations to be ranked in a like for like manner.

3.6 By way of a regional comparison, the following table shows that Swansea City Centre is ranked 45.

This compares to Cardiff, Bristol, Carmarthen, Newport and Llanelli city/ town centres, which are

ranked 9, 12, 142, 144 and 237. In this context, Swansea City Centre is therefore a relatively strong

performer at present, though its drop in the rankings show that it is being overtaken by other cities

elsewhere within Great Britain. Cardiff and Bristol, having both experienced significant retail

development in the last 5 years, possess robust positions at the top of the retail rankings. Whilst

providing a strong attraction to their catchment residents, Newport, Carmarthen and Llanelli town

centres do not pose as great a threat to retailing in Swansea City Centre. Development in

Carmarthen has improved its ranking by just 16 places whilst Newport and Llanelli continue to be

overtaken in the retail rankings.

City Centre

Rank

2009

Rank

2011

Cardiff 9 9

Bristol 12 12

Swansea 42 45

Carmarthen 158 142

Newport 136 144

Llanelli 219 237

Table 3.2: Regional Comparison of Retail Rankings

(Source: NSLSP 2009 and 2011)

3.7 In terms of the retail locations outside of the City Centre in the Swansea administrative area and at

Parc Trostre Retail Park in Llanelli, they are ranked as follows:

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Retail Location

Rank

2009

Rank

2011

Parc Trostre 371 261

Parc Fforestfach 531 509

Parc Morfa 729 667

Morriston 824 No data

Parc Tawe 1,545 1,243

Gorseinon 1,609 1,715

Parc Cwmdu 1,787 1,868

Table 3.3: Local Comparison of Retail Rankings

(Source: NSLSP 2009 and 2011)

3.8 The data indicates that locally, Swansea City Centre’s main competitors are the three large out-of-

centre retail parks; Trostre (which improved from 371 to 261 in the 2009-11 period), Parc

Fforestfach, defined as a Modern District Centre in the UDP (which increased from 531 to 509 in the

2009-11 period) and Parc Morfa (which increased from 729 to 667 between 2009 and 2011). Whilst

Parc Tawe currently presents less of a threat this is subject to redevelopment proposals for the site

and restricting high street A1 retail becoming further established at the park. As the NSLSP

historically underweights the role of out-of-centre retail parks generally, the threat these centres

pose to retailing across the City and County of Swansea should not be underestimated. In addition,

as Parc Trostre is located within the administrative area of Carmarthenshire County Council, the

amount of control available to Swansea City Council is likely to be reduced.

3.9 Smaller out-of-centre retail locations and other smaller district centres achieve very low rankings due

to the size of their shopping populations.

Site Appraisals

3.10 The following tables provide a standardised, high level appraisal of the role, function and

performance of each retail location and highlight the key issues pertinent to each.

Parc Tawe

Description of Location • Parc Tawe (Phase 1 & 2) is defined as falling within the City Centre

in current planning policy, in practice it acts as an edge-of-centre

retail park located immediately east of Swansea City Centre.

• Comprises a surface car park surrounded by large retail units,

Plantasia (indoor visitor destination, displaying tropical plants) and

a restaurant unit.

• Parc Tawe Phase 1 largely acts as an indoor through route for

shoppers who park their cars at Parc Tawe’s public car park and

walk to the City Centre

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• Sainsbury’s supermarket is located to the east

• Highly prominent location at a gateway location

UDP Spatial Strategy Map • Shopping location

• Located within the urban waterfront area

UDP Written Statement/

Proposals Map

• Located within the City Centre

• Located to the east of the designated Retail Core

Relevant Supplementary

Planning Guidance (SPG)

• The Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework SPG (2007)

designates Parc Tawe as being located within the wider City Centre

boundary but as a Complimentary City Centre District where bulky

goods retail and mixed use development would be appropriate. It

states that high street retailing should not be supported at this

location.

Convenience Retail

Shopping

(provision and deficiency)

• Currently no convenience goods retailing at Parc Tawe (although

Sainsbury’s is to the east).

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers typically found at retail park locations:

Staples, Mothercare World, Harveys, Toys ‘R’ Us.

• Retail units are spread out, with long walking distances between

each.

Food and Drink


• Limited take-away units including Joes Ice Cream and ‘Fresh

Donuts’.

• Fast food restaurant contained within Ten Pin bowling venue

Entertainment, Leisure

and Community Facilities


• Odeon Cinema

• Ten Pin Bowling Alley

• Both are very tired venues, but are popular leisure destinations

Vacancies • Some

Accessibility and Car

Parking

• Large public car park

Conclusions • Declining, ageing and tired retail location acting as a retail park on

the edge of the City Centre.

• Would benefit from investment and regeneration to improve the

gateway approach to Swansea City Centre

• Planning policy seeks bulky goods retailing only at this location to

avoid negative impacts upon the City Centre Retail Core.

Clydach

Description of Location • District centre

• Located in north east Swansea

• Small retail parade surrounded by residential uses

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• Tired looking retail parade

• Would benefit from regeneration

UDP Spatial Strategy Map • N/A


Proposals Map

• Designated Traditional District Centre

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Co-operative (1,026 sqm/ 11,048 sq ft) and

Spar (floorspace data unavailable)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Essential retailing provided by independent retailers.

Food and Drink


• Independent take-away retailers.




• Local library.

Vacancies • Some.


Parking

• On street.

Conclusions • Would benefit from investment to enhance local retail provision to

benefit the local community and deliver regeneration benefits.

Gorseinon

Description of Location • District centre

• Located in north west Swansea

• It comprises a small retail parade surrounded by residential uses

UDP Spatial Strategy Map • Regeneration initiatives promoted

• Shopping location

UDP Proposals Map • Designated District Shopping Centre

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Asda (5,734 sqm/ 61,723 sq ft), Farm Foods

(572 sqm/ 6,157 sq ft) and Sainsbury’s (880 sqm/ 9,400 sq ft)

• A small Spar is also located in the middle of the High Street.

• Substantial proportion of the convenience retail offer is attributed

to butchers, green grocers, bakers and newsagents, mainly

comprising independent retailers, and one national brand

(Greggs), which serve to complement the area’s comparison retail

offer.

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Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Range of independent retailers providing essential services.

Food and Drink


• Key multiple retailers: Greggs.




• None

Vacancies • A number of vacant units were evident during the site visit on 5

December 2012.

• Vacant units comprise a mix of small ground floor retail units and

the large former Somerfield supermarket.

• Given the small and peripheral nature of retailing in Gorseinon,

and its very local catchment, the current proportion of vacant units

is not surprising, particularly given the relatively close proximity

and road and bus links to Parc Fforestfach Retail Park.


Parking

• Limited off street car parking

• On-street



Killay

Description of Location • District Centre

• Located in west Swansea


• Tired looking retail parade.

• Would benefit from regeneration.


UDP Written Statement • Designated Traditional District Centre

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Co-operative (652 sqm/ 7,027 sq ft) and Co-

operative (450 sqm/ 4,800 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Essential independent retailers.

Food and Drink


• Independent take-away retailers

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• None.

Vacancies • Some.


Parking

• On street and car park to rear of Centre.



Morriston


• Located in north Swansea

• Retail parade of essential local services with poor fascias

surrounded by declining residential area



• Partially falls within Morriston Conservation Area

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Asda (9,720 sqm/ 105,000 sq ft), Iceland

(1,627 sqm/ 17,517 sq ft) and Lidl (1,119 sqm/ 12,045 sq ft)

• Substantial proportion of the convenience retail offer is attributed

to butchers, green grocers, bakers and newsagents, mainly

comprising independent retailers, and one national brand

(Greggs), which serve to complement the area’s comparison retail

offer.

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailer: New Look, Boots, Shoe Zone, Peacocks,

Poundstretcher and Wilkinson.

• A number of independent comparison goods retailers

Food and Drink


• Key multiple retailer: Dominos Pizza

• A number of independent take-away units and restaurants




• None

Vacancies • High proportion of vacancies

• The current proportion of vacant units is not surprising, given the

relatively close proximity and road and bus links to Swansea

Enterprise Park.

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Parking

• Served by a number of bus routes

• On-street parking available

• Three public car parks



Mumbles



• Retail parade surrounded by residential uses occupied by affluent

local community


UDP Proposals Map • Mumbles Conservation Area

• East Mumbles falls within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

• Tennis courts, children’s play area and paddling pool are

designated recreation areas

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Co-operative (766 sqm/ 8,254 sq ft) and Co-

operative 486 sqm/ 5,234 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Boots

• A number of retail boutiques.

Food and Drink


• Key multiple retailers: Costa

• A number of boutique comparison retail units




• Independendent amusement arcade.

Vacancies • Some.


Parking

• Served by a number of bus routes

• On-street parking available

• A number of public car parks

Conclusions • Popular and successful retail location benefiting from tourism.

• Would benefit from small scale investment to further enhance the

vibrancy and vitality of retailing.

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Pontarddulais


• Located in north Swansea



• Employment centre

• New housing sites promoted


Proposals Map

• Designated Traditional District Centre

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Co-operative (640 sqm/ 6,889 sq ft) and

Tesco (4,433 sqm/ 47,725 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Essential retailing provided by independent retailers.

Food and Drink


• Independent take-away retailers




• None

Vacancies • Some


Parking

• On street



Sketty






Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Sainsbury’s (285 sqm/ 3,077 sq ft) and Tesco

(635 sqm/ 6,835 sq ft).

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Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Range of essential services provided by independent retailers.

Food and Drink


• Some local restaurants and takeaways.




• None

Vacancies • Some vacant units


Parking

• On a number of bus routes

• Public car park

• On-street car parking



Uplands






Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Sainsbury’s (593 sqm/ 6,387 sq ft) and Tesco

Express (285 sqm/ 4,152 sq ft).

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Boots.

• A number of independent comparison retailers.

Food and Drink


• Range of local independent cafes




• None

Vacancies • Some vacant units


Parking

• On a number of bus routes

• Limited parking available

• On-street car parking



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Parc Cwmdu (Retail Park)

Description of Location • Out-of-centre retail park

• Located in east Swansea

• Retail warehouses next to a dual carriageway surrounded by

residential uses

• Total retail floorspace: 16,440 sqm (source: Goad)


UDP Proposals Map • No designation

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Aldi (1,400 sqm/ 15,065 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers include: Home Bargains, Matalan, Pound

Stretcher Extra, Wickes Extra, B&Q,

Food and Drink


• McDonalds




• Mecca Bingo

Vacancies • Unknown


Parking

• Free public car parks outside individual stores.

Conclusions • Tired and aging retail warehouses.

• Further investment could create a more attractive retail location

which could be a threat to the future success of the City Centre

and district centres.

Parc Fforestfach (Retail Park)



• Retail warehouse units and large supermarket with large public car

park

• Total retail floorspace: 33,680 sq m (source: Goad)

• Surrounded by residential uses

• Located on a dual carriageway

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UDP Proposals Map • Designated Modern District Shopping Centre

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Tesco Extra (11,866 sqm/ 128,000 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Marks & Spencer, Next, Home Sense,

Mamas & Papas, Outfit, River Island, Costa, Clarks, Carphone

Warehouse, H&M, Thompson, New Look and Boots.

Food and Drink


• Pizza Hut




• None

• Risk/ threat to Swansea City Centre if leisure uses (such as a

cinema) locate at Parc Fforestfach Retail Park

Vacancies • None


Parking

• Public car park

Conclusions • Successful and vibrant retail park.

• Character is of an out of centre retail park not a district centre as

currently designated

• Further investment could create an even more attractive retail

location which could be a threat to the future success of the City

Centre and district centres.

Parc Morfa (Retail Park)




park


• Adjacent to the Liberty Football and Rugby Stadium and residential

uses


UDP Spatial Strategy Map • Sport/ leisure location


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Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Morrisons (4,600 sqm/ 49,514 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: B&Q, TK Maxx, Next, Boots, Argos, Outfit,

Brantano Shoes, Bensons Beds, New Look, Sports Direct, Game,

Carphone Warehouse.

• Risk/ threat to Swansea City Centre if comparison retailing at Parc

Morfa expands further.

Food and Drink


• Fast food restaurants: Frankie & Bennies, KFC and Pizza Hut

• Coffee shops: Starbucks




• None


cinema) locate at Parc Morfa

Vacancies • None.


Parking

• Free public car park





Pontardulais Road Retail Park




park

• Surrounded by residential uses




Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Marks & Spencer Simply Food (1,115 sq m/ 12,000 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Currys, Argos, Laura Ashley, Hooby Craft,

Pound Land, Pets at Home, Carpet Right, Dreams.

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Food and Drink


• None.

• Risk/ threat to Swansea City Centre if food and drink uses locate at

Pontardulais Road Retail Park.




• None.


cinema) locate at Pontardulais Road Retail Park

Vacancies • None.


Parking






Swansea Enterprise Park

Description of Location • Out-of-centre Enterprise Park


• Mix of employment and retail warehouse uses

• Floorspace in Enterprise Park Retail Zone: 50,000 sqm (gross)

(source: RTM, 2005)

• Residential uses located immediately north at LLansamlet

UDP Spatial Strategy Map • Employment location

UDP Proposals Map • Partially designated as Enterprise Park ‘Retail Zone’

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Tesco Extra (10,340 sqm/ 111,300 sq ft),

Farm Foods (486 sqm/5,231 sq ft) and Iceland (552 sqm/ 5,945 sq

ft).

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers include SCS, Home Bargains, Pound World,

Iceland, Farmfoods, Smyths (toy store), Maplin.

Food and Drink


• None

• Risk/ threat to Swansea City Centre if food and drink uses (such as

a cinema) locate at Swansea Enterprise Park




• Simply Gym


cinema) locate at Swansea Enterprise Park

Vacancies • A number of large vacant retail warehouses reaching the end or

their operational use.

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• Their redevelopment for new retail uses is a risk/ threat to the City

Centre.


Parking

• Individual free public car parks associated with each retail unit.

• Some bus links.

Conclusions • Tired and aging retail warehouses.

• Further investment could create a more attractive retail location

which could be a threat to the future success of the City Centre

and district centres.

Parc Trostre (Retail Park)

Description of Location • Out-of-centre Retail Park

• Mostly high street brands

• Acting like a town centre high street – lots of small units in a row

• Located in east Llanelli within the administrative area of

Carmarthenshire County Council

• Retail warehouse uses with fascias of good quality and 10,789 sqm

supermarket with poor fascia


• Located adjacent to Parc Pemberton Retail Park and Parc y Scarlets

Football and Rugby Stadium

UDP Spatial Strategy Map • N/A – located outside of the Swansea administrative area

UDP Proposals Map • N/A – located outside of the Swansea administrative area

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Tesco Extra (10,789 sqm/ 116,132 sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers include: Clarks, New Look, Lakeland, Dreams,

Pets at Home, Outfit, Asda Living, Quicksilver, Debenhams, BHS,

Next, Animal, TK Maxx, Boots, Accessorize, Poundworld, WH

Smith, River Island, Laura Ashley, Poundstretcher, Monsoon,

Marks & Spencer (including a mezzanine), B&Q.


Trostre expands further

Food and Drink


• Range of fast food restaurants, including: KFC, Pizza Hut and

McDonalds

• Cafe: inside Tesco Extra

• Coffee shops: Starbucks and Marks & Spencer coffee shop.




• No leisure provision


cinema) locate at Parc Trostre

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Vacancies • Unknown


Parking


Conclusions • Successful retail park.

• Some dated and tired units.




Parc Pemberton

Description of Location • Out-of-centre Retail Park

• Located in east Llanelli within the administrative area of

Carmarthenshire County Council

• Retail warehouse uses and supermarket

• Located adjacent to Parc Trostre Retail Park and Parc y Scarlets

Football and Rugby Stadium

UDP Spatial Strategy Map • N/A – located outside of the Swansea administrative area

UDP Proposals Map • N/A – located outside of the Swansea administrative area

Convenience Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Morrisons (tired fascia) (7,440 sqm/ 80,083

sq ft)

Comparison Retail

Shopping


• Key multiple retailers: Halfords, Dunelm Mill, Homebase, Bensons

Beds.


Pemberton expands further

Food and Drink


• None.




• None.

Vacancies • Former Allied Carpets and former Comet units are vacant.


Parking

• Individual public car parks associated with each retail unit.

• Some bus links.

Conclusions • Successful retail park.

• Some dated and tired units.




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Reflection

3.11 This section reflects upon the above analysis to identify the key issues in retailing outside of the City

Centre ‘Retail Core’ across the City and County of Swansea and beyond.

3.12 Whilst currently falling within the designated City Centre, the character and function of Parc Tawe is

more like an edge-of-centre retail park than a City Centre non-bulky retail location. Despite these

characteristics, in sequential testing terms it is therefore at the top of the retail hierarchy in the

context of current planning policy. Parc Tawe is currently experiencing significant decline and has

largely reached the end of its operational life in its current form. This is therefore a prime site for

redevelopment. The unrestricted A1 (except food and DIY) lawful use at Parc Tawe Phase 1 and the

unrestricted A1 lawful use at Phase 2 indicates that there is significant scope for non-bulky retail to

locate at Parc Tawe at present, which is a key risk to the Council’s aspirations to prioritise investment

in the City Centre Retail Core. All possible measures to address this concern should be pursued,

including planning and legal avenues available.

3.13 In terms of the designated Traditional District Centres, Clydach, Gorseinon, Killay, Morriston and

Pontarddulais all appear visually tired to varying extents and would benefit from investment to

enhance their attractiveness as retail locations. High vacancies were particularly evident at

Morriston and Gorseinon where the public realm shop facades were in the greatest need of

enhancement. All of these locations have some car parking (although some a better served than

others), are generally well served by bus and within walking distance of their respective local resident

population. These Traditional District Centres are therefore highly accessible to non-car owning, less

affluent shoppers, which is indicative of less spending power, which is reflected in the decline of

these centres, particularly given competition from out-of-centre retail parks. These locations would

all benefit from investment and regeneration. Mumbles has a more affluent catchment, greater car

parking provision and benefits from tourism trade, it is therefore less in need of regeneration. Sketty

and Uplands are small centres with limited car parking and serve a particularly localised catchment.

3.14 With regard to out-of-centre retail parks, although designated within the UDP as a Modern District

Centre, Parc Fforestfach acts very differently to the other ‘Traditional District Centres’ in the City and

County of Swansea. Parc Fforestfach, Parc Morfa, Parc Cwmdu, Pontardulais Road Retail Park and

Swansea Enterprise Park ‘Retail Zone’ all play a similar role within the hierarchy, however the

Enterprise Park is a much less cohesive retail destination, comprising a sprawl of retail on a industrial

and business park layout.

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3.15 Whilst not currently designated in this respect, all of these retail locations act as out-of-centre retail

parks and operate with a format of large scale retail warehouses selling high street (i.e. non-bulky)

A1 goods (at Parc Fforestfach and Parc Morfa) and/ or bulky or household retail goods (at Parc

Morfa, Parc Cwmdu, Pontardulais Road Retail Park and Swansea Enterprise Park ‘Retail Core’). They

are all predominantly car dependent with large free car parks, thus mainly attracting more affluent,

car owning shoppers with greater spending power. Parc Trostre and Parc Pemberton, located in the

administrative boundary of Carmarthenshire County Council, perform the same role.

3.16 Whilst public transport links from Traditional District Centres to Swansea City Centre are good, bus

journeys to the retail parks are generally less straightforward, meaning that they are less accessible

to less affluent, non-car owning shoppers with less spending power.

3.17 Objective 2.e of the UDP, which seeks “to improve the range, choice and quality of shopping

opportunities accessible for all sections of the community and visitors to the area”, is therefore not

being met at present.

3.18 The extent of competition to the Traditional District Centres and the City Centre from retail park

format retailing is significantly high.

3.19 Parc Fforestfach, Pontardulais Road Retail Park, Parc Morfa and Parc Trostre appear to be performing

particularly well. The public realm and shop facades at Parc Cwmdu are looking more tired and in

need of upgrading however they still appear to be performing well.

3.20 Swansea Enterprise Park has significant vacancy rates, with a number of empty large retail

warehouse units which appear to be at the end of their operational life. Given that many of the

retail units were built when the area was designated as an Enterprise Zone (and therefore planning

permission was not required), there is the risk that these may become attractive redevelopment sites

for high street (i.e. non-bulky) A1 retailers, posing a significant threat to the health and success of

retailing in the City Centre, nearby Morriston District Centre and Parc Morfa.

3.21 In terms of other out of centre retail locations, Garngoch Retail Area is experiencing significant

physical decline with the retail warehouse units appearing to be reaching the end of their operational

life. They could therefore be attractive redevelopment sites for retailers.

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4 Foodstore Development

Existing Provision

4.1 Map 1 shows the location and size of existing foodstores within the City and County of Swansea

above a minimum floorspace threshold (280 sq m/ 3,000 sq ft gross). Also shown are selected

foodstores outside of the administrative boundary that have catchments within it. This information

and the floorspace data for each store is summarised in Tables 4.1 and 4.2 and the corresponding

foodstore operators are mapped at Appendix 7.

4.2 Existing foodstore provision within the City and County of Swansea, including some of the largest

foodstores, is concentrated in the north eastern part of the urban area to the south of the M4

motorway, where household incomes are lower.

4.3 A number of foodstores are also located in the City Centre. One large foodstore lies to the south

west of the St. David’s/ Quadrant site and forms part of the City Centre ‘Retail Core’ where high

street retail uses are promoted within planning policy.

4.4 There is currently no foodstore provision west of Dunvant in what is a predominantly rural area of

the City and County of Swansea, which includes the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

which is characterised by a lower population.

4.5 In the south western part of the urban area, beyond the City Centre, foodstore provision is lower,

comprising smaller, local stores, and no large foodstores. This part of the City and County of

Swansea is populated by the more affluent sector of the population. There is significant competition

among foodstore retailers to gain a presence in south west Swansea.

4.6 Maps showing the catchment drive times of the above foodstores are provided at Appendix 8. These

show basket and trolley-based foodstores with respective 5 and 10 minute catchment drive times,

reflecting the time and distance that shoppers realistically spend travelling to each. To aid visual

analysis, the administrative area is broken down into four sub-area maps (Swansea Central and East,

West, Greater North West and Greater North East).

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Map 1: Existing Foodstore Provision Within and Outside the City and County of Swansea with Catchments within the Administrative Area

(Source: MapInfo/ Bartholomew 2013)

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Planning Policy

Operator Location Net sq m Gross sq m Net sq ft Gross sq ft

Aldi Parc Cwmdu No data 1,400 No data 15,065

Asda Morriston 5,850 9,720 63,000 105,000

Asda Gorseinon 5,408 5,734 58,208 61,723

Co-Op Brynhyfryd 360 493 3,875 5,310

Co-Op City Centre 476 989 5,123 10,646

Co-Op City Centre 275 407 2,966 4,385

Co-Op Clydach No data 1,026 No data 11,048

Co-Op Killay 371 652 4,103 7,027

Co-Op Mumbles 336 766 3,947 8,254

Co-Op Pontarddulais 534 640 5,757 6,889

Co-Op Killay 320 450 3,400 4,800

Co-Op Mumbles 282 486 3,043 5,234

Farm Foods

Enterprise

Park No data 486 No data 5,231

Farm Foods Gorseinon 372 572 4,004 6,157

Iceland City Centre 506 750 5,446 8,082

Iceland

Enterprise

Park No data 552 No data 5,945

Iceland Morriston 839 1,627 9,036 17,517

Julians Garngoch 1,115 1,700 12,000 18,300

Lidl City Centre No data 932 No data 10,032

Lidl Garngoch 730 890 7,900 9,600

Lidl Morriston No data 1,119 No data 12,045

Lidl

Pentregethin

Road 890 950 9,600 10,200

Lidl Trallwn 1,068 1,115 11,496 12,002

Marks &

Spencer City Centre No data 8,572 No data 92,268

Marks &

Spencer

Parc

Fforestfach 712 1,115 7,700 12,000

Morrison's Morfa 3,000 4,600 32,292 49,514

Sainsbury's City Centre 3,720 5,830 40,000 62,800

Sainsbury's Gorseinon 870 880 9,400 9,400

Sainsbury's Uplands 303 593 3,265 6,387

Sainsbury's Sketty 273 285 2,942 3,077

Tesco City Centre 3,620 6,040 39,000 65,000

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Tesco Express

City Centre -

De la Beche

Street No data 395 No data 4,252

Tesco Express Gowerton 200 293 2,153 3,154

Tesco Express Sketty No data 635 No data 6,835

Tesco Express

St Helen's

Road 357 361 4,038 3,894

Tesco Express SA1 No data 450 No data 4,851

Tesco Express Uplands No data 285 No data 4,152

Tesco Extra

Enterprise

Park 6,700 10,340 72,119 111,300

Tesco Extra

Parc

Fforestfach 8,844 11,866 95,196 128,000

Tesco

Superstore Pontarddulais 4,169 4,433 44,879 47,725

Table 4.1: Foodstores within the Administrative Boundary of the City and County of Swansea

(Source: City and County of Swansea)

Operator Location Net m2 Gross m2 Net ft2 Gross ft2

Tesco Parc

Trostre Parc Trostre 9,832 10,789 105,830 116,132

Adsa Llanelli City

Centre 5,968 7,952 64,239 85,595

Morrison's Pemberton

Retail Park 6,611 7,440 71,160 80,083

Tesco Ammanford 5,301 5,833 57,059 62,786

Tesco Pontardawe No data 4,449 No data 47,889

Lidl Pontardawe No data 1,646 No data 17,717

Morrison's Neath No data 4,833 No data 52,022

Tesco Neath No data 5,175 No data 55,703

Lidl Neath No data 1,644 No data 17,696

Table 4.2: Foodstores Outside the Administrative Boundary but with Catchments within the City

and County of Swansea

(Source: City and County of Swansea)

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4.7 The maps at Appendix 8 show that a mix of trolley and basket-based stores are located in the Central

and East sub-area and in the West sub-area. Swansea Greater North West and Greater North East

are characterised by largely trolley based stores only, which have catchments extending beyond the

administrative boundary into the Carmarthenshire County Council area and the Neath and Port

Talbot County Borough Council area.

4.8 The City Centre and all locations within the City and County of Swansea to the east of Dunvant fall

within the catchment of a number of foodstores. The areas immediately west of Dunvant have less

choice, only falling within the catchment of one or two stores. Only the rural areas surrounding

Craig-Cefn-Parc in the north and at the Gower to the west do not fall within the catchment of a

foodstore.

4.9 Smaller, basket-based foodstores are clustered within and just outside the City Centre and in nearby

District Centres to the west, in Uplands, Sketty and Killay. These have overlapping 5 minute

catchment drive times, which span to the west towards Dunvant and Upper Killay.

4.10 The maps show significant potential leakage of convenience goods spending to the nine foodstores

outside of the administrative area. The 10 minute catchment drive times of a number of trolley

based foodstores outside of the City and County of Swansea area span into, and compete with,

foodstores within the north east and north west of the administrative area. These are located in Parc

Trostre, Parc Pemberton, Llanelli and Ammanford in the Carmarthenshire County Council area and at

Pontardawe and Neath in the Neath and Port Talbot County Borough Council area. As these stores

are outside of the remit of planning policy prepared by Swansea Council, the Council has no control

over their impact upon grocery retailing in the Swansea administrative area, although they may be a

consultee on applications in neighbouring local authority areas.

4.11 Overall, drive time data does not indicate that there is a significant deficiency in foodstore provision

in the City and County of Swansea. We recommend that this analysis is supported by an additional

quantitative assessment of foodstore provision and deficiency in the Swansea administrative area at

the appropriate time to inform LDP policy and/or guide decision making on individual planning

applications.

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Recommendations

4.12 This Chapter has demonstrated that there is significant existing provision of foodstore development

in the Swansea administrative area, as well as provision outside of this boundary that have

catchments which reach into it.

4.13 Despite the extent of existing provision, there is scope for small scale local foodstores, which meet

local needs, to be commercially attractive and appropriate windfall planning sites. This could be in

declining residential areas that would benefit from the regenerative effects that foodstores can

bring, or in large scale mixed use development areas where the facility would serve the new

development areas proposed. Foodstore developments that gives rise to major regeneration

benefits that accord with Council development strategies should be considered on their merits but

must clearly demonstrate they will not have any adverse impact upon the City Centre or nearby

district centres.

4.14 It is recommended that the emerging LDP stipulates that windfall planning applications (i.e. non

allocated sites) for foodstore development are accompanied by a Retail Assessment, in line with

national guidance. Such Assessments will also be necessary to support foodstore proposals that

come forward in advance of LDP adoption. This assessment should justify the proposal against

national and local planning policy. It should be required to demonstrate that the proposal will not

impact on the vitality and viability of the City Centre, meets the requirements of the sequential test,

meets a quantitative and qualitative need and will positively contribute to the Council’s regeneration

plans for the St. David’s/ Quadrant area. We also recommend that the LDP requires the applicant to

make a financial contribution to cover costs incurred by the local planning authority in undertaking

the necessary audit or analysis of any such Retail Assessment.

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5 Conclusions and Recommendations

Introduction

5.1 This report has identified that existing planning policy is clear in prioritising the City Centre for

significant retail investment and that the St. David’s/ Quadrant area is the key site for a retail-led

scheme. Current retail planning policy also serves to preclude certain forms of out-of-centre retail

development. However existing policy and strategy needs to be further refined to direct all forms of

new retail development to suitable sites within centres and in particular retail core areas. There is

also the risk of greater impacts from changing occupiers at unrestricted lawful A1 units in out-of-

centre locations, which could undermine the Council’s City Centre first priorities.

5.2 This Chapter draws upon the conclusions of Chapters 2, 3 and 4 to provide guidance on formulating

an up-to-date retail strategy for the emerging Swansea LDP, which will be key to securing the

Council’s strategic regeneration aims.

Recommendations

A New Retail Hierarchy

5.3 Chapters 3 and 4 highlighted that the terminology and classification of the City and County of

Swansea’s retail locations in adopted local planning policy needs revision and some clarification in

order to best meet the overall aims of national policy and the UDP with regard to retailing strategy.

5.4 The available planning history information reviewed in Chapter 3 shows that at present it is

problematic for the Council to successfully meet Objective 2 (f) of the UDP, which seeks to “resist

further out-of-centre retail development”, or furthermore to meet UDP Strategic Policy SP6 for the

City Centre to be the primary focus for new retail development and to support improvement and

enhancement of District Centres.

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5.5 To address these issues and to ensure clarity when undertaking the sequential approach to prioritise

the City Centre, followed by District Centres, then out-of-centre retailing in accordance with PPW, we

recommend retail centres are redefined across the administrative area. We recommend that the

City and County of Swansea’s retail locations therefore fall into four categories: ‘City Centre’, ‘District

Centres’, ‘edge-of-centre (Parc Tawe)’, and finally ‘out of centre retail parks’. Any other retail

location would fall under the category of out of centre retail where further development should be

restricted to very small scale provision that would serve local communities where these are shown to

have an unmet need.

5.6 We also recommend that the City Centre ‘Retail Core’ is redefined as the City Centre ‘Retail and

Leisure Core’ which will be the priority location for high street A1 and A3 retail and D2 leisure, which

should include a cinema as well as a wide range of dining opportunities that complement the leisure

experience. Delivering these complementary uses, and resisting proposals that would prejudice

their delivery, is critical to ensure that Swansea City Centre becomes a regional shopping and leisure

destination.

5.7 We advise that a new planning policy is formulated to clarify the roles of the key areas within the City

Centre that complement the City Centre ‘Retail and Leisure Core’.

5.8 A revised retail hierarchy will overcome the issue of Parc Fforestfach being classed as a (albeit

‘Modern’) District Centre, despite having very different characteristics to the other (‘Traditional’)

District Centres in the administrative area and being akin to a retail park. Removing Parc Fforestfach

from the District Centre definition will ensure that it is considered as an out-of-centre retail park in

the same way as Parc Morfa, Swansea Enterprise Park Retail Zone, Parc Cwmdu and Pontardulais

Road Retail Park. This will ensure that all of these locations are subject to the sequential approach as

per the retail hierarchy outlined in PPW and TAN4. This will place greater restrictions upon retailing

in these locations to better ensure that the City Centre is the priority for high street retailing.

5.9 In turn, we recommend that the ‘Traditional District Centres’ in the UDP are redefined as ‘District

Centres’ in the LDP. This will serve to better ensure the regeneration of the City Centre and declining

district centres.

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5.10 The UDP currently defines Parc Tawe as being part of the City Centre, despite its characteristics and

function as an edge-of-centre retail park in practice. We therefore recommend that Parc Tawe is

redefined in the LDP as an ‘Edge-of-Centre’ location where only bulky goods retailing and leisure

uses, which would complement those prioritised in the City Centre Retail and Leisure Core, are

permissible. As part of this, we recommend that the existing cinema use may be better located in

the City Centre Retail and Leisure Core. This policy approach is consistent with the SCCSF and will

help ensure that Parc Tawe serves to support, rather than compete with the City Centre.

5.11 There will be a certain amount of market demand for bulky goods retailing in out/edge-of-centre

locations, and we recommend the above approach is taken in order to focus such investment at the

most sequentially preferable location, particularly given the existence of empty units at Parc Tawe at

present, and the need to bring forward development that would complement traditional high street

retailing within the City Centre retail and leisure core.

Class A1 Retail at Out-of-Centre Locations

5.12 The Council’s priority moving forwards is for a City Centre first approach in accordance with national

planning policy set out in PPW. Further proliferation of unrestricted A1 retail space at out of centre

and edge of centre retail locations should be resisted as it poses a threat to the future vitality,

viability and attractiveness of Swansea City Centre. This includes at Parc Fforestfach, Pontarddulais

Road Retail Park, Parc Morfa, Parc Cwmdu, the Enterprise Park, and also Parc Tawe which is

erroneously currently identified as being in-centre in the existing UDP. This threat applies to more

than just proposed new buildings for new retail space and includes proposed change of use of

existing floorspace, subdivision of premises to create smaller ‘high street’ scale units, variation of

planning conditions/legal agreements and proposed additional floorspace by means of mezzanine

floors. This is already emphasised in UDP policy and can be strengthened even further in LDP policy.

However, this report has identified that a key threat to this aim, which cannot be addressed through

revised planning policy alone, is the proliferation of unrestricted lawful A1 consents at the Enterprise

Park, Parc Tawe Phase 1 (excluding food and DIY) and Phase 2, Parc Cwmdu and Parc Fforestfach.

5.13 We recommend that, in addition to revised planning policy, the Council seeks further advice

regarding how best it can negate the risks posed to the vitality of the District Centres and City Centre

by the existing unrestricted lawful retail units at Swansea Enterprise Park and the retail parks

referred to in this report

Bulky Goods Retailing

5.14 PPW and TAN4 seek to prioritise bulky goods retailing at sites within centres and at edge-of-centre

locations. In this context, proposals for new bulky goods retailing within the County should be

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directed in the first instance to in-centre locations, followed by appropriate edge of centre sites. This

may require developers to be flexible in their proposals for this form of retailing. Only in instances

where an applicant can demonstrate a clear need for further bulky goods floorspace, and where no

viable units or development sites are available at in-centre or edge-of-centre locations for bulky

goods investment, should the Council consider units or sites within out-of-centre retail locations (as

per the locations identified in Table 3.1). Where demand can be shown for further bulky goods

retailing, and where no sites are available at in centre or edge of centre locations, developers should

be directed towards existing premises at retail park locations in the interests of prioritising the re-use

and/or redevelopment of existing units.

Foodstore Development

5.15 With regard to foodstore retailing, PPW seeks to provide an adequate level of provision in existing

town and district centres and states that out-of-centre food supermarkets are not permissible if they

would lead to a loss of food retailing in the centre of smaller towns. This further highlights the

importance of introducing the redefined retail hierarchy in the LDP as outlined above.

Maintaining the Vitality, Viability and Attractiveness of Centres

5.16 Alongside efforts to prioritise the City Centre and District Centres as the most suitable locations for

appropriate new retail and leisure development, and resisting inappropriate out of centre proposals,

there is a need to ensure these destinations benefit from ongoing initiatives to maintain their

vitality, viability and attractiveness. Such initiatives are needed to ensure these locations provide for

the communities they serve and are best placed to receive future investment.

5.17 Safeguarding an appropriate percentage of A1 retail at ground floor level will be critical to ensuring

the future health and vitality of Centres. The Council has produced Supplementary Planning

Guidance that relates to non-retail uses within District Centres and the City Centre, as identified in

Chapter 2. These documents remain valid going forward and provide a framework for preventing

the unacceptable dilution of retail frontages.

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5.18 Some uses on the high street are perceived as having a detrimental effect on vitality and

attractiveness, particularly non A1 uses. The City and County of Swansea set up a ‘Task and Finish

Group’ led by elected Members on pay day loan uses. The group has identified what it regards as an

increasing dominance of payday loan companies on district and City Centre high streets, contributing

to a perceived degradation of the health of the poorer sections of the communities in which they

locate. It highlights that “in some instances they are able to move into established A1 units in prime

retail areas by arguing that they are predominantly a retail unit, operating for example as a jeweller

or pawnbroker shop, which would not require planning permission. Alternatively they are able to

persuade the Planning Inspectorate on appeal, of the economic benefits of allowing a financial use in

a retail unit on the grounds that it has the appearance of a shop and brings economic and visual

benefits to the town centre”. Businesses operating solely as payday loan companies are considered

to be financial services and thus treated as an A2 (financial and professional services) use,

which are not currently distinguished from other A2 uses under the Town & Country Planning Use

Classes Order. The Council has limited opportunities for intervention other than refusing planning

applications where permission is required to change the use of the premises. In this respect, these

are A2 (financial and professional services) uses, which are not currently distinguished from other A2

uses under the Town & Country Planning Use Classes Order. Whilst not ideal, payday loan companies

do however serve the purpose of occupying retail units in declining district centres, which might

otherwise lie vacant, and a balance clearly has to be struck between issues of long term vacancy and

resisting non-A1 uses.

5.19 The Welsh Assembly’s New Regeneration Framework, entitled Vibrant and Viable Places, was

launched in March 2013, which makes clear that regeneration investment should be targeted at

town centres as priority locations. This reinforces the need to prioritise Swansea City Centre, and

where appropriate the larger District Centres in the County, as the sequentially preferable sites for

significant new retail development. In terms of long term vacancy issues, so called ‘meanwhile uses’

are identified within the New Regeneration Framework as a potential mechanism to address this

problem. The Framework states that the Welsh Government: “have international evidence of the

success of ‘meanwhile uses’ in reversing town centre decline by facilitating diversification of the town

centre offer and bringing vibrancy to previously empty properties. The most successful programmes

have developed long-term and permanent uses from initial temporary occupation of retail and office

premises and have performed a critical business incubation role”. This should be explored as an

opportunity, alongside other initiatives, to prevent long term vacancy having a negative impact on

the high street.

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5.20 Finally, also considered important as part of a package of measures in maintaining vitality, viability

and attractiveness is ensuring that Centres benefit from environmental improvements wherever

possible, including building improvements, refurbishments and hard and soft landscaping

enhancements.

Interim Period

5.21 Whilst existing planning policy is fairly clear in prioritising the City Centre for significant retail

investment and precluding most forms of out of centre retailing, this report has demonstrated some

weaknesses in current adopted planning policy and has highlighted the associated risks to the

Council’s aspiration to deliver a strengthened retail hierarchy. The Council faces a minimum two

year period up to the anticipated adoption of the LDP, therefore in the interim period our advice to

the Council is as follows:

5.22 In terms of the Council’s strategy for managing future planning applications for retail development

prior to the adoption of the emerging LDP, these should be assessed on the basis of adopted

planning policy and the material considerations provided by this and similar up to date evidence. In

this respect, they must demonstrate that they are appropriate in sequential testing terms, that they

will meet a quantitative and qualitative need, that they are located on an accessible site, and would

not give rise to an unacceptable adverse impact on an existing centre.

5.23 We also recommend that the Council considers the preparation of interim planning guidance which

could take the form of Supplementary Planning Guidance. This could be prepared in a shorter

timeframe to the LDP and could seek to establish greater planning controls over retail and leisure

development than is currently provided by the UDP. Significantly however, any new Supplementary

Planning Guidance cannot contradict policies set out in the UDP.

5.24 It will be important that such interim planning guidance directs large Class A3 food and drink

developments to the City Centre and where such sites are unavailable to alternative sequentially

preferable sites. Large A3 uses have a critical role in supporting the retail and leisure led

regeneration of the City Centre, particularly the St. David’s and Quadrant site. Any mixed use

destinations, including large A3 uses, at out-of-centre locations would be a threat to the success of

the City Centre and should be resisted.

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APPENDICES

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Planning Policy

1 Swansea Enterprise Park: Key Planning History

Ref. No. Address Description Decision Decision

Date

2/1/78/146

4/03

Land to the south of

the A48.

Industrial Park Approved 28-12-1978

2/1/79/000

0/11

Land north of A48,

Llansamlet, Swansea

Build industry and ancillary

distribution and

warehousing (Use Class III,

IV, X1).

Approved 21-05-1979

93/0798 Unit 1 Park Pavilions

(Paramount) Valley

Way, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Change of use of existing

units (use classes B1, B2 and

B8)2 to motor vehicle

dealerships (2 no.

comprising car showrooms,

sales and repairs).

Approved 16-09-1993

93/1097 Unit 1 (Eric

Ashmole), Mona

Close, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Erection of new car

showroom and valeting bay.

Approved 26-10-1993

93/1501 Makro, Beaufort

Reach, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Erection of single storey

building (9630 square

metres gross), car parking,

service areas and

outbuildings for use as a

cash and carry warehouse

and/or uses under class B8

(storage or distribution).

Approved 16-02-1994

94/0163 Unit 2/3 Cynon

Close, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Change of use from

foodstores (class B8) to

general industry (class B2).

Approved 25-03-1994

94/0738 Unit 1 Phoenix

Centre, Phoenix

Way, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Change of use from

warehouse and offices to

retail (class A1).

Approved 02-08-1994

95/0510 Asda Store, Upper

Fforest Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Erection of retail park

comprising: retail

superstore (class A1) with

Refused 23-05-1995

1 Classes III, IV and X are now known as Class B1(c), B2 and B8.

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Park petrol filling station, car

wash and approximately

700 car parking spaces;

seven non-food retail units

and ancillary car parking;

two detached.

96/0383 Unit 4-7 (M&P

Motorcycle

Accessories), Castell

Close, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Extension to existing

warehouse/showroom to

provide 3,045 sq metres of

additional showroom,

warehousing and offices.

Approved 01-08-1996


Fforest Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Erection of retail superstore

(class A1) with petrol filling

station and car wash, 2

detached restaurant

buildings approximately 700

car parking spaces and a

new traffic signal controlled

junction on Upper Fforest

Way.

Approved 12-08-1997

97/1715

Unit 1 (Eddershaws),

Castell Close,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Extension to coffee shop

with sales area over,

extension to provide new

entry and sales area

together with additional

office accommodation.

Approved 28-01-1998

97/1717 Unit K27, Ashmount

Business Park, Upper

Fforest Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Use of unit as a warehouse

for the storage and sale by

distribution of catering

equipment (amounting to

557 sq m of the total

floorspace) with ancillary

retail showroom (amounting

to 93 sq m of the total .

Approved 08-01-1998

97/1658 Imperial Centre, Unit

2, Lion Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Change of use from retail

shop (class A1) to children’s

play facility with ancillary

nursery facilities (class D2)

or retail (class A1).

Approved 28-01-1998


Fforest Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Variation of condition 14 of

planning permission

96/0530 granted on 1st

August 1997 to allow for the

increase in food retail

floorspace from 8,892 sq

metres to 9,112 sq metre.

Approved 1998

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98/0411 Gasworks Cottages,

Valley Way, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Demolition of existing

cottages and construction of

single storey building for use

as a dry cleaners with

associated landscaping and

car parking (class A1).

Approved 24-07-1998

98/0917 Units 6/7 Castell

Close, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Erection of single storey

retail/wholesale warehouse.

Approved 14-08-1998


Fforest Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Erection of retail superstore

(class A1) with petrol filling

station, car wash and 750

space car park (reserved

matters submission

pursuant to condition 01 of

planning permission

96/0530 granted on 1st

August 1997 .

Approved 02-09-1998

98/1469 Site P10, Camffrwd

Way, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Erection of 83,500 sq ft cash

and carry warehouse (class

B8) with associated office

accommodation and car

parking (amendment to

planning permission

98/1151 granted on 28th

September 1998).

Approved 03-12-1998

99/1703 Site of Units 2 and 2

Nantyffin North,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Redevelopment of site to

provide 5 no. retail units

(class A1) with access

roundabout, service yards

and associated car parking.

Approved 25-05-2000

2002/1641 Phase 2 site off

Nantyffin Road,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Construction of 2 retail units

(class A1) with associated

car parking and service

yards.

Approved 25-04-2003

2003/2418 Tesco Stores Ltd,

Nantyffin Road,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Demolition of existing Tesco

superstore, MFI retail

warehouse and plumb

centre and redevelopment

of site to provide new tesco

extra hypermarket (10,340

square metres gross floor

space), replacement petrol

filling station, car parking for

765 vehicles, revised access

arrangements and

Approved 30-03-2005

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landscaping.

2003/2538 16 Mannesman

Close, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Change of use from UPVC

window manufacturer (class

B2) to use classes A1, A2,

B1, B8 and car showroom

(sui generis).

Approved 30-01-2004

2005/0132 F C Eddershaw &

Son Ltd, Phoenix

Way, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Two storey side extension to

provide 755 sq. metres of

retail floor space, single

storey extension on south

elevation to provide coffee

shop and takeaway (class

A3), two single storey

extensions to provide office

accommodation, single

storey link extension to


retail floor space, new

highway access with

associated landscaping

works and car parking and

use of the former leather

leaders building for

associated warehousing

(B8).

Approved 14-09-2005

2005/1238 Units 1 & 2 Valley

Way, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Continuation of use as a

retail carpet sales outlet

(application for a certificate

of lawfulness).

Lawful 16-11-2005

2006/0736 Eddershaws,

Phoenix Way,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Two storey side extension to


retail floor space, single

storey extension on south

elevation to provide coffee

shop and takeaway (class

A3), two single storey

extensions to provide office

accommodation, single

storey link extension to

provide 162 sq metres of

retail floor space, new

highway access with

associated landscaping

works and car parking and

use of the former leather

Approved 16-05-2006

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leaders building for

associated warehousing (B8)

(alterations to roof and

fenestration details,

amendment to planning

permission 2005/0132

granted on 12th September

2005).

2006/2081 135 Samlet Road,

Swansea Enterprise

Park

Change of use of ground

floor from residential (class

C3) to hairdressers (class

A1) with associated external

alterations and new access

ramp.

Approved 09-03-2007

2009/0472 Land at Phoenix Way

Retail Park, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Reconfiguration of existing

retail park with demolition

of existing single detached

retail unit and part

demolition of further retail

unit, construction of 3 no.

attached retail units (class

A1) - 2,787 sq m gross

floorspace, (resulting in 7

retail units overall),

freestanding food and drink

unit (class A3) - 279 sq m

gross floorspace together

with new vehicular access

onto Fendrod Way, car

parking (299 spaces overall),

infrastructure and

landscaping works.

Refused 24-02-2010

2010/1873 Unit 7 St David’s

Road, Swansea

Enterprise Park

Change of use from former

tool hire shop (class A1) to

sports and leisure facility

(class D2), and replace

existing roller shutter door

with double door.

Approved 09-02-2011

2011/0959 Unit 6B, Lion Way


Enterprise Park

Creation of new retail unit

entrance within existing

roller shutter aperture to

facilitate future subdivision

of single unit into two

separate units.

Approved 16-08-2011

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2 Parc Tawe: Key Planning History

Ref. No. Address Description Decision Decision Date

2/1/87/0656

/03

North Dock, Swansea

(now known as Parc

Tawe Phase 1)

Leisure and retail

development: multiplex

cinema, public toilets and fast

food units.

Approved 09-06-1987

2/1/88/0834

/03

Unit 8, Parc Tawe

Phase 1

Change of use to a freezer

centre for the retail sale of

frozen food, non-frozen food,

freezers, fridges, dishwashers,

microwaves etc.

Refused 05-05-1987

2/1/89/1251

/03

Land at Parc Tawe

Phase 1

High class food restaurant with

take away and drive through

facilities with incorporated car

park/ landscape alterations.

Refused 17-11-1989

2/1/89/1369 Land at Parc Tawe

Phase 1

Fast food restaurant with take

away and drive through

facilities with incorporated car

park/ landscape alterations.

Refused 17-11-1989

2/1/89/1335

/03

Former ‘Builda

Center’, New Cut

Road, Swansea (now

known as Parc Tawe

Phase 1)

Superstore for the sale of

vehicle goods.

Refused 17-11-1989

2/1/90/0318

/01

Land at Parc Tawe

Phase 1, Swansea

High class fast food restaurant

with drive through facilities

and associated car parking

Refused 06-02-1991

2/1/90/0919

/01

Land at Parc Tawe

Phase 1, Swansea

High class fast food restaurant

with drive through facilities

and associated car parking

Refused 06-02-1991

93/0089 Unit 7 (Staples Ltd),

Parc Tawe Phase 1

Retention of new goods

delivery access on rear

elevation to serve new sub-

divided retail unit.

Approved 26-03-1993

93/0484 The Piazza Parc Tawe

Phase 1, Swansea

Removal of existing kiosk units,

provision of new, including

change of use of part of

circulation space to retail

space, and alterations to

Approved 02-07-1993

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entrance.

94/0160 The Piazza (Unit 2)

Parc Tawe Phase 1

Change of use from retail (class

A1) to sale of hot food and

drinks (class A3).

Approved 28-03-1994

94/0174 Unit 8 (land north of)

Parc Tawe Phase 1

Erection of fast food

restaurant and video hire shop

(outline).

Approved 04-05-1994

96/4063/S Land north of Unit 8,

Parc Tawe Phase 1

Retail unit with car parking and

service area

Approved 22-05-1996

95/1018 Parc Tawe Complex

(Phase 2)

Development of 4 linked

buildings accommodating up

to 14,698 sq. metres of non-

food retail (class a1)

floorspace, together with a

garden centre; nightclub (class

d2); cafe/restaurant (class a3);

associated car parking.

Withdrawn Withdrawn on

29-11-1995

95/1363 Parc Tawe Complex

(Phase 2)

Development of 12,586 sq

metres of retail (class A1) and

restaurant (class A3) use plus

associated car parking and

landscaping.

Approved 17-05-1996

96/4063/S Unit 8 (land north of)

Parc Tawe Phase 1

Erection of 1049 sq m. retail

unit with car parking and

service area.

Approved 23-05-1996

96/0764 Parc Tawe complex

(phase 2)

Development of 12,513 sq

metres of retail (class A1) plus

associated car parking and

servicing. (amendment to

planning permission 95/1363

approved 17 May 1996)

Approved 04-10-1996

2003/0112 2 The Piazza, Parc

Tawe Phase 1

Change of use from retail unit

(Class A1) to an amusement

arcade (Sui generis).

Refused 04-03-2003

2003/0122 N/K, Parc Tawe Phase

1

Side/rear extension Approved 08-04-2003

2009/1483 Unit 1 The Piazza, Parc

Tawe Phase 1


(Class A1) to take-away

patisserie (Class A3).

Approved 17-11-2009

2011/0587 N/K, Parc Tawe Phase

1


(Class A1) to fish tank

pedicure.

Approved 11-06-2011

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3 Parc Fforestfach (Retail Park): Key Planning History

Ref. No. Address Description Decision Decision Date

94/1331 Fforest Park Estate,

Ffordd Cynore,

Fforestfach, Swansea

Erection of retail park, petrol

filling station and fast food

outlet.

Approved 22-03-1995

A00/0366 Fforestfach Shoppeing

Centre, Pontardulais

Road, Swansea

Redevelopment of existing

district shopping centre

comprising new Tesco

superstore (10,000 square

metres gross floor space),

petrol filling station and 8 no

linked retail units (11,670

square metres gross floor

space), petrol filling station

and 8 service yards and staff

car parking areas, alterations

to existing access off

Pontardulais Road, closure of

existing access off Carmarthen

Road, construction of two new

accesses of Fordd Cynore, off

site highway works to Ffordd

Cynore and the Pontardulais

Road Junction, provision of

1,275 space customer car park,

site landscaping and

accommodation works (subject

to S106 agreement).

Approved 02-08-2000

2001/1985 Fforestfach District

Centre

Erection of three linked non-

food retail units comprising of

2,900 sq m of floor space and

associated service area

(amendment to A00/0366

approved on 2nd

August 2000

for a single retail unit with a

floor space of 3,692 sq m).

Approved 29-01-2002

2001/1848 Fforestfach District

Centre

Single storey extension to

retail Unit A to provide an

additional 232.7 sq m of A3

(food and drink) floorspace

Approved 03-04-2002

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(amendment to planning

permission A00/0366 granted

on 2 August 2000)

2001/1264 Phase 2 Fforestfach

District Centre,

Pontardulais Road,

Fforestfach Swansea

Erection of single storey 189 sq

m detached retail unit

(amendment to Phase 2 of

A00/0366 granted 2nd

August

2000)

Approved 16-10-2001

2001/1268 Phase 2 Fforestfach

District Centre,

Pontardulais Road,

Fforestfach Swansea

Erection of alternative retail

unit to approved Unit G2

(increase from 929 sq m to

1,208 sq m gross floorspace,

amendment to A00/0366

approved 2nd

August 2000)

Approved 16-10-2001

2002/0374 Unit J Fforestfach

District Centre,

Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Erection of a single storey 355

sq m detached Class A3 (food

and drink) retail unit

(amendment to Phase 2 of

A00/0366 granted 2nd

August

2000)

Approved 14-05-2002


Fforestfach District

Shopping Centre,

Cadle, Swansea

Installation of mezzanine floor

comprising of 1,394 sq m

storage space and providing

internal links between floors

(application for a Certificate of

Proposed Lawful

Development).

Approved 25-02-2003


Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Single storey rear extension

with canopy, a section of 4.5

metre high fencing and

provision of 3 home delivery

bays.

Refused 10-02-2004


Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Installation of mezzanine floor

comprising of 1,394 sq m sales

area, 372 sq m storage space

and providing internal links

between floors (application for

a certificate of proposed lawful

development).

Approved 25-02-2003


Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Single storey front extension,

alterations to existing shop

front and associated external

works.

Refused 21-03-2006

2008/0932 Unit 12 Parc

Fforestfach, Cadle,

Swansea

Division of existing retail unit

into one retail unit (Class A1)

and one coffee shop.

Approved 01-07-2008

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2010/1356 Tesco Swansea Extra,

Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Bulk store extension with

mezzanine floor

Approved 17-01-2011

2010/1123 Tesco, Parc

Fforestfach, Cadle,

Swansea

One single storey retail pod Refused 23-09-2010

2013/0066 Pizza Hut, Fforestfach

Retail Park, Cadle,

Swansea

External alterations to enable

subdivision of existing Pizza

Hut (Class A3) to create three

new units (Class A1/A2/A3)

with new refuse and recycle

stores both sides.

Approved 25-02-2013

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4 Parc Cwmdu: Key Planning History


Date

94/0177 Land between

Cwmdu Industrial

Estate and Cave

Street, Carmarthen

Road, Cwmdu,

Swansea

General and light industry

(Class B1 and B2)

warehousing (Class B8) and

retailing (Class A1 retail

floorspace limited to a

maximum of 47,000 sq ft).

Approved 22/06/1994

98/0042 Land between

Cwmdu Industrial

Estate and Cave

Street, Carmarthen

Road, Cwmdu,

Swansea

General and light industry

(Class B1 and B2)

warehousing (Class B8) and

retailing (Class A1 retail


maximum of 47,000 sq ft)

(renewal of planning

permission 94/0177 granted

on 22nd

June 1994).

Approved 16/03/1998

JWKD/DM

W/98/088

Land between

Cwmdu Industrial

Estate and Cave

Street, Carmarthen

Road, Cwmdu,

Swansea

Appeal to vary the outline

planning permission no.

98/0042 for General and

Light Industry (Class B1 and

B2), warehousing (Class B8)

and retail (Class A1 retail


maximum of 47,000sq ft)

(renewal of planning

permission 94/0177 granted

on 22nd

June 1994) on land

between the Cwmdu

Industrial Estate and Cave

Street, Carmarthen Road,

Cwmdu granted on 16

March 1998 by the City and

County of Swansea Council

by deleting condition No. 11

(‘the retail element of the

scheme shall be limited to a

maximum of 47,000 sq ft

gross retail floorspace. Any

A3 uses developed on the

Appeal

allowed

13/11/1998

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site under this or any other

permission shall count

against this 47,000 sq ft

allocation’) and substituting

therefore the following

condition:- ‘11. The retail

element of the scheme shall

be limited to a maximum of

4366.3 square metres

[47,000 sq ft] gross retail

floorspace’.

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5 Parc Morfa: Key Planning History


Date

98/0919 Morfa Stadium and

land to the west,

south and east,

Upper Bank,

Landore

Redevelopment of Morfa

Stadium to provide new

multi-purpose community

stadium with

complementary facilities,

associated car and coach

parking spaces and new

roundabout access and

junction improvement

works.

Un-

determined

and

superseded

by

A00/1410

Un-

determined

and

superseded

by

A00/1410

98/0918 Land between Cross

Valley Link and

Nantong Way,

Upper Bank,

Landore, Swansea.

A mixed use development

comprising redevelopment

of Morfa Stadium to provide

a new multi-purpose

community stadium with

complementary facilities, a

leisure and retail centre

including a fast foodstore, a

multi screen cinema,

nightclub, commercial

leisure facilities, restaurant,

petrol filling station and

drive-thru fast food outlet, a

hotel, health and fitness

centre and restaurant, and

associated car parking,

servicing and access

(outline).

Resolution

to grant but

superseded

by

A00/1410

Resolution to

grant but

superseded

by A00/1410

A00/1410 Morfa Stadium and

land to the west,

south and east,

Upper Bank,

Swansea

Construction of sports

stadium, leisure facilities

(including health club, multi-

screen cinema, ten pin

bowling centre, alterations

to existing tennis centre,

hotel and restaurants) and

provision of enabling retail

development, petrol filling

station and necessary

Approved 28-06-2002

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infrastructure.

2002/1192 Land at Morfa Fields,

Landore, Swansea

Construction of two

detached restaurants (Class

A3) with associated car

parking and landscaping

(outline).

Approved 29-08-2002


land to the west,

Upper Bank,

Landore, Swansea

Variation of Conditions

18,19 and 20 of planning

permission A00/ 1410 for

construction of sports

stadium, leisure facilities

(including health club, multi

screen cinema, ten pin

bowling centre, alterations

to existing tennis centre,

hotel and restaurants) and

provision of enabling retail



infrastructure (outline) to

allow non-food retailing and

alternative unit subdivision.

(Section 106 agreement).

Approved 12-12-2002


to the west, Upper

Bank, Landore,

Swansea

Application under Section

73 of the Act to carry out

development permitted by

the outline planning

permissionA00/1410

without complying with the

following conditions:

Condition 4 (siting to accord

with the parameters plan),

13 (external finishes to the

cinema building), 14

(external finishes to the

sports retail building), 17

(restriction of DIY goods to

be sold), 22 (storage of

goods in the open), 23, 24 &

25 (off-site highway works),

31 (car parking

management), 39 & 41

(ecology), (construction of

sports stadium, leisure

facilities (including health

Approved 10-04-2003

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club, multi screen cinema,

ten pin bowling centre,

alterations to existing tennis

centre, hotel and

restaurants) and provision

of enabling retail



infrastructure (section 106

agreement)).

2004/1038 Unit 3 Morfa Retail

Park

Relaxation of Condition 20

of planning permission


April 2003 (which restricts

the minimum floor area of

any retail unit to 929 sq m)

in respect of Unit 3 to allow

a single retail unit of 465

metres.

Approved 17-06-2004

2004/2405 Unit 19, Morfa Retail

Park, Swansea

Construction of 2 restaurant

units (Class A3)

Approved 11-01-2005


Park, Swansea


of outline planning


granted on 1oth April 2003

to allow 5,000 sq ft retail in

Unit 4

Approved 15-09-2004

2004/0772 Site 17, Morfa Retail

Park, Landore,

Swansea

Erection of two fast food

outlets, incorporating drive

through facility.

Approved 17-06-2004

2005/1655 The Pod, Morfa

Retail Park, Morfa,

Swansea

Construction of two storey

building to accommodate 4

no. ground floor retail units

(Class A1) with first floor

management office (Class

B1), coffee shop (Class A3)

and public toilets.

Approved 01-11-2005


Park, Swansea


of outline planning


granted on 10th

April 2003

(which restricts the

minimum floor area of any

retail unit to 929 sq m) to

allow the subdivision of the

existing unit into two

Approved 19-12-2005

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separate units together with

external alterations.

2005/2637 The Pod, Morfa


Construction of two storey

building to accommodate 3/

4 no. ground floor retail

units (Class A1) with first

floor management office

(Class B1), coffee shop

(Class A3) and public toilets

(reserved matters approval

pursuant to outline planning

permission A00/1410 (as

varied by Section 73

application 2003/0296)

(amended to reserved

matters approval 2005/1655

granted on 1st

November

2005).

Approved 31-01-2006

2007/0204 Units 18A and 18B

Morfa Retail Park,

Landore, Swansea

Construction of two




(outline) variation of

Condition 02 of planning

permission 2002/1192 to all

for the submission of

reserved matters until 29th

August 2008.

Approved 14-03-2007

2008/1694 Units 18A & 18B

Morfa Retail Park,

Landore, Swansea

Construction of two




(outline) Variation of

Condition 02 of planning

permission 2002/1192 to

allow for the submission of

reserved matters until 29th

August 2009.

Approved 25-05-2008

2012/1284 N/K Single storey detached

building to be used within

Use Classes A1 (retail)

and/or Class A3 (food and

drink)

Pending Pending

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6 Pontardulais Road Retail Park: Key Planning History


Date

2/1/84/137

0/03

MFI Pontardulais

Road, Dunvant,

Swansea.

W.H.Smith Do It All,

Pontardulais Road,

Fforestfach,

Swansea

A single storey retail storage

unit, for the sale of MFI

products and DIY products

together with new service

road. (Section 52

agreement).

Approved 27-09-1984

2/1/85/151

5/03

Texas Homecare Ltd,

Pontardulais Road

Retail Park,

Fforestfach

Retail warehouse (subject to

Section 52 agreement).

Approved 19-12-1985

PA98/0002 MFI/ Do It All,

Pontardulais Road,

Fforestfach,

Swansea

Modification of Section 52

Agreement to planning

permission 84/1370 dated

29/11/84 (varied 09/12/87)

to allow wider range of

goods to be sold from the

premises (resolved that

modification be agreed).

Approved 15-03-1999

2003/0754 MFI & Dunelm

Furnishings,

Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Refurbishment of existing

retail units to create 6

smaller units, including

recladding, installation of

canopies and partial raising

of roof.

Approved 27-06-2003

2003/1665 MFI & Dunelm

Furnishings,

Pontardulais Road,

Cadle, Swansea

Removal of Condition 2 of

planning permission


June 2003 to allow the floor

area of each of the two

central retail units, currently

forming the eastern section

of the MFI store, to be

extended through the

introduction of internal

mezzanine floors.

Approved 16-10-2003

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2004/2176 Unit 6, Pontardulais

Road Retail Park,

Fforestfach,

Swansea


retail unit to create three

separate units, including

installation of new entrance

canopies and alterations to

car park layout to provide

access to each unit.

Approved 16-12-2004

2005/1876 Units 6, 7 & 8

Pontardulais Road

Retail Park,

Fforestfach


retail unit to create three

separate units, including

installation of new entrance

canopies and alterations to

car park layout to provide

access to each unit

(amendment to planning


dated 16th

December 2004).

Approved 20-12-2005


Road Retail Park,

Fforestfach

Installation of internal

steelwork to facilitate

mezzanine floor (application

for a Certificate of Existing

Lawful Development)

Approved 25-07-2006

2007/0415 Pontardulais Road

Retail Park,

Fforestfach


Agreements attached to

planning permission


November 1984 and


December 1985 to allow

sales of fashion accessories

and jewellery from a single

unit.

Approved 28-12-2007

2007/2819 Pontardulais Road

Retail Park,

Fforestfach


Agreement attached to

planning permission


November 1984 and


December 1985 to allow

ancillary sales of fashion

clothing from a single unit.

Approved 04-11-2008

2010/0153 Currys, Unit 8,

Pontardulais Road

Retail Park,

Fforestfach

Mezzanine floor (application

for a Certificate of Proposed

Lawful Development)

Approved 23-03-2010

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Road Retail Park,

Fforestfach

Subdivision of Unit 5 into

two separate retail units

(Class A1) with associated

external alterations.

Approved 09-04-2010

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Planning Policy

7 Map of Existing Foodstore Operators

Existing Foodstore Provision (Within and Outside the City and County of Swansea with Catchments within the Administrative Area

(Source: CACI)

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8 Catchment Drive Time Maps: Existing Foodstores

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Planning Policy

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75

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Planning Policy

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76

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Disclaimer

This report should not be relied upon as a basis for entering into transactions without seeking

specific, qualified, professional advice. Whilst facts have been rigorously checked, DTZ can take no

responsibility for any damage or loss suffered as a result of any inadvertent inaccuracy within this

report. Information contained herein should not, in whole or in part, be published, reproduced or

referred to without prior approval. Any such reproduction should be credited to DTZ.

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