Untitled - Cork City Council

Cork Strategic Retail Study
1 INTRODUCTION
Context
1.1 This study is the third in a series commissioned by Cork City Council and Cork County
Council over the past decade. The previous studies are:
• Retail Study of County Cork for Cork Corporation and Cork County Council 1997
• Cork Strategic Retail Study for Cork City & County Councils 2002.
1.2 The 2002 study fed into the Cork County Development Plan (2003) and the Cork City
Development Plan (2004). This update projects retail floorspace requirements at 2013
and 2020, and informs the reviews of these documents.
1.3 Since 2002, spending power and population forecasts have increased. Other changes
are:
• Significant housing expansion is proposed in the Metropolitan Area.
• Mallow is proposed as a “hub town” in the National Spatial Strategy.
• New residential and employment development is proposed at the Docklands.
• There is increasing pressure to provide new floorspace in the suburban centres.
• Retail warehousing has become more important in the City & County.
• Discount stores are increasingly looking to locate in the towns.
1.4 This study recommends how, taking the above into account, retail growth can best be
balanced between different locations to ensure a sustainable pattern of development.
Study Approach
1.5 As in the previous studies, there have been three main stages to the work.
1.6 First, we have undertaken a number of surveys:
• Floorspace surveys of all centres previously surveyed in 2002, plus some surveys
of additional centres.
• A telephone survey of households to establish shopping patterns.
• A street-side shoppers’ survey in Cork City centre and at Mahon Point. A key aim
of this was to establish whether these centres attract out-of-County trade (and if so,
how much).
1.7 In addition to these surveys we consulted with each of the nine Town Councils as well
as with the City and County planning officers. The purpose of these consultations was
to understand how retailing in the City, suburbs and towns has changed since 2002,
and to gather information on new developments, planning applications and site
allocations.
1.8 To gain a market perspective we also consulted several commercial property agents.
The agents provided details of retail rents, vacancies and occupier demand.
1.9 In parallel with these consultations we advertised for written submissions from
interested parties.
1.10 Second, we undertook projections of expenditure growth and centre turnovers. This
resulted in a requirement for additional retail floorspace.
1.11 Third, we finalised the proposed retail strategy and prepared policy recommendations
for guiding the reviews of the Development Plans.
Roger Tym & Partners with Simon Clear & Associates
March 2008 1