Untitled - Cork City Council

Appendix 5 : Guidance on Retail Impact Assessment
Retail Impact Assessment Guidance
1. Retail Impact Assessment is a tool used by Planning Authorities and applicants for
permission for substantial retail developments to understand and justify the addition of
particular retail development in the context of the detailed strategy and the emerging
urban context into which the development must integrate without causing significant
disruption.
2. The National Spatial Strategy has set out a structure for the future urbanisation of the Irish
population, with a hierarchy of urban centres providing critical mass to sustain a range of
quality of life services, including a good quality retail environment. In an increasingly
urbanised and wealthy environment, retail is an essential service, a generator of
economic activity and employment and often times a catalyst for urban centre
redevelopment or expansion to meet the needs of enlarged urban areas.
3. The hierarchy of strategic and statutory development plans set the broad context for
scale, type and location of retail developments. For Cork, this structure has been set out
in the Retail Strategy, which is incorporated into the City & County Development Plans in
the first instance and is more specifically reflected in the local area plans.
4. Therefore, the first source of guidance on retail acceptability should be based in the
strategic and statutory plans that apply to a particular area. The Retail Hierarchy for Cork
City & County have been set out in the main body of the Cork Strategic Retail Study,
which also includes the primary criteria for development control with emphasis upon the
sequential approach, maintenance of vitality and viability of existing centres and
promoting accessibility.
5. The purpose of Retail Impact Assessment is to focus upon the potential impact upon the
pattern of retailing in established centres in a catchment area, without focussing on
individual retail businesses or interfering with normal competition. As indicated in the
Retail Planning Guidelines (Para. 57) where an application for development complies with
the policies and proposals of a Development Plan in all material aspects it should not
necessary for the applicant to provide additional supporting background studies.
Therefore, retail developments within town centres should only require a detailed
quantative and qualitative Retail Impact Assessment in exceptional circumstances.
6. Retailing is a dynamic industry subject to constant change, renewal and significant
expansion where the population is rapidly urbanising. Retail addition to town centres is
often a strategic advantage with long-term beneficial effects that should be taken into
account. Retail capacity should not be assessed on a primarily mathematically basis but
should be assessed by appropriateness of type and format for the particular centre. A
detailed Retail Impact Assessment should not be necessary for developments within the
city centre, suburbs, metropolitan and ring towns for developments below 2,500m 2 gross
comparison goods and 1,000m 2 convenience goods.
7. Retail Impact Assessment is an aid to decision making and should not be the sole basis
upon which an application for significant retail development should be determined. The
overall Retail Assessment should encompass: a sequential location assessment, an
assessment of need and a quantification of impact.
8. The qualitative element should include a justification of location, based on the sequential
test, with onus on the applicant to demonstrate that no more suitable sites are available
within a reasonable period of time. Centrality of development must take into account the
suitability of development for a central location.
9. Availability should take into account whether particular central sites are available to the
market, whether there is potential for site assembly and the engagement of the Local
Authority in expansion, regeneration and renewal of town centres.
10. Taking into account the urban and retail hierarchy, retail development should be
appropriate for the size and function of the town and its catchment area. Retail
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