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Knowsley Replacement Unitary Development Plan - Knowsley Council

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT<br />

TOWN CENTRES AND SHOPPING<br />

EXPLANATION EC6<br />

TOURISM AS A DRIVER FOR<br />

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT<br />

Opportunities exist to further develop international<br />

tourism to the Borough, and Merseyside, through<br />

Liverpool John Lennon Airport.<br />

CHAPTER 7<br />

6.39<br />

Tourism is one of the country’s fastest-growing<br />

industries. In an area such as <strong>Knowsley</strong>, the term can<br />

be extended to include business and domestic visits<br />

and visits to architectural attractions, sports facilities,<br />

countryside, museums and any leisure facility that<br />

attracts visitors from outside the area. Its potential<br />

benefits include the creation of jobs, income for local<br />

businesses, environmental improvements and new<br />

social and leisure facilities, which benefit local people<br />

as well as visitors.<br />

TOURISM AND CULTURAL FACILITIES<br />

IN KNOWSLEY<br />

6.40<br />

The largest tourist attraction in <strong>Knowsley</strong> is <strong>Knowsley</strong><br />

Safari Park. This major regional facility employs local<br />

people, provides business for local firms and attracts<br />

several hundred thousand visitors a year. The <strong>Council</strong><br />

recognises that this major existing tourist attraction<br />

offers the foundation to foster the development of<br />

other local tourist facilities, by providing the basis for<br />

multi-purpose leisure trips. Prescot Clock and<br />

Watchmaking Museum and the National Wildflower<br />

Centre in Court Hey (Huyton) are also of outstanding,<br />

although more specialised interest.<br />

OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM/<br />

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT<br />

6. 41<br />

Liverpool City has been awarded the status of<br />

European Capital of Culture for the year 2008. This is<br />

likely to stimulate significant interest in the whole of<br />

Merseyside as a destination for tourism and cultural<br />

visits. <strong>Knowsley</strong> MBC has also produced a Cultural<br />

strategy (see footnote 6 ). This will encourage more<br />

people to get involved in cultural, community and<br />

educational activities and events. The <strong>Council</strong> wishes<br />

to build on the success of existing tourist and cultural<br />

attractions in <strong>Knowsley</strong>, as well as accommodate the<br />

potential needs of new development.<br />

6 Ref: <strong>Knowsley</strong> MBC Cultural Strategy<br />

6.42<br />

Potential new tourism and cultural developments<br />

might include the development of hotels serving the<br />

wider Merseyside area and attractions created by the<br />

diversification of the rural economy away from<br />

traditional farming. <strong>Development</strong>s that help to<br />

interpret the historic heritage of the Borough, such<br />

as the clock and watch making industry in Prescot,<br />

will also be encouraged. <strong>Knowsley</strong>’s open countryside<br />

has the potential to accommodate new sports,<br />

recreational and tourist facilities, although it should<br />

be noted that any development within the countryside<br />

will need to comply with policies in chapter 9<br />

“Green Belt and the Rural Economy”. Uses that<br />

can be accommodated in a town centre or edge of<br />

town centre should be located there, as opposed<br />

to in the Green Belt. Certain tourism or cultural<br />

activities cannot be located in urban areas,<br />

however factors such as the impact on the character<br />

of the countryside and accessibility need to be<br />

taken into account. Wherever possible, previously<br />

developed land should be used in preference to<br />

undeveloped land.<br />

POLICY LINKS<br />

Policy G1<br />

“<strong>Development</strong> within the Green Belt”<br />

Policy G4<br />

“Rural Diversification”<br />

Policy T5<br />

“Location of Major Traffic Generating New<br />

<strong>Development</strong>”<br />

Policy T6<br />

“Ensuring a choice of travel to serve new<br />

development”<br />

Policy T9<br />

“Travel <strong>Plan</strong>s”<br />

Policy DQ1<br />

“Design Quality in New <strong>Development</strong>”<br />

Policy DQ2<br />

“Security in the built environment”<br />

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES<br />

• To improve the provision of shopping, leisure<br />

and other uses normally associated with<br />

town centres consistent with local needs,<br />

whilst protecting and enhancing the viability<br />

and vitality of town, district and local centres<br />

in <strong>Knowsley</strong>.<br />

• To locate major new development where it is<br />

accessible by a choice of walking, cycling and<br />

public transport, thereby minimising the need<br />

to travel by car.<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

7.1<br />

The provision of a good range of town centre uses is<br />

important to the <strong>Council</strong>’s wider regeneration<br />

objectives, helping to make the Borough a more<br />

attractive place to live, visit and work in. Uses which<br />

can typically appropriately be located in a town centre<br />

include shopping, financial and professional services,<br />

food and drink uses, business, hotels, residential<br />

uses, community (including health), cultural and<br />

religious uses, assembly and leisure (such as<br />

cinemas, concert, bingo and dance halls) and<br />

miscellaneous suitable uses such as laundrettes,<br />

beauty salons, photographic studios, and pharmacies.<br />

These uses are described in greater detail in<br />

Appendix 7 of the <strong>Plan</strong>.<br />

Town Centres<br />

and Shopping<br />

7.2<br />

The town, district and local centres are the most<br />

suitable locations to accommodate town centre uses,<br />

depending upon their size and the nature of the<br />

proposed use. For example, shops are suitable in all<br />

types of centre, but a larger shop such as a<br />

supermarket may only be suitable in a district or<br />

town centre. Similarly, a cinema is only likely to be<br />

suitable in a town centre due to the amount of traffic<br />

and disturbance such a use is likely to generate.<br />

An element of residential use is acceptable within<br />

town, district and local centres; however it should<br />

only form a minor element of the centre and should<br />

not undermine the vitality or viability of a centre.<br />

TOWN CENTRES AND SHOPPING<br />

WITHIN KNOWSLEY<br />

7.3<br />

The Borough of <strong>Knowsley</strong> includes three town<br />

centres, at Huyton, Prescot and Kirkby. These centres<br />

provide a range of shopping facilities, together with<br />

other employment, leisure, municipal and<br />

community uses which complement the shopping<br />

role of each centre.<br />

7.4<br />

<strong>Knowsley</strong> also contains three district centres, which<br />

are smaller than the town centres, providing a more<br />

limited range of shops and services. There is also a<br />

network of smaller “local centres” and shopping<br />

parades, which provide primarily convenience (food)<br />

shops and small-scale services (such as post offices<br />

and pharmacies) for small local catchment areas.<br />

62<br />

KNOWSLEY REPLACEMENT UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN: Adopted June 2006<br />

KNOWSLEY REPLACEMENT UNITARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN: Adopted June 2006<br />

63

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