CITY OF STOKE-ON-TRENT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ...

4.0 PART 4 - ShoppingContext4.1 In accordance with national and regional planning policy the development portfoliomust provide a framework for securing sustainable development and actively promotegrowth and manage change in town, district and local centres. This will help tosupport and develop thriving, safer and inclusive communities.4.2 This development plan document addresses both Regional Spatial Strategy policydirection and fits in with the strategic aims and policies within the Core SpatialStrategy.4.3 The government sees the new planning system as having an important role inrevitalising centres. Development plan documents should set out a spatial vision andstrategy for the network and hierarchy of centres, including local centres, within theirarea, and address how the role of different centres will contribute to an overall spatialvision.4.4 In facilitating and promoting sustainable and inclusive patterns of development localplanning authorities should:• Actively promote growth and manage change in their centres;• Define a network and a hierarchy of centres each performing their appropriaterole to meet the needs of their catchments; and• Adopt a proactive, plan-led approach to planning for these centres, throughregional and local planning.4.5 The Core Spatial Strategy sets out the hierarchy of centres in Core Policy 5,recognising within the Stoke-on-Trent area:• Stoke-on-Trent City Centre as the sub regional centre;• Longton, Tunstall and Stoke-upon-Trent as Larger District Centres;• Burslem as a Smaller District Centre; and• Fenton and Meir as other significant centres.4.6 The proposed hierarchy supports the scale and character of existing centres all withina network of complementary centres and is consistent with the West MidlandsRegional Spatial Strategy. Defining and characterising a network of centres andensuring growth is proportionate to appropriate needs, the portfolio develops abalanced approach which ensures the provision of a broad range of leisure andshopping facilities in each centre and ensures there is equal access to services andfacilities to meet peoples day-to-day needs for all communities, as well as developinga sense of pride and vibrancy in the City Centre.4.7 The Core Spatial Strategy builds on the vision for an increase in economic prosperitywithin the city and in particular within city and town centres through encouraging thevitality and viability of such centres. Core Policies CP19 and CP20 recognise thatretail, office and leisure development should be the subject of a sequential approachin assessing the location of development and establish highly accessible and flexibleformats wherever possible.4.8 The Shopping Portfolio provides a detailed plan led approach to identifying preferredretail development over the period to 2010/11 and for longer periods in respect of incentre developments.35