Dec 2010 - South Worcestershire Development Plan

SOUTH WORCESTERSHIRE ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT 2010127LOCAL INDICATOR 6: AMOUNT OF HOTEL DEVELOPMENTLOCAL INDICATOR 7: AMOUNT OF HOTEL DEVELOPMENT INTOWN & DISTRICT CENTRES1.10 The West Midland Regional Returns require retail schemes over 1,000sq m to be identified. No applications for hotel development wereapproved during 2009/10.LOCAL INDICATOR 8: VACANT RETAIL PREMISES IN GREATMALVERN1.11 A key target of the adopted MHDLP is to sustain and enhance thevitality and viability of the town centre of Malvern. As part of a suit ofevidence papers for the emerging South Worcestershire DevelopmentPlan a retail study has been prepared which looks to identify futureretail needs to 2030. Specifically the Malvern Hills Town Centres andRetail Study outlines a vacancy rate of 4% with 6 vacant units in 2007.This figure has since risen annually to 10 units or 7% in 2008/9 and 11units 9% during 2009/10. However nationally the vacancy rate is stillbelow the national average of 13% up from 12% in 2008/09 (source:The Local Data Company, September 2010).1.12 The failure of national retail chains like Woolworths has resulted inmany vacant large town centre retail units across the UK. It was quotedin 2008/09 (www.retail-week.com) that over 70% of the 807 WoolworthStores were vacant nationally. This has since dropped to two in fivestores (40% or 300 stores) at August 2010 (www.guardian.co.uk). Theunit once occupied by Woolworths, in Great Malvern, was taken up byIceland in 2009. It could be said this demonstrates the town centre stillmaintains a relatively robust appeal for larger retail formats to basetheir business in Great Malvern during an economic recession.LOCAL INDICATOR 9: PLANNING APPROVALS FOR NON-RETAILUSE IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SHOPPING FRONTAGES1.13 To sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of the town centre ofMalvern. No applications have been approved for non-retail uses in the