A campaign to protect local shops from big retail developments in London is being advocated in a report, called “Cornered Shops”, published today by the London Assembly’s planning and housing committee.
The committee calls on mayor Boris Johnson to change his policies to give councils more ways to protect small shops.
The reports highlights the “drastic decline of neighbourhood shops” in London and calls for changes to local, regional and national planning policies – including the Use Classes Order – to offer them more protection.
Deputy chair of the planning and housing committee, Jenny Jones, said: “People in residential areas need local shops that provide essential services that they can walk to. They do not need rows of betting shops and internet cafés, or to have to travel to supermarkets by car.
“The mayor must lead on changing the planning system to empower boroughs to take back control of their high streets and protect local shops from further decline.”
Along with the economic downturn, the rise of the big supermarkets and their move into ‘local format’ stores, like Tesco Metro and Sainsbury’s Local, has also contributed to the loss of smaller retailers. The reports says around four in five independent shops say the biggest threat they face is supermarkets.
The report calls on Johnson to make changes to his London Plan to strengthen protection for local shops and give boroughs more power to resist or negotiate on planning applications from big retailers.
“It is crucial to protect essential shops like butchers and greengrocers and the committee agrees with many London boroughs that it is time to revise the Use Classes Order,” said the Assembly report. “Revision of the order would give local authorities the power to stop essential shops changing to outlets like internet cafés and betting shops without planning permission.
Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: “The industry is committed to helping the Government effectively deliver its localism agenda and we have always been very supportive of ensuring a mix of fascias on the high street.
“Allowing councils to dictate the mix of their central retail offering seems a very sensible way of ensuring communities can have the right mix of local shops. But we need to be realistic in that a new planning class won’t save unviable businesses.
“If locals really want to use their local shops and they provide good service and sell the right products, they will survive. A big part of that is making sure we don’t continue to pile tax burdens onto landlords and retailers at a time when many are already struggling.”
