Banbridge Newry & Mourne Plan 2015

Strategic Plan Framework: Retailing and Town Centres

Banbridge is the primary commercial centre within Banbridge District and its town centre is well served by shops, banks, offices and retail services. Retail provision in the town will be increased by the outlet centre and retail park which is under construction at Bridgewater Park adjacent to the A1.

Newry is the main administrative and service centre for Newry and Mourne District. Its city centre commercial provision is reinforced by The Quays and Buttercrane shopping centres, while the edge-of-town Damolly Retail Park is an outlet for bulkier goods.

Dromore and Rathfriland in Banbridge District and Crossmaglen, Kilkeel, Newtownhamilton and Warrenpoint in Newry and Mourne District are important commercial focal points and service centres for their rural hinterlands.

The other towns, villages and smaller settlements throughout the Plan Area, provide a range and variety of local and specialist retail and service facilities for their immediate areas.

Regional Policy Context

The RDS provides a number of SPGs and measures relating to town centre development in Northern Ireland including the following:

• to foster development which contributes to better community relations, recognises cultural diversity, and reduces socio-economic differentials within Northern Ireland (SPG-SRC 3) by:
  • revitalising the role of town centres and other common locations well served by public transport as focal points for shopping, services, employment, cultural and leisure activities for the whole community (SRC 3.2) and
  • promoting the development of major employment/enterprise areas in locations which are accessible to all sections of the community (SRC 3.2).
• to promote a balanced spread of economic development opportunities across the Region focused on ... the urban hubs/clusters as the main centres for employment and services (SPG-ECON 1) by:
  • supporting urban renaissance through promoting town centres as the major locations and first choice for expanding service employment by focussing public administration, major office developments, shopping, leisure, entertainment and cultural facilities in central areas where they are accessible to all sections of the community (ECON 1.3).
• to support the network of service centres based on main towns, small towns and villages in Rural Northern Ireland (SPG-RNI 3) by:
  • promoting the vitality and viability of rural town and villages centres including the encouragement of residential development in central locations (RNI 3.2).

PPS 5 - Retailing and Town Centres sets out the current regional policy for retailing and town centres. DRD intends to publish a revised PPS 5.

Relevant supplementary planning guidance is contained in the following series of DCANs:

• DCAN 1 Amusement Centres;
• DCAN 3 Bookmaking Offices;
• DCAN 4 Restaurants, Cafes and Fast Food Outlets;
• DCAN 5 Taxi Offices; and
• DCAN 7 Public Houses.

City and Town Centres

Town Centre Health Checks have been carried out as part of the Plan preparation process and in accordance with PPS 5. Details are provided in the Retailing Technical Supplement.

The Plan proposals seek to support the vitality and viability of city and town centres by ensuring that they are the main focus for retail development, including convenience and non-bulky comparison retailing. It is envisaged that retail services, offices and leisure uses will also locate within city and town centres.

Bars, cafes and restaurants complement the primary shopping function of city and town centres by contributing to the range and choice of facilities available to residents and visitors. They also contribute to the evening economy and support tourism and city/town centre living.

Within the designated city and town centres, development opportunity sites are zoned to encourage redevelopment and to accommodate town centre uses. A total of 32.67 hectares of land are zoned as development opportunity sites in the city and town centres in the Plan Area as detailed in Volumes 2 and 3 of the Plan.

City and Town Centre Boundaries

Boundaries are designated for the City Centre of Newry and the Town Centres of Banbridge, Dromore, Gilford, Rathfriland, Crossmaglen, Kilkeel, Newtownhamilton and Warrenpoint as detailed in Volumes 2 and 3 of the Plan.

Development proposals within City/Town Centres will be assessed in the context of prevailing regional planning policy and the Plan Proposals.

Primary Retail Cores

Primary Retail Cores are designated in Banbridge and Newry as detailed in Volumes 2 and 3 of the Plan.

Primary retail cores contain the traditional concentration of retailing and other city/town centre functions and are designated to control the scale and nature of new development and to ensure the continuance of a compact, lively and attractive shopping environment, offering both choice and convenience. Proposals for retail development in city and town centres will therefore be directed towards the primary retail core in the first instance.

Development proposals within Primary Retail Cores will be assessed in the context of prevailing regional planning policy and the Plan Proposals.

Primary Retail Frontages

Primary Retail Frontages are designated in Banbridge and Newry as detailed in Volumes 2 and 3 of the Plan.

Primary retail frontages are designated to retain the focus of retail uses and ensure the maintenance of a compact shopping environment. Proposals for non-retail uses at ground floor level within the primary retail frontages will be resisted. However, non retail uses will be permitted in upper floors.

Exceptionally, bars, cafes or restaurants may be acceptable in primary retail frontages where it can be demonstrated they form part of a mixed use retail led development which contributes to the vitality and viability of city or town centres.

Planning permission may be granted for proposals which only involve refurbishment or rehabilitation of an existing non-retail use.

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