Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft Retail study. We have read it carefully but cannot agree with its conclusion that a massive increase in retail floorspace will still be needed in the new Plan period. The optimistic prediction that the increase in online shopping will level off, leading to a resurgence of high street shopping, is not sufficiently justified.
In particular, the claim in 4.23 that Staines centre has had a consistent vacancy rate through the recession and thus ‘demonstrates strong performance and resilience’ fails to take account of the loss of about 10 shop premises when the Majestic House site was demolished in 2008. If demand had been constant the rest of Staines High Street and centre would have been full after these shops were demolished; in fact it has continued to have vacancies, showing that net demand has significantly reduced. This undermines the whole argument that Staines will support a large retail expansion.
We note that table 8.1 in para 8.15 predicts an 18% rise in population in Spelthorne over the years 2014-2034. There is insufficient detail on the evidence behind this remarkable claim. It appears to be impossible within the restraints on housing land in the existing Local Plan, and could only come about if a new Plan allowed a big increase in housing, by releasing Green Belt land or permitting a proliferation of high-rise flats.
But this document is part of the evidence base for the new Plan. It cannot be based on assumptions about the content of the Plan.
However we commend the comment in 9.33 about the importance of visual linkages and the adverse effects of large scale dense river frontage development, cutting the river off from the town centre. This applies to the Bridge Street car park site.
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