Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)
Local and District Centres and Local Services
10.14. Local and district centres make a significant contribution to the quality of life of the communities they serve providing access to day-to-day convenience shopping and accommodating local service needs. To ensure the long-term sustainability of such centres it is important to retain their future vitality.
Policy DLP25 Local and District Centres and Local Services Comment
Designated District and Local Centres
- It is a priority for tier three centres to serve the day-to-day shopping and service needs of the communities that they serve. Convenience retail developments and proposals to extend or refurbish existing food store where they are well integrated with the centre and meet the requirements of DLP26 and DLP27 will be supported.
- Developments within District and local centres should reflect the scale, character and nature of the centre and help the centres' role and function in serving the local needs and sustain the economic viability and vitality of the centre. All new developments will need to be sensitive to the local character and enhance the public realm of the centre.
- Proposals should reduce the need to travel, and promote the use of sustainable transport methods, including public transport, walking and cycling.
Parades and Local Shops
- Within retail parades outside of designated centres, small scale commercial uses (Class E) and community facilities would be supported where the proposal would not result in the parade being unable to meet the day-to-day needs and it can be demonstrated that:
- The proposal meets the provisions of DLP26.
- The proposal would retain an active frontage.
- The development would not either individually or cumulatively had a detrimental impact on the amenity of local residents, due to noise, odour or highway safety.
- Would not impact on the viability or vitality of any designated centres.
- Development involving the loss of valued local services, local shops (F.2) and community facilities, including public houses, particularly where the facility serves a community within a defined accessible neighbourhood will be refused, unless it can be demonstrated that:
- the use is no longer viable, by providing evidence that the property has been actively and appropriately marketed for a minimum of 6 months, and that the use cannot be viably sustained.
- There is an alternative or similar facility available within a safe and reasonably achieved 1000m walking distance.
10.15. Dudley has three district centres and fifteen local centres of varying sizes. These centres act as a crucial focus for and provide key services and facilities for Dudley's existing and future communities in the most sustainable way. The existing centres are often dependent on smaller supermarkets and/or convenience stores to anchor their retail offer.
10.16. There are a number of local parades and freestanding small shops throughout the borough, which provide for the day to day needs and offerings for the communities they serve. As well as providing informal places for interaction and contributing to the health and wellbeing of the community.
10.17. Where proposals would lead to the loss of valued local facilities without the appropriate alternative provision, it must be demonstrated that the site has been marketed for the existing use and therefore there is no reasonable prospect for the retention of the current use.
Evidence
- Black Country Centres Study (2020, 2021, 2023 and subsequent updates) Dudley Borough Strategic, Town, District & Local Centre Health checks (2024)
Delivery
- Development Management through the determination of planning applications
