- Town centres have traditionally been the focus of shopping and a wide range
of employment, services and leisure and entertainment facilities but have
come under increasing pressure in the 1990s from changing trends in shopping
and lifestyle habits, and in particular from out-of-centre shopping and leisure
and entertainment proposals. These included stand-alone stores, clusters of
stores, and retail parks sometimes including multi-screen cinema complexes
and other attractions such as ten-pin bowling or bingo. The majority of these
developments were specifically aimed at attracting car-borne users, being
in locations poorly served by public transport and providing large amounts
of surface car parking. Other trends including seven-day trading, 24 hour
shopping, the use of telephone and computers for shopping, financial and other
services, and the increasing diversity of leisure activities at different
times of the day all mean that town centres are having to compete more effectively
to make themselves attractive, safe, convenient and interesting places for
people to continue to visit and use.
- There are five town centres in Wandsworth - Clapham Junction, Putney, Tooting,
Wandsworth and Balham. They are well served by public transport and are readily
accessible to people living and working in the Borough regardless of access
to use of a car, although in each case the environment is dominated by major
through roads. Parts of Clapham Junction, Putney and Wandsworth Town Centres
are within conservation areas.
- The Council has promoted new shopping and other appropriate development
on key sites in each centre and has successfully, resisted harmful out-of-centre
development proposals, both within the Borough and in adjoining boroughs.
It has also pursued a wide ranging programme of investment in environmental
measures and other initiatives to promote the attractiveness and accessibility
of the Town Centres.
- The Council regularly monitors the health of the Town Centres and took part
in the London-wide process of health checks, which led to the definition of
centres in Strategic Guidance. Surveys of uses, vacancy levels, and retailer
representation have taken place every two years since 1988. The latest survey
in 1998 covered almost 1,300 town centre premises, of which nearly 70% were
shops, 16% bars and restaurants, and 11% financial and professional services.
Overall 12% of these premises were vacant, ranging from only 6% in Tooting
to 26% in Wandsworth Town Centre.
- The highest "zone A" rentals in 1998 were in Putney (£70) followed by Clapham
Junction (£60) with the remaining three Town Centres being closely grouped
together but significantly lower (£40-45). On the whole they have grown steadily
since the early 1990s. In 1994 yields were similar for all the Town Centres
at around 8%.
- A borough-wide household survey was carried out in 1995. This indicated
that town centre stores were the main location for main food shopping in the
Borough and that a large proportion of these shoppers combine their main food
shopping trip with a visit to other shops and services, particularly banks
and building societies, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Overall there was little
support for the need for further supermarkets. Of those that felt that there
was a need, mainly in the Tooting area, over 80% felt that any additional
supermarkets should be located in town centres.
- The Town Centres performed less well for comparison goods shopping retaining
only 27% of the main clothes shopping trips of Borough residents, around 32%
of main furniture and carpet shopping, and 44% of main shopping for electrical
goods. The main competing locations were Central London/West End, Croydon
and Kingston. Choice and quality of shops were the most important influencing
factors, as was convenience in the case of carpet and furniture shopping.
Overall, around half used public transport for such shopping. The most successful
town centre for all categories of comparison goods shopping was Clapham Junction.
- Clapham Junction and Putney received the highest satisfaction ratings with
over 80% rating them fair or better; whereas between 50% and 60% of respondents
gave a similar rating to Balham, Tooting and Wandsworth. Clapham Junction
and Putney received the highest rating for improvement and Wandsworth the
highest rating for getting worse. Overall the three most frequently mentioned
improvements sought were more specialist shops, more car parking, and improved
security.
Clapham Junction
Clapham Junction is the main town centre in the Borough for
comparison goods shopping (clothes, furniture/carpets and electrical). Its
traditional comparison shopping role has been anchored by the Arding and Hobbs
department store. Developments that have taken place include a large foodstore
(Asda); a new small supermarket (Lidl); a non-food retail warehouse (Petsmart
Boots); and a shopping centre and office development adjoining
the station. These have strengthened the centre and complemented its comparison
shopping function. It is a major transport interchange. Clapham Junction has
the second highest amount of off-street car parking of all the Town Centres,
associated with the recent developments. A comprehensive environmental enhancement
of St. John’s Road has recently been completed, and a conservation area partnership
established with English Heritage. Leisure and entertainment uses include
a theatre, arts centre, fitness club, commercial children’s entertainment
centre and nightclub. The Town Centre has developed as a popular location
for food and drink uses in particular in Lavender Hill and the Battersea Rise/Northcote
Road area. There is a street market in Northcote Road.
Putney
Putney has a clearly established comparison goods shopping
role reinforced by a convenience shopping function based on a Sainsbury’s
supermarket and a Waitrose store opened in 1997. The Putney Exchange shopping
centre, opened in 1990, has added to the centre’s range of shopping as well
as providing the main off-street parking in the Town Centre. Putney is the
only significant office centre in the Borough and has attracted a significant
amount of office development in the past. It has a national profile and strong
identity arising from the annual Varsity boat race and river related recreational
activities. It also has the only cinema in the Borough, many restaurants and
pubs, service uses and a library.
Tooting
Tooting has a large number and variety of shops covering
a wide range of goods, including many specialist Asian traders. The Town Centre
has two covered markets, a small department store (Smiths), a college of further
education, a bingo hall and a library. A small foodstore (Somerfield) was
refurbished in 1997. The Town Centre is well used for top-up food shopping.
There is only a limited amount of off-street car parking. St. George’s hospital,
which is a major London hospital and attracts a substantial number of visitors,
is close to the Town Centre. The Council has undertaken a major programme
of investment in the environment of the Town Centre.
Wandsworth
The Arndale shopping centre and the adjoining Sainsbury’s
store dominate the shopping provision in Wandsworth Town Centre. Wandsworth
is the most popular location in the Borough for main food shopping, largely
due to the large Sainsbury’s store. It has the highest amount of off-street
car parking of any centre in the Borough, associated with the shopping centre
and the Sainsbury’s store. The Town Hall and Council offices together with
South Thames College and Young’s Brewery are major employers. There are a
large number of pubs and other food and drink uses, and a small hotel. Young’s
brewery has opened a visitor centre and associated shop. The Wandsworth Museum
was relocated from Putney in 1997 and is a popular attraction. Wandsworth
has the highest level of vacancies of all the Borough’s Town Centres, particularly
in the Arndale shopping centre. The Wandsworth Challenge Partnership has established
a major programme of investment through the Single Regeneration Budget, in
the regeneration and improvement of the Town Centre. There is also a conservation
area partnership between the Council and English Heritage.
Balham
Balham has a strong local convenience shopping function associated
with its two supermarkets (Safeway and Sainsbury’s) which fulfil the key anchor
functions of the Town Centre, and a street market in Hildreth Street. Off-street
car parking is associated with the two foodstores. In 1997 the Sainsbury’s
store was substantially increased in size and the "Triangle" site was laid
out as a permanent car park associated with the store but remaining available
to other Town Centre users. Balham has a library but only a limited range
of other facilities.
Government Guidance
- Government policy on Town Centres and Retail Developments (PPG6 -1996) seeks
to sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres (paragraph
1.1). This depends on retaining and developing a wide range of attractions
and amenities; creating and maintaining an attractive environment; ensuring
good accessibility to and within town centres; and attracting investment in
development or refurbishment of existing buildings (paragraph 2.2). The key
role of town centres in delivering sustainable development and ensuring the
availability of a wide range of shops, employment, services and facilities
to which people have easy access by a choice of transport is emphasised (paragraph
2.1). Both convenience and comparison goods shopping development should preferably
be located in town centres (paragraph 1.3). Proposals for new retail
development on sites within existing town centres are not required to demonstrate
need (para 1.10). Retail proposals on edge-of-centre or out-of-centre sites
should demonstrate need for the additional facility and that the sequential
approach to selecting sites for new retail development as outlined in PPG6
has been applied. First preference is given to town centre sites where suitable
sites or buildings for conversion are available, followed by edge-of-centre
sites, district and local centres, and only if such sites are not available
by out-of-centre sites in locations well served by public transport
(para 1.11). The onus is on the developer to demonstrate that all the town
centre options have been assessed (para 1.9). Comparison shopping
should continue to be the mainstay of retailing in most sizeable town centres
(paragraph 3.2). Large foodstores and supermarkets often play a vital role
as anchor stores in maintaining the quality and range of shopping in smaller
centres; and they are also essential for the less mobile members of the community
(paragraph 3.12). Town centre and edge-of-centre stores also facilitate a
higher proportion of linked trips (paragraph 3.13). Focusing development in
town centres can help reduce the number and length of journeys, as one trip
can serve several purposes, and reduce reliance upon the car. For town centres
to compete effectively with out-of-centre developments, they must remain attractive
to people who arrive by car. Car parking should serve the centre as whole
rather than individual developments. Local authorities should give priority
to short-term parking for visitors such as shoppers, and discourage long-term
parking for commuters (paragraphs 2.26-2.27, 2.31-2.32). Different but complementary
uses, during the day and in the evening, can reinforce each other, making
town centres more attractive to local residents, shoppers and visitors. Leisure
and entertainment facilities, museums and libraries, hotels and conference
centres, street markets, restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés, and colleges
all add variety (paragraphs 2.12 and 2.18). Town centres are, and should remain
the focus for uses that generate a large number of trips.
- The planning system should provide a positive framework; facilitate site
assembly; attract investment into upgrading buildings and high-quality new
development; and encourage investment in retail, employment, leisure and other
key town centre uses (paragraph 2.3). Development plans should specify preferred
locations for retail development, which sustain and enhance the vitality and
viability of existing centres. Development that would undermine this strategy
should be refused (paragraph 4.2). Town centre strategies and town centre
management should be developed in partnership with the private sector, property
owners, infrastructure agencies, and the community (paragraphs 2.9/11). The
health of town centres should be monitored by collecting information on key
indicators such as diversity of uses, retailer representation, shopping rents,
vacancies, yields, pedestrian flows, accessibility, customer views and behaviour,
perceptions of safety and occurrence of crime and environmental quality (paragraph
2.7).
- Strategic Guidance (RPG3 -1996) reflects PPG6 and adds that London has a
dense pattern of town centres, usually well served by public transport, performing
different functions (paragraphs 5.1-2). It also states that town centres will
continue to be the main focus for the provision of shopping and community
facilities in London (paragraph 5.1). In London, each centre provides a unique
blend of functions and strengths and not all centres have the same characteristics
and opportunities (paragraph 5.3). Clapham Junction, Putney, Tooting, and
Wandsworth are identified as major centres.
POLICIES AND PROPOSALS
Town Centre Strategies
- The Town Centres provide a range of facilities accessible, particularly
by public transport, to people living and working in different parts of the
Borough. The Council’s long established approach, of supporting the role of
all five Town Centres, recognises that none performs a strategic role and
that it would not be appropriate to promote any of the centres into playing
a leading role. In 1996, the Council approved strategies for each centre.
Town centre managers have been appointed for all the centres. Partnership
arrangements have been set up and business/action plans drawn up. Urban design
frameworks will be prepared for each centre.
- The town centre strategies seek to build on the Council’s long established
policies. Common elements of the strategies for all the centres seek to support
their existing roles, functions, distinctiveness and diversity. A variety
and mix of appropriate uses, as indicated in Government Guidance, is encouraged
and promoted. This will contribute to the vitality and viability of the Town
Centres and will provide for a wide range of shopping, employment, leisure,
entertainment, service and community needs, with the aim of minimising the
need to travel further afield.
- Day and evening uses that are compatible with the amenity of surrounding
areas will help make the centres attractive, well used and safe for all sections
of the community. The policies allow flexibility to accommodate a variety
of uses. Other measures such as environmental enhancements and crime reduction
measures support these policies. Town centre management initiatives such as
exhibitions, displays and events can generate more activity to the benefit
of the Town Centres. Good and convenient access to public transport, and facilities
for pedestrians, cyclists and people with disabilities are important in order
to maintain the attractiveness of the centres. It is also important to the
economic vitality of the centres that they are accessible by car, and that
parking is available for shoppers and other short-stay visitors.
- In addition to the common elements, the strategy for each individual centre
aims to build on its distinctive character and strengths, to tackle its weaknesses,
and to ensure that development opportunities are used to
fill gaps in provision and strengthen the centre’s role.
Policy TC1
The existing role, function, character, distinctiveness
and diversity of Clapham Junction, Putney, Tooting, Wandsworth and Balham
town centres will be supported and promoted through the preparation and
implementation of town centre strategies, urban design frameworks, conservation
area partnerships, and other appropriate measures, particularly
those listed in policies TC2-6.
View map details
See also S1, S2
and BIN3
Policy TC2
The strategy for all the Town Centres is to:
- encourage diversity and a mix of appropriate uses including, shopping,
restaurants and bars, leisure, recreation, entertainment,
service, employment, educational, institutional, medical/healthcare, housing,
community and other uses which contribute to the vitality and viability
of the centres including the development of the evening economy in ways
that are compatible with the amenity of surrounding areas;
- improve the quality and availability of short-stay off-street parking
for town centre users in accordance with policy T41;
- introduce controlled on-street parking to favour shoppers and residents
rather than commuters;
- introduce measures to improve the operation of, and access to, public
transport, including more convenient bus stops, and measures to improve
access, circulation and facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and people
with disabilities including shopmobility schemes and other appropriate initiatives;
- promote improvements to rail and other public transport infrastructure
to improve the town centres’ accessibility to other parts of London (see
policies T6-13);
- implement environmental improvement schemes, including streetscape
enhancement, tree planting, signage, public art, floodlighting of key buildings,
CCTV and other crime reduction/security measures;
- carry out town centre management promotion initiatives, such as temporary
uses of buildings, exhibitions, displays and special events; and
- encourage vacant housing above shops to be brought back into
use.
Policy TC3
In addition to policy TC2 the individual strategies for each Town Centre
are:
(A) Clapham Junction
* Consolidate its comparison shopping role to complement its
convenience shopping and food and drink roles, and improve the mix
of activities.
* Safeguard existing leisure, entertainment and employment opportunities.
* Promote the Chelsea/Hackney line link.
* Promote development on railway land adjoining Clapham Junction
station together with improved access to the station and interchange
facilities.
* Seek improvements to its street market.
(B) Putney
* Consolidate and strengthen its role as a mixed shopping, office
employment, leisure and recreation centre.
* Safeguard office uses.
* Extend the mix and nature of retailing.
* Seek improvements to access and parking arrangements.
(C) Tooting
* Develop its convenience shopping role to support and reinforce
its function as a comparison and specialist shopping centre.
* Promote development of the Tooting Broadway site.
* Seek improvements to the markets.
* Improve car parking facilities.
(D) Wandsworth
* Regenerate the Town Centre by improving the shopping and town
centre environment as a whole.
* Strengthen its comparison shopping role.
* Broaden the range and mix of uses through the promotion of
complementary leisure and other uses.
* Seek to reduce the impact of traffic on the environment while
maintaining accessibility.
(E) Balham
* Consolidate its local convenience shopping and service functions.
* Seek improvements to its street market.
Development in Town Centres
- The Town Centres provide a variety of opportunities for development for
retail and other uses. Retail development is particularly important in contributing
to the continuing vitality and viability of town centres, while leisure uses
make an important contribution to their diversity and support activity in
the evening. Large-scale shopping and leisure developments generate large
numbers of trips and need to be located where access to public transport is
good. Accordingly, in line with , the Town Centres are the preferred locations
for large-scale shopping and major leisure developments.
- A mix of uses is generally encouraged in new development especially on larger
sites where this is easier to accommodate in a satisfactory way. This can
achieve diversity of complementary activities during different times of the
day, and also make the most of the higher public transport accessibility levels
of the Town Centres and thereby contribute to the objectives of sustainable
development. However there may be exceptions where it may not be possible
to include a mix of uses in a satisfactory way, particularly on small sites,
due to design, operational or other functional reasons.
- The Town Centres contain significant amounts of housing and all adjoin residential
areas. Therefore, although policies allow for housing use in environmentally
suitable locations such as accommodation above shops, additional housing is
not a priority use in new development. In some developments residential may
be inappropriate due to the environment or quality of amenity that could be
secured, or because it may result in amenity conflicts with established town
centre commercial uses especially when these seek to expand or intensify.
Given the character of the Town Centres, single use housing development would
not generally be appropriate.
- The Borough has a limited amount of purpose built office accommodation in
the Town Centres which provides local employment opportunities. The vacancy
rates of such accommodation have been low reflecting a solid demand. The good
public transport accessibility of the Town Centres enables business activity
to take place conveniently using public transport. Limits on the level of
associated off-street parking, coupled with on-street parking controls in
Putney, the main office centre, and Clapham Junction, mean that business visitors
are less likely to use cars than elsewhere in the Borough. Office accommodation
also provides a potential customer base for shopping, food and drink, and
other town centre activities. The design and location of purpose built office
accommodation, particularly in terms of privacy, outlook and amenity, generally
make them inappropriate for use as housing accommodation. Safeguarding the
continued use of existing purpose-built offices and encouraging further office
development in the Town Centres will also contribute to the objectives of
sustainable development.
- As far as parking is concerned, the priority in Town Centres is for parking
which serves the centre as a whole, rather than dedicated parking for individual
developments. As indicated in Government guidance, this should be short-stay
rather than for commuters. Off-street car parking provision in the Town Centres
has generally been improved principally through major shopping developments,
where the Council has negotiated shared parking for the Town Centre as a whole.
On-street parking is also available for visitors. Putney and Clapham Junction
have controlled on-street parking but spaces have to be apportioned between
competing demands from residents and businesses.
- Development briefs have played an important role in promoting opportunities
for development in the Town Centres and this is encouraged by Government guidance.
Assembling sites in town centres can be a complex and lengthy process. The
Council has powers to assist this and may provide support in appropriate situations
if the need arises. Town centre developments have been approved in Tooting
(the College site) and Wandsworth at the Arndale shopping centre. A development
framework has been prepared for the improvement of the Arndale Estate and
shopping centre. There is also potential for development of railway land at
Clapham Junction including improvements to public transport interchange facilities
at the station as well as new town centre uses.