Economy
- Economic Profile
- Employment and Education
- Unemployment
- Employment Strategy
- Employment Land at Strategic Locations
- Environmental Improvement of Employment Areas
- Non-Conforming Uses
- Commercial Development in Rural Areas
- Tourism and Recreation
- Retail
6.10 Retail
North Tipperary produced a County Retail Strategy in 2003 in order to understand and control the retail sector in the County. The County has a total retail floorspace of 57,149 sq. m with over 72% located in Thurles and Nenagh, and the remaining 28% in Roscrea and Templemore. Almost half of those shopping in Thurles and Nenagh are not living in the town, which emphasises the function of these towns as market centres for a wide hinterland. Table 6.4 compares expenditure flows in neighbouring counties and shows that North Tipperary has a reasonable low level of leakage in convenience (Cv) shopping at 12.4% but has a 30% outflow of comparison (Cp) shopping. The high level of outflow in comparison shopping would suggest that the County is under provided in good quality comparison shopping, particularly retail warehousing.
Table 6.4 Comparison of Expenditure Flows |
||||
County |
Inflow % |
Outflow % |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cv |
Cp |
Cv |
Cp |
|
North Tipperary |
13.1 |
19.2 |
12.4 |
30.2 |
South Tipperary |
20.6 |
44.1 |
1.9 |
15.1 |
Clare |
1.2 |
0 |
21.3 |
41.6 |
Limerick city & county |
17.6 |
31.7 |
6.3 |
6.8 |
Cv = Convenience; Cp = Comparison.
Table 6.5 compares the 2002 floorspace figures with the requirements for the period 2002-2008.
Table 6.5: Existing and Projected Floor Retail Areas |
||||
Town |
Convenience |
Comparison |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 |
2011 |
2002 |
20111 |
|
County |
21,443 |
3,900 |
30,024 |
14,500 |
Thurles |
7,322 |
13,475 |
||
Nenagh |
8,240 |
9,153 |
||
Roscrea |
4,156 |
5,514 |
||
Templemore |
1,724 |
1,882 |
||
Since the above projections were made, planning permission was granted to Dunnes Stores for two new superstores in Nenagh consisting of 1,460m2 net convenience and 1,370m2 net comparison floorspace. This store is replacing the existing store on Limerick Road, which has 950m2 net convenience floorspace. Tesco have also been granted permission for a new store at the junction of New Line and Ormond Street. A third store has received a grant of planning permission at Stereame in Nenagh. Table 6.5 does not factor these permissions.
The combined effect on the indicative capacity potential for additional floorspace in the County of the population revisions, updated turnover ratios and new extant permissions is illustrated in Table 3.6 of the County Retail Strategy.
Policy ECON 14: Shopping
It is the policy of the Council to improve and strengthen retail provision in the County in order to reduce leakage to other counties and to protect the vitality and viability of centres in North Tipperary.
Settlement centres provide an important sense of place and community identity, and in addition to shopping facilities and the centres offer a mixture of services, tourist and leisure facilities. The emphasis in the Plan is to protect and reinforce the role and viability of the settlement centres of North Tipperary.
Provision for improved shopping facilities will be required to help meet the needs and aspirations of the population. This must be achieved whilst improving the environment of the centres, and the vitality and viability of the town centres. The Retail Planning Guidelines (2000) set out the Government's policy objectives in respect of retail development. This document states that the Local Authority should adopt a pro-active role in enhancing the vitality and viability of their centre(s). Given the guidance on retail from the Government it is considered that detailed policies are needed on the following issues:
- A policy controlling out of town retail in the environs of urban centres;
- Provision of adequate zoned lands for retail warehousing; and
- The encouragement of local and village shops.
Policy ECON 15: Retail in the Town Centre
It is the policy of the Council in the consideration of planning applications for retail development, to have regard to the following:
- The proposal, either by itself, or cumulatively with other such proposals, should not have a significant detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre;
- The application should not have a negative impact on the existing uses of the surrounding lands by reason of noise, smell or visual impact;
- The development should be easily accessed from the main road, with adequate parking facilities without having a negative impact on the safety of local roads.
In respect of proposals for medium-to-large scale retail development, the onus will be on the applicant to demonstrate compliance with the County Development Plan, and the County Retail Strategy 2003, and that there will not be a material adverse impact on the vitality and viability of the centre.
Policy ECON 16: Settlement Centre Policy
It is a policy of the Council to retain retail uses and services in villages and small towns.
The Council will support the retention of banks and post-offices in villages. The Council will seek to protect shop units, and will discourage the loss of shops or development that would reduce the vitality and viability of villages and settlement centres. When dealing with pre-application enquiries the Planning Authority will generally encourage such non-retail uses to locate in fringe areas of villages. In locations outside settlement boundaries, as identified in Appendix 4, new retail development will be discouraged. In respect of redevelopment of existing uses, the Council will only support commercial activity that protects the viability of settlement centres, the rural character of the area and the carrying capacity of the road network.
Policy ECON 17: Townscape Improvement
It is the policy of the Council to seek improvements to the quality of the settlement centres as part of new development in accordance with the standards set out in the Chapter 8.
6.10.1 Shopfronts
Policy ECON 18: Shop-Fronts
It is the policy of the Council to encourage the retention of shop-fronts of high quality. The replacement or repair of shop-fronts should be completed with standards set out in the Development Control.
The importance of preserving traditional shopfronts in settlements does not preclude proposals which are contemporary in design, provided that such proposals do not have a negative impact on the surrounding townscape, and designs are in harmony with the surrounding materials, building line and bulk of the proposed building. When designing new shops and redesigning old units, applicants must consider the needs of the physically impaired to ensure that the shop is accessible to all.
6.10.2 Advertising
Policy ECON 19: Advertising
It is the policy of the Council to resist advertising if:
- by reason of size, siting, design, materials or illumination it would harm the appearance of a building or the visual amenities of the area;
- it would adversely affect public or traffic safety.
Certain types of advertisements can cause particular harm to the appearance of buildings and the street scene, and the Council will therefore discourage the following:
- free-standing advertisements on forecourts,;
- signs or advertisements above fascia level, and more than one projecting sign per unit;
- overuse of directional signs, particularly sale or letting signs; and
- Poster boards.
In respect of signs on public property the Council will require all signs to have a licence under Section 254 of the Act, once licensed the sign must display the licence number and the sign may be sited at one location and removed and reused indefinitely under the licence, subject to the requirements of Policy ECON 19.
Poster boards constitute one of the most obtrusive elements of all forms of advertisements. They rely on their impact on size, scale and location and these are usually detrimental to the character of the area in which they are situated. However, the Council may allow temporary poster boards where they are used to screen a building site or temporarily enclosed area.
6.10.3 Take-Away Restaurants
Policy ECON 20: Take-Away Outlets
It is the policy of the Council to resist further development of take-away food outlets in order to preserve the amenity and character of the town and village centres and residential areas.
In considering applications for new take-away food outlets, the Council will have regard to the need to preserve the amenities and the character of settlements. 'Take-aways' tend to generate noise, odour and litter, and can cause disturbance to nearby residents, particularly late at night.
6.10.4 Petrol Filling Stations
The traditional role of filling stations is expanding to include the provision of general convenience retail and sometimes delicatessen, to serve urban, suburban village and sometimes rural locations. The Council will discourage new filling stations outside speed limits and rural locations unless there is a clear case of hardship for isolated rural communities.
Policy ECON 21: Filling Stations
It is the policy of the Council to resist new filling stations or redevelopment that increase the intensity of existing stations except where they can meet the following criteria:
- The proposal is within a settlement boundary or the 30 mph or 40 mph where none exists;
- It is in accordance with the zoning requirement for the area;
- The floorspace of the retail unit does not detract from the viability of the centre; and
- The siting and layout design is in accordance with the standards set out in Section 8.8 of the Plan
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