4
AGENDA ITEM NO. 7
REPORT TO: Executive Board
REPORT NO: CEDO/26/08
DATE: 14 October 2008
LEAD MEMBER: Councillor Rodney Skelland
(Regeneration and Corporate Governance)
LEAD OFFICER: Chief Economic Development Officer
CONTACT OFFICER: Isobel Watson (Tel: 292457)
SUBJECT: Wrexham Town Centre – Delivering Retail Led
Renaissance
WARD: Offa, Smithfield, Maesydre, Brynyffynon,
Grosvenor
1. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
To brief Members on the retail sector and to seek approval to the draft action plan to support the retail led renaissance of Wrexham town centre.
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1 As the opening of the Eagles Meadow development approaches, the time is right for Members to consider the impact that the growth in retail floorspace will have on Wrexham Town Centre as a whole; and to consider what action the Council needs to take in order to capitalise on the positive benefits for the continued regeneration of the County Borough.
2.2 The report attached at Appendix 1 “Wrexham Town Centre – Delivering Retail Led Renaissance” has been prepared by officers and the Council’s retained advisor, Jones Lang La Salle. The report provides an analysis of the retail sector; identifies the importance of having a healthy and vibrant town centre; describes the current position in Wrexham town centre and the impact of the Eagles Meadow development; outlines factors affecting the performance of the town centre; and presents a draft action plan setting out key proposals that the Council could undertake.
3. RECOMMENDATIONS
Members are recommended to:
3.1 note the current position of the retail sector in Wrexham town centre;
3.2 approve the draft action plan; and
3.3 authorise the Chief Economic Development Officer, in consultation with the Lead Member (Regeneration and Corporate Governance) and relevant Chief Officers to implement the action plan, reporting progress back to the Executive Board.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
To ensure that the Council continued to take action to support the retail led renaissance of Wrexham Town Centre for the benefit of the County Borough.
Stephen Bayley
Chief Economic Development Officer
4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
4.1 The health of a town centre is a useful measure of the health of its wider catchment area. Successful town centres are often key drivers for economic growth and retail development has led to the renaissance of many towns.
4.2 Wrexham town centre is the principle retailing centre in North Wales. It currently has a wide catchment area with a population of 426,000. In terms of its relative position in the UK hierarchy of retail centres, it is currently 179th (Javelin Group, 2006). Following the opening of Eagles Meadow this is set to change. The catchment population is forecast to grow to 496,000 and the town centre will move up to 78th in the hierarchy of UK retail centres.
4.3 The key question is - why does this matter? The answer is that the growth in the catchment population will help to increase expenditure (and reduce leakage) in the town, supporting jobs and investment in other uses such as leisure and entertainment. Benchmarking Wrexham town centre against other competitors is important in terms of attracting future investment in new floorspace and reducing voids in existing floorspace. Retail analysts advising retailers and developers have access to comparative data which they use to inform investment decisions. Getting into the top 100 of the UK retail centre ranking helps to open up opportunities for further investment
4.4 The development of Eagles Meadow will provide an additional 390,286 ft2 of floorspace in the town centre. Of this 306,325 ft2 will be retail. This additional retail floorspace represents about a 25% growth in the total retail floorspace in the town centre. The remaining 83,961 ft2 is leisure (Odeon Cinema 44,325 ft2, Ten Pin 26,088 ft2) and restaurants and coffee shops(13,548 ft2). The relocation of Odeon from Plas Coch to the town centre will be a particular benefit to those people who rely on public transport. Ten Pin the bowling operator will provide a new family orientated leisure activity with the town centre. Members will recall that the requirement for a ten-pin bowling operator was a pre-requisite for the Council when it selected its preferred developer and Wilson Bowden Development Ltd delivered from day one. The growth of family orientated leisure activities in the town centre is part of a concerted effort to improve the town centre’s performance between 5pm – 8pm (generally a quiet time), to increase “dwell time” in the town centre (shopping, cinema, bowling, eating out) and to help improve community safety and reduce crime and fear of crime by broadening the range of visitors to the town centre.
4.5 The development of Eagles Meadow is forecast to increase the value of the town’s clothing market from £62 million to £90 million (Javelin Group, 2006) with the location of new high street retailers including Debenhams, H&M, Jane Norman, La Senza, and by the growth in retail floorspace by existing shops relocating. Ten shops are set to relocate and expand within the town centre to Eagles Meadow. These include Marks & Spencer, River Island, Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Wallis, ‘Top Shop/Top Man, Boots, Boot Opticians, Next and Clintons (although Clintons will be keeping a shop open on Hope Street as well as a new shop at Eagles Meadow). The total floorspace vacated will be 61,259 ft2 (about 5% of the total retail floorspace in the town centre following the completion of Eagles Meadow). These ten shops are based in nine units, the largest Marks and Spencer being 21,500 ft2, the smallest Wallis being 700 ft2. In all cases, the ten shops are increasing their floorpsace at Eagles Meadow and together they will be taking 137,045 ft2 (a 124% increase in floorspace). In addition to these nine premises, there are other vacancies in the town centre and these too need to be either occupied or redeveloped. However, there will always be some vacant floorspace in the town centre and on a positive note, in Wrexham this is below the national average at 6.95% compared to 9.41% for the UK (Experian Goad). Consultants DTZ also note that the majority of vacant premises are small (less than 1000 ft2) and unsuitable for the current retail requirements of multiple retailers. They would however attract independent businesses or even uses other than retail.
4.6 Wrexham town centre is not all about relocations to Eagles Meadow. Laura Ashley for example has recently opened new premises on Priory Street. The store opened in July 2008 and is reported to be trading well.
4.7 Inevitably, the prime fashion retail area will shift towards Eagles Meadow from Hope Street and developers/landlords in this area will undoubtedly think about seeking planning permission for change of use for premises as businesses shift and resettle. This has already happened in the case of 26 Hope Street (formerly occupied by Monsoon), where Town Centre Securities (landlord) successfully secured planning permission for a change of use from A1 Retail to A2 Financial and Professional Services. It is important to understand that regardless of any “masterplan” devised by the Council for the regeneration of the town centre, private sector demand will dictate the long term use of buildings. No matter how desirable it may be to resist change, if the market has no requirement for a particular building (shape, size, configuration, location) as a retail shop, it will remain vacant unless another productive use is found for it.
4.8 In order to maintain the viability and vitality of Wrexham town centre the Council needs to consider the 5C’s – competition, catchment, character, choice and convenience. The report at Appendix 1 includes a draft action plan to address each of these and Members are asked to consider this.
4.9 The aim must be to work with the private sector to attract further investment by setting out the benefits of the town, which Members will appreciate is much more than just the High Street retailers. The diverse range of local independent retailers, two historic arcades and three indoor markets – all add to the vibrant retail experience.
4.10 Despite concerns, Wrexham town centre is still a very accessible place. It benefits from both rail and bus services and a range of town centre car parks including almost 1,000 new spaces. This will be further enhanced by the extension of bus service to Eagles Meadow and improved interchange facilities at Market Street. In addition, Shopmobility will open a new facility at Eagles Meadow. To keep distance in perspective, on foot, the new Debenhams store is 650m from the bus station less than the distance from Chester Bus Station to Woolworths in Chester Town Centre.
4.11 The draft action plan identifies a wide range of actions which will help to deliver the benefits for the County Borough arising from the Eagles Meadow development. The challenge for the Council is to support the private sector where it can, to respond to changing shopping habits and to facilitate this change whilst retaining the best of the existing town centre.
5. CONSULTATION
5.1 The Wrexham Town Centre Forum has been consulted on elements of the draft action plan and is supportive of the proposals.
6. SCRUTINY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
6.1 This matter has not been considered by a Scrutiny Committee.
7 IMPLICATIONS
7.1 Policy Framework – A healthy town centre is central to the Council’s core corporate business area of prosperous business, a valued workforce and regenerated communities.
7.2 Budget - The draft action plan highlights where possible the costs. Most can be managed within the Economic Development Department’s cash limited budget. Where it can not, further reports will be brought to the Executive Board for Members to consider.
7.3 Legal – N/A
7.3 Staffing - N/A
7.4 Diversity (Equalities) – Important to the success of the town centre is “convenience” or accessibility. The draft action plan undergo an equalities impact assessment.
BACKGROUND PAPERS / LOCATION / WEBSITE INFO.Wrexham Retail Floorspace Assessment Report – October 2007 / Planning Department / -