Supermarket planning controls

The growth of out of town retailing has been damaging to town centre and local economies, damaging to the countryside and has increased traffic.5

This damage was recognised by the Conservative Government in 1993 when it introduced Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 on Transport (PPG13) which required the consideration of locally accessible shops in planning decisions. The Conservatives also revised Planning Policy Guidance Note 6 on Town Centres and Retail Development (PPG6) to protect town centres against out of town developments in 1993 and then again in 1996 when they required local authorities to use a 'sequential approach', and to only grant planning permission for out of town sites where there were no viable alternatives firstly in the town and secondly on the edge of town.6

In 2000, the Environment Committee of the House of Commons criticised the Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) proposals to relax planning controls on supermarkets.7 It also condemned the OFT for referring supermarket development matters to the Competition Commission without taking evidence either from planning experts or from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
The Environment Committee said relaxing planning controls would be disastrous and called for supermarkets to be built on town centre sites to revitalise communities and curb traffic congestion caused by out-of-town shopping malls. In historic towns, it called for supermarkets to be sited on the edge-of-town, rather than damaging the character of town centres. Whilst the new planning guidance has not prevented all new store development, there has been a sharp decline in new planning approvals for out of town superstores.8 The New Labour government has so far continued to uphold and to some extent has even strengthened the guidance.

Down but not out

The supermarkets will of course continue to lobby for out-of-town stores as this is where they can get the economies of scale they say they need to support their profits and the acres of free car parking which gives them an enormous competitive advantage over city centre stores. Whether they have Tony Blair's sympathetic ear is not clear yet. He met supermarket lobbyists before the 1997 General Election (the meeting was set up by Lord Sainsbury) and after the Election he met Wal-Mart representatives before the US giant took over Asda.9 Planning policy was apparently discussed on both occasions. But so far there has been no change.

In the meanwhile the supermarkets have responded to the tougher planning regulations by development at both ends of the size spectrum. Firstly by adding extensions to their current out of town stores (Asda) and secondly by developing new smaller formats in towns; city centre convenience stores (Tesco Metro and Sainsbury's Central), neighbourhood convenience stores (Sainsbury's Local) and petrol forecourt shops (Tesco Express/Esso, Safeway/BP Connect).

Out of town development may have slowed but all supermarket developments pose a threat to local communities. Whether they are on the high street, in shopping malls or out of town, they are attempting to bring what the entire high street can offer, under one roof. Supermarket development compromises the economic viability of small independent retailers, increases traffic and destroys the social role that small shops provide in bringing together communities and fostering trust about the products supplied.

Supermarket stats

Bulldozing protest

In December 2001, the Government released a planning 'green' paper outlining new proposals for planning legislation. Whilst it seems as though New Labour's agenda is to fast track major infrastructure development projects, changing rules for public inquiries on new roads, nuclear power plants, airports and the like, it seems unlikely that in their present form these proposals will water down supermarket planning legislation.

A third party right of appeal would help give real clout to the campaigns of those objecting to supermarket developments. Currently, only the applicant i.e. the supermarket, can appeal against a planning decision if it goes against them. Objectors have no right of appeal. Despite widespread support for this right of appeal and the fact that the lack of such a right appears to contravene article 6 of the Human Rights Act the green paper has not taken the opportunity to give third parties (eg the opponents of supermarket developments) the right of appeal.

References
5 Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 'The impact of large food stores on market towns and district centres' 1998 www.planning.detr.gov.uk/foodstores/index.htm ; House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee, 'Second Report: Environmental impact of supermarket competition' 2000 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/cmenvtra/120/12002.htm
6 DTLR, 'Planning Policy Guidance Note 6: Town centres and retail development' www.planning.dtlr.gov.uk/ppg /ppg6/index.htm
7 House of Commons Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee, 'Second Report: Environmental impact of supermarket competition' 2000 www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmselect/ cmenvtra/120/12002.htm.
8 Sustain, 'Battle in Store? A discussion of the social impacts of the major supermarkets' 2000
9 FOE press release, 'Government in the dock over supermarkets' Jan 2000. www.foe.co.uk/pubsinfo/infoteam/pressrel/2000/20000111110002.html