6 July 2010
Tesco Stores Ltd, Lake Road, Douglas, Isle Of Man, IM1 5af
The proposal involved demolishing and rebuilding the existing Tesco store on Lake Road, Douglas, to create a two-storey superstore with doubled floorspace (from 2473m² net convenience-dominated to 5261m² net, including 2625m² comparison goods on mezzanine), bulk store extension, temporary store during construction, mul…
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The inspector found the site out-of-centre (800-900m from primary shopping area APSU on DLP Map 1, separated by roads/levels; only 6% shoppers walk to town centre), conflicting with SP9 (retail in zon…
All new retail development (excepting neighbourhood shops and those instances identified in Business Policy 5) sited within the town and village centr
Requires all new retail sited in town/village centres on land zoned in Area Plans. Site not zoned for superstore (DLP 'Retail Warehousing'); out-of-centre (800-900m from APSU). Inspector applied strict purposive interpretation per para 9.4.2 referencing 1987 Tynwald anti-out-of-town stance.
new retail provision at a scale appropriate. Major retail development proposals to be supported by Retail Impact Assessment
Supports retail in existing retail areas at appropriate scale without adverse effect on adjacent areas; major schemes need RIA. 'Existing retail areas' = town centres (not standalone sites); scale inappropriate out-of-centre; disputed impact (5.7-21% diversion).
Business Policy 10
Permits retail only in established town/village centres (exceptions limited). Site not in APSU primary area; Central Area not 'established town centre' (includes non-retail like hospital/industrial).
Douglas Local Plan Policy D/Ret/P1
Restricts retail to defined town centre area (APSU blue); exception for bulky non-food outside. Site designated warehousing, not general retail.
Douglas Local Plan Retail Policy P4
Allocates site for large span non-food bulky goods warehousing. Proposal is food/comparison superstore extension.
General Policy 2
Development must respect amenity/character. Highway impacts (queues/safety) unacceptable.
Transport Policy 1
Safe access/network capacity. Banks Circus fails due to queues/narrow lanes.
Transport Policy 4
No unacceptable traffic impact. Modelling shows DoS >90%, queues to 30+ vehicles.
Shoprite Group/MyWay Ltd, Peacock & Smith (on behalf of Heritage Homes Limited), and Douglas Development Partnership submitted objections to the Tesco store extension, citing adverse retail impacts on Douglas town centre vitality and viability, non-compliance with development plan policies, and traffic concerns; all recommend refusal.
Key concern: adverse impact on Douglas town centre vitality and viability through significant trade diversion from out-of-centre development contrary to retail policies
Shoprite Group/MyWay Ltd
Objectionthe proposed development would have a direct adverse impact on shops in Douglas town centre... which would undermine the vitality and viability of the town centre; The proposed development is contrary to the following policies: Strategic Policy 9... Business Policy 9... Business Policy 10; the current proposal is clearly contrary to this allocation since it does not comprise retail warehousing development; Para 9.21: The preferred location for retail development is within the existing town centres... preferably be no more than 300 m from the edge of the town's defined central area
Peacock & Smith (on behalf of Heritage Homes Limited)
Objectionthe store, and thus the proposed extension to it, is 'out-of-centre', occupying land identified for 'large-span' retail warehousing; contrary to the provisions of the principal clause of Local Plan Policy D/Ret/P1, and is not supported by the subordinate clause to that policy relating to the sale of bulky goods; Such impacts represent the diversion of trade from a sustainable retail location... to a less sustainable location; the findings of the review of the IMIRS will be critical
Douglas Development Partnership
Objectionthe proposal will have an unacceptably adverse effect on the vitality and viability of Douglas town centre; the proposed increase in net comparison floorspace of 2,790 sq. metres... represents an over-provision; the Transport Assessment grossly underestimates the number of future vehicle movements
