Tracked Version of Core Strategy, November 2012 - Selby District ...

Selby District Submission Draft Core Strategy – May 2011
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proposed for Tadcaster town centre, by the Council, landowners
and the community. Unfortunately none of these have come to
fruition. However the Council remains committed to the
regeneration of the town centre and is willing to collaborate with
other parties to support delivery of the Core Strategy objectives in
this respect. (PC4.26)
6.54 Tadcaster town centre is largely dominated by service and
administrative uses and a significant under-representation of
convenience and comparison retailing. There is little competition in
terms of variety and number of different retailers and distinct gaps
in retail provision. There is a lack of national retail and leisure
operators. However; although the retail offer is limited, it is
distinctive with small scale independent businesses.
6.55 The centre has high and long term vacancy rates despite high
interest in floorspace within the town. The inability to convert
potential demand into take up has serious implications for the
health of the centre and future vitality and viability.
6.56 Given the underperformance of existing facilities there is no
justification for a major increase in comparison goods floorspace in
Tadcaster and there is potential for only limited additional
convenience goods retailing. The key to the future of Tadcaster is
to protect the existing retail, commercial and leisure offer and to
seek to improve the level of reduce (PC1.36) vacancy rates and
expand the diversity of the range of town centre uses.
Sherburn in Elmet
6.57 Sherburn in Elmet functions as a Local Service Centre providing
essential convenience retail, and other services and facilities for
the immediate needs of the local community, South Milford and
surrounding rural areas. It has a vibrant centre with successful
local businesses with a good night time economy. It has high
occupancy levels with generally high environmental quality (but
with limited street furniture and green space).
6.58 The industrial estates situated on the edge of the town provide
positive effects for the town centre, for example by supplementing
lunch time trade, but this also create problems with car parking
and general congestion.
6.59 To ensure the centre remains healthy into the future there is a
need to diversify the uses, protect existing retail, commercial and
leisure offer as well as plan for a modest increase in comparison
floorspace in order to increase local market share. However, the
scale of development needs to be effectively controlled in order
that it retains its appropriate place in the retail hierarchy; and it is
inappropriate to plan for major retail-led growth.
6.60 In tandem with further housing and employment development at
Sherburn in Elmet, it is critically important that there is sufficient
infrastructure and facilities in place to cater for any growth.
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