The National Planning Policy Framework: Ensuring the vitality of town centres
The National Planning Policy Framework: ensuring the vitality of town centres
The National Planning Policy Framework (2012) brings up a series of directions for development of policies by local planning authorities. It features, amongst other subjects, the topic “Ensuring the vitality of town centres”.
According to Cullingworth and Nadin (2006), out-of-town shopping centres are generally seen as a threat to the town centre’s vitality and to sustainable development, by increasing car travel and consequent pollution. In this context of competition, the National Planning Framework (2012) presents policies intended to make town centres more viable and maintain their vitality.
First, the National Planning Framework (2012) presents the need of local authorities to define a network and hierarchy of centres. Cullingworth and Nadin (2006) classify them as town centre sites, edge-of-centre sites, district centres, local centres and out-of-centre sites. Following that, the local authorities should define the extent of town centres and set policies for land use in the site.
With definition in hands, comes the part of allocation of suitable sites for centres. Local authorities should also foment attractiveness and competitive edge of existing and new markets, and also encourage residential development, as the last one is essential for maintaining the vitality of a town centre, boosting the region’s “evening economy”.
“Ensuring the vitality of town centres” may be summarized as defining centres, and giving priority to town centre sites over edge-of-centre sites and out-of- centre sites. These policies might be effective in some ways. It’s easier to provide mass transportation in a converging manner. The majority of workers are traveling to the same region; this reduces public costs and pollution. On the other hand, diverse centres attract different travels, make the public transportation more difficult to manage, and encourage more cars travelling, that
The National Planning Policy Framework (2012) brings up a series of directions for development of policies by local planning authorities. It features, amongst other subjects, the topic “Ensuring the vitality of town centres”.
According to Cullingworth and Nadin (2006), out-of-town shopping centres are generally seen as a threat to the town centre’s vitality and to sustainable development, by increasing car travel and consequent pollution. In this context of competition, the National Planning Framework (2012) presents policies intended to make town centres more viable and maintain their vitality.
First, the National Planning Framework (2012) presents the need of local authorities to define a network and hierarchy of centres. Cullingworth and Nadin (2006) classify them as town centre sites, edge-of-centre sites, district centres, local centres and out-of-centre sites. Following that, the local authorities should define the extent of town centres and set policies for land use in the site.
With definition in hands, comes the part of allocation of suitable sites for centres. Local authorities should also foment attractiveness and competitive edge of existing and new markets, and also encourage residential development, as the last one is essential for maintaining the vitality of a town centre, boosting the region’s “evening economy”.
“Ensuring the vitality of town centres” may be summarized as defining centres, and giving priority to town centre sites over edge-of-centre sites and out-of- centre sites. These policies might be effective in some ways. It’s easier to provide mass transportation in a converging manner. The majority of workers are traveling to the same region; this reduces public costs and pollution. On the other hand, diverse centres attract different travels, make the public transportation more difficult to manage, and encourage more cars travelling, that
References: Cullingworth, J. B. & Nadin, V. (2006) Introduction to Town and Country Planning. London, Routledge. Department for Communities and Local Government (2012) National Planning Policy Framework.