Decision details

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the report on the South Kesteven Shop Front Design Guidance following the initial 18-month review period agreed during its adoption by Cabinet on 5 November 2024.

2.    Delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Planning & Growth in conjunction with Cabinet Member for Planning to approve ‘quick reference guides’ produced based on the document for use; and approve minor changes to the document including images and formatting which do not impact the substantive guidance given within the document.

Reasons for the decision

Clear and accessible shopfront design guidance was important to maintaining the quality of the historic environment within the district’s town centres, and thereby their attractiveness to visitors, residents and businesses.

The resolutions made within this report ensured that guidance remains accessible, accurate and relevant, and would support the maintenance of a high-quality environment within South Kesteven’s town centres.

Other options considered

The ‘do nothing’ option, to not implement any suggestions raised through the review of the document was considered. However, although this guidance document represented a very recent update in comparison to previous documents, it was important that the guidance be up to date and accessible to ensure that businesses were able to comply with all relevant requirements and legislation. As such the ‘do nothing’ option was discounted in favour of producing ‘quick reference’ guides on key topics within the guidance and reviewing Shopfront Design guidance on a pentannual basis.