Agenda item

Note:  Councillor Charmaine Morgan returned to the Council Chamber.

Purpose of the report

To seek approval from Cabinet for the updated South Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide 2024 to be used as a technical document alongside the existing supplementary planning policies relating to shopfront design as a material consideration in planning decisions.

To endorse the publication and signposting for members of the public to this document for queries relating to shopfront design, and to support the delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Shopfront Maintenance Grant.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Approves the adoption of the draft South Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide 2024 as a technical document with material consideration for planning decisions.

2.    Endorses the use of the South Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide 2024 as a guidance document to support the delivery of the UKSPF funded Shopfront Maintenance Grant.

3.    Reviews the South Kesteven Shopfront Design Guide 2024 in 18 months’ time.

4.    Delegates the final wording of the special considerations within the Guide related to illuminated signage for Bourne, Grantham, Market Deeping and Stamford, as well as the correction of any typographical or spelling errors to the Assistant Director (Planning and Growth), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The ‘do nothing’ option had been considered because existing guidance, although outdated, provided the necessary basis for planning decisions. However, the most recent guidance was published 19 years ago, and the oldest over 30 years ago; therefore, the documents did not reflect current best practice or legislation in all cases. In addition, much of the guidance was not publicly available in an easily accessible format.

This option was discounted in favour of the production of an updated guide which met the requirements of current and future users, and which expanded the guidance to include Market Deeping.

Reasons for the decision

This was the first update and revision of the shopfront guide in almost 20 years. The Corporate Plan highlighted the importance of maintaining the historic and built environment of the District. The town centres of Bourne, Grantham, Market Deeping and Stamford all had designated Conservation Areas; clear and accessible shopfront design was important to maintaining the quality of the historic environment within the District’s town centres. This would increase their attractiveness to visitors, residents and businesses.

The Council’s current design guidance, while technically accurate, required update to account for changes in legislation, technology, and also to expand the scope to cover all four market towns.

Many retail properties in the District were listed buildings with a higher level of legal protection. Unauthorised works to these buildings was an offence which could result in prosecution. Many shop owners seemed unaware of the relevant guidelines and legislation.

The Council currently had design guides for Bourne, Grantham and Stamford which were accepted as supplementary planning documents. Market Deeping did not currently have a design guide.

The updated design guide included special considerations for each town. The guide recognised officers’ experiences of regeneration programmes and provided information based on questions posed by shop owners.

Condensing the guide into a single document would be clearer and more straightforward and would inform decision-makers. If any shop owner was in any doubt at all about the correct approach to renovating a building, they should contact the Council for guidance.

A letter had been received from Stamford Civic Society welcoming the Council’s approach to shopfront design. The document was designed in a more accessible format. In included enhanced information on key elements of shopfront design including: materials, colour, signage, advertising, the use of window vinyls and accessibility. The updated guide would also support officers within the planning team in decision-making relating to shopfront design applications and would facilitate discussions where disagreements arose.

Conservation Officers and the Economic Development team working under Claire Saunders were thanked for their hard work on the design guides.

The following points were highlighted during debate:

5.    Market Deeping had not previously had for Conservation Area guide in place. There were various shops within this area that were inappropriately decorated.

6.    The issue of ‘advertisement consent’ was slightly different to the issue of shopfronts that may require planning permission. Internally illuminated advertisements did not require consent from the Council. These could not be prevented unless a Discontinuance Notice was served after the event. However, in these circumstances the Council would need to prove nuisance or harm to amenities.

7. Consultation with Town Councils would be appropriate on these matters because they often tackled issues related to potential nuisance or harm.
8. Planning officers were working with a legal team to investigate what actions could be taken in relation to makeshift signs and vinyls. While some vinyls might be deemed appropriate, others would not, for example a whole window covered in vinyl.
9. Different types of enforcement could apply in situations where a shopfront design was disputed, such as building enforcement for listed buildings, or planning enforcement with regards to planning applications. The Council would communicate on these issues, particularly with Town Councils.
10. Residents or shopkeepers were encouraged to seek clarification and ask questions via the Council’s pre-application process.
11. A large piece of work on shopfronts in Grantham was carried out through the Future High Streets Fund programme.
12. When discussing a ‘shop’, the definition would be a retail unit. In planning terms, it would be those buildings that fell under the same planning usage class.