'˜Town centre first for retail' - NIIRTA

Speaking after leading a delegation in a meeting with DOE Minister Mark Durkan, chief executive Glyn Roberts said there were clear reaosn for their demand.

“Out of town retail development has been a key contributing factor in the decline of our town centres, drawing away trade, resulting in thousands of independent retailers closing and a significant loss of net employment,” he said.

“Northern Ireland has the highest level of town centre dereliction and shop vacancies which is largely a result of almost unrestricted out of town retail development over the past decade.

“If our town and city centres are to have any chance of recovery, the very last thing they need is any more out of town retail applications being granted which draw away footfall and trade.”

The meeting comes as hurdles to the revival of a possible John Lewis application have fallen following the overturning in court of the Minister’s adoption of the draft BMAP.

That would have limited development at Sprucefield to bulky goods only, but Mr Roberts said there were other challenges including out of town applications in Londonderry.

“Our strong preference has always been for John Lewis to locate a store in an town or city centre, rather than at Sprucefield. The new DOE Strategic Planning Policy Statement has very clear guidelines on Town Centre First and it is on that basis any new application at Sprucefield should be assessed”