CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION

The Council aims to support and strengthen the retail function of the City Centre as a whole and recognises that the concentration of shops within the Principal Retail Area benefits shoppers and retailers. Continuous retail frontages provide shoppers with convenience of access and increase and concentrate footfall. This increases competition and retail trade. The predominance of retail shops in the Principal Retail Area has assisted the City Centre to become a major retail centre, second in the UK to London, and supports the guidance on town centres contained in National Planning Policy Guideline 8: Town Centres and Retailing (NPPG 8) that emphasises town centres should provide a wide range of shops that are easily accessible for shoppers.

Continuous retail shop frontages have generated a clustering economy in the City Centre. This has enabled it to compete with out-of-town and other large retail centres. The Council’s approach to supporting a continuous retail frontage has been sustained since 1983 and is continued in the Plan.

Within the Principal Retail Area is a hierarchy of retail streets where the Council will continue to support the provision of retail shops and related services (see policy DEV 7: Principal Retail Area). For the purposes of the Plan, these are termed as ‘Primary Retail Streets’.

Within Primary Retail Streets (Tier 1) (defined as Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and Gordon Street), retail (Class 1) shops are clustered together and include the main department and multiple stores. The area has an extensive window frontage display space and includes the highest concentration of pedestrian flows and activity. This area incorporates Princes Square and Buchanan Galleries. Changes of use from retail will be resisted in this area.

Within Primary Retail Streets (Tier 2) (defined as Queen Street and Union Street), retail (Class 1) shops continue to dominate but also include other services. While the Council will continue to support the retention and introduction of new retail outlets, other uses may be appropriate, subject to the retention of retail units.

To complement the vibrancy of the Principal Retail Area, food and drink uses provide a useful service for shoppers and visitors and the Council will support the introduction of these uses in appropriate areas (see policy CC/SC 3: Food and Drink Uses in the City Centre). These facilities would complement the public realm improvements and provide locations for street cafés.

Outwith the Primary Retail Streets (Tier 1 and 2 areas) within the Principal Retail Area, and elsewhere within the City Centre, change of use of shop units to non retail uses will be considered on their merits.

It should be noted that, for purposes of this policy, non retail uses covers all uses other than Class 1, including Classes 2, 3 and related sui generis uses. Hybrid or composite uses incorporating significant elements of Class 1 and another use or uses will be regarded as sui generis and, therefore, as non retail uses under this policy.

1. PRIMARY RETAIL STREETS (TIER 1)

(a) With the exception of specified areas within Buchanan Street and Sauchiehall Street (see policy CC/SC 3), there will be a presumption against the change of use of ground floor shop units from retail (Class 1) to non retail use within the Tier 1 Primary Retail Streets (see Primary Retail Streets Map). Continuous retail frontages within this area will be maintained. The defined area includes the following street blocks and street numbers:

Sauchiehall Street:

South Side Nos. 1 - 267 : Douglas Street to Buchanan Street

North Side Nos. 2 - 290 : Dalhousie Street to Buchanan Street

 

Buchanan Street (all addresses):

East Side Nos. 1 - 249

West Side Nos. 2 - 302

Gordon Street:

South Side Nos. 1 - 55: Union Street to Buchanan Street

North Side Nos. 2 - 58: Renfield Street to Buchanan Street

Argyle Street:

South Side Nos. 1 - 205: Jamaica Street to Stockwell Street

North Side Nos. 2 - 176: Union Street to Glassford Street

(b) Qualifications to policy 1(a)

The following qualifications will apply:

(c) Exceptions within the Primary Retail Streets

To enhance the shopping experience, and to prolong the life and vitality of these streets beyond normal shopping hours, specified sections of the Tier 1 Primary Retail Streets at ground floor level have been identified as exceptions to the provisions of 1(a) where special categories of Class 3 Use will be permitted.

The exceptions are within the section of Buchanan Street (between Nelson Mandela Place and St Vincent Place/St Vincent Street) and a section of Sauchiehall Street (defined in relation to the public realm) (see policy CC/SC 3, sections 2 and 3).

2. PRIMARY RETAIL STREETS (TIER 2)

Within Queen Street and Union Street, if the proportion of ground floor shop units operating within a use class other than Class 1 exceeds 30%, further changes of use from Class 1 within that street will be resisted. The threshold will be calculated inclusive of vacant units in accordance with their last known authorised use (with Planning Permission or Certificate of Lawful Use).

Queen Street:

West Side Nos. 1 - 161

East Side Nos. 2 - 148

Union Street:

West Side: all addresses

East Side: all addresses

3. ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE PRINCIPAL RETAIL AREA

Outwith the Primary Retail Streets (tier 1 and tier 2 areas) within the Principal Retail Area, and elsewhere within the City Centre, changes of use from retail (Class 1) will be considered on their individual merits, having regard to the maintenance of a range of shopping facilities within any given area, including retail shops.

Primary Retail Streets