9.6 The retail landscape and the Town Enhancement Scheme
Phase 1 of the TOWN ENHANCEMENT SCHEME seeks to enhance the built environment in the centre of the town, to encourage the development of trade, to make access to the town from the Tesco superstore easier and safer for disabled people, and to highlight the heritage of the town. Both Bampton and Gold streets and Lowman Green will be redesigned to provide loading bays, better located disabled parking, wider pavements and better pedestrian crossing points.
9 . 6 . 1 Gold Street has remained relatively unchanged during the twentieth century, while Bampton street and Fore Street have suffered some unsympathetic postwar development. All three streets come within the Town Enhancement Scheme.
9.6.2 Gold Street and Bampton Street are one way, have narrow pavements and suffer endemic abuse of
limited free parking. Fore Street is pedestrianised.
9.6.3 Gold Street offers the greatest potential for enhancement in terms of its heritage potential and in relation to the run down appearance of some shop fronts. The Enhancement Scheme has offered a pilot scheme for businesses to repair and upgrade shopfronts.
9.6.4 Bampton Street requires substantial highway works, and Gold Street has drainage problems. These
are being examined by DCC Highways and South West Water prior to starting the highway works.
9 . 6 . 5 Postwar retail development off Bampton Street included a somewhat drab sixties shopping mall by the market, Market Walk. This has been enhanced within the last three years with covered walkways and street furniture, and provides an entrance to the Pannier Market from Bampton Street.
9.6.6 Important local buildings were lost to ’sixties commercial buildings of little architectural merit. These included the Gatehouse to Starkey, Knight and Ford’s brewery and the Palmerston Hotel which faced each other on the corner of Fore Street, Bampton Street and Gold Street.
9.7 Primary, secondary and suburban retail areas
9.7.1 The heart of the retail area of the town lies in Fore Street and Bampton Street. Gold Street and Lowman Green on the east were secondary trading areas until the new Tesco superstore opened in Blundells Road in 2005. With substantial free parking for three hours available at the superstore, Gold Street and Lowman Green have the potential to become primary trading areas.
9.7.2 A footfall survey on Lowman Bridge over one working day in September 2006 by the MDDC Forward Planning Team has shown a significant rise in footfall across the bridge compared with the same period of time in September 2004.
9.7.3 At the northern end of Bampton Street and adjacent to William Street, there is a second ’sixties pedestrian shopping precinct. Newport Street to the north of the market area has limited shops, restaurants and pubs, and St. Peter’s Street has a clock retailer. Offices are located in a number of upper floor locations in the town centre and in some of the buildings along St. Peter Street.
9.7.4 Angel Hill to the west is a secondary trading area leading over Bridge Street to West Exe which has a substantial shopping centre. This extends into West Exe South and North, Leat Street and Wellbrook Street. These areas are strong candidates for enhancement in a second phase of town enhancement.
9.7.5 In November 2006, the Somerfield store at Phoenix Lane (formerly the Starkey, Knight and Ford brewery site and later a town car park) was closed, and in spring 2007, a Marks and Spencer’s Simply Food store will open in the building.
9 . 7 . 6 Suburban shopping malls are located off Canal Hill on the east side of the town, Cowleymoor Road, Lea Road. Each of these shopping malls has a minimarket or Tesco Express. Chapel Street, West Exe South, and Blundells Road have minimarkets, the last two attached to petrol filling stations.
9.8 Analysis of commercial premises in Tiverton
9.8.1 In February 2006, there were 258 outlets in the town centre and West Exe of which retail outlets accounted for 110, services accounted for 50, catering for 35, hairdressing and beauty 17, bookmakers and entertainment 7, charity shops 7 and advice centres 3. There were 5 empty premises (2% of the total).
9.8.2 Of the 110 retail outlets, 80 were comparison goods shops and 30 convenience goods shops. Of the comparison shops, there is one department store, 40 specialist retail shops, 18 clothing retail shops, 11 gift
retail shops, 7 household retail outlets, and 3 chemists. Of the convenience stores, 19 were food outlets including 2 supermarkets and 11 were newsagents and stationers.
9.8.3 Of the 50 service outlets, 11 were financial, 10 were property services, 8 were health services, 7 were
travel services, 5 were building and interiors services, and there were 3 laundry service outlets, 3 legal service
premises, 2 employment service outlets and 1 security service outlet.
9.8.4 Rent for prime retail units is around £20 per square foot. This has risen by about 5% in the last year.
9.8.5 The Pannier Market holds a general market three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. There is a Flea market once a week, and a Farmers’ market once a month. Evening markets are planned. For the trading position in September 2006, see 6.3.
9.8.6 As well as the new Tesco superstore, which opened in October 2005, a substantial number of small retail units have been built in the town centre within the last three years. 22 new market stall units, which can be amalgamated to provide larger stalls, opened in April 2006. One unit has been provided by infilling in Market Walk.
9.8.7 Outside the town centre, the Morrison superstore underwent a major refurbishment in May 2005 when it was changed from a Safeway store.
9 . 8 . 8 Three new retail units including a Tesco Express provided have been built as part of the housing development on Higher Moor.
9.8.9 Public toilets are available in three locations in the town centre, near the bus station, in the market entrance from Bampton Street and at Lowman Green. Moves to reduce these have been strongly resisted by the public in the past.
The Exe Valley Plan -
