Hierarchy and Role of Centres
Measuring Character and Diversity
3.61 Measuring the character and diversity of town centres is valuable in monitoring the health of centres. Key indicators for monitoring include diversity of uses and vacancy rates. These are reflected below.
3.62 Unless otherwise stated the information given has been taken from our Town and Local Centre Database. Town and local centre surveys are undertaken annually to ensure this information is kept up to date. However, caution most be taken when making comparisons due to alterations to centre boundaries from 2001 – 2005.
3.63 Uses are monitored in the Principal Shopping Area to monitor the effectiveness of the Principal Shopping Area policy. ‘A’ uses are identified, A1 (retail), A2 (financial and professional services), A3 (restaurants and cafés), A4 (pubs and bars) and A5 (Hot food takeaways).
3.64 Vacancy rates are a key indicator of how a town centre is performing and whether or not it is successful. Vacancies are looked at for both the Principal Shopping Areas and town centres as a whole.
Wigan
Uses in Wigan Principal Shopping Area
| A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 | A5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 225 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 6 |
| 2009 | 175 | 34 | 20 | 7 | 5 |
| Change | -50 | +2 | +3 | -2 | -1 |
Vacancy Rate in Wigan
| 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 87 | 72 | 67 | 67 | 88 | 93 | 104 |
| Percentage | 18.2 | 12.9 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 16.7 | 18.0 | 19.7 |
Vacancy Rate in Wigan Principal Shopping Area
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 48 | 48 | 62 | 70 | 83 |
| Percentage | 13.6 | 13.6 | 18.6 | 20.8 | 23.4 |
3.65 Wigan's Principal Shopping Area has seen a decrease in A1 uses, because the town's retail focus has shifted since the completion of the Grand Arcade, which is located outside of the Principal Shopping Area. The opening of the Grand Arcade, coupled with the recession has seen a large increase in vacancy levels in the last two years. This is partly an anomaly which is likely to be rectified when the Grand Arcade is included within the Principal Shopping Area in a future development plan document.
Leigh
Uses in Leigh Principal Shopping Area
| A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 | A5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 116 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| 2009 | 115 | 23 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| Change | -1 | +6 | +2 | - | +2 |
Vacancy Rate in Leigh
| 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 47 | 41 | 27 | 18 | 27 | 22 | 22 |
| Percentage | 13.7 | 10.7 | 8.1 | 5.3 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 7.1 |
Vacancy Rate in Leigh Principal Shopping Area
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 11 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 7 |
| Percentage | 6.8 | 4.6 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 4.3 |
3.66 Leigh performs relatively well, with vacancy rates below the national average. There has been a slight decrease in the number of A1 uses in the PSA, with vacancies arising from the demise of national retaliers such as Woolworths.