Overview

The new PPS 4, which replaces PPS 6 (town centres) and PPG 4 (industrial and commercial development), was issued by the Government on 29 December 2009. It sets out the Government’s national planning policies for England on economic development including retail, leisure and entertainment and is applicable to licensed establishments, offices, factories, warehouses and other Class B uses, art and culture and tourism development.

Although PPS4 does not represent a radical change to the planning policy framework for town centre uses, it is more structured and refocuses the statement on policy which remains directed towards town centre use and consumer choice.
Guidance on town centre uses can also be found in the document entitled “Planning for Town Centres” which was also issued by the Government on 29 December and will be especially useful to developers. The guidance provides detail on how need, impact and sequential approaches are to be considered. The previous PPS6 approach to sequential tests and retail impact are retained and unchanged in that the most central sites will be considered preferentially to more peripheral ones.

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