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Retail Development and the historic environment

Corve Street entrance: the night time illumination enhances the crisp, stylish form of the building. Corve Street entrance: the night time illumination enhances the crisp, stylish form of the building.
In the early 1990s the yards and passageways between Brook Street and Bond Street in Mayfair were earmarked for redevelopment. Planning permission for demolition was granted, but the developers opted for a successful mix of refurbishment and infill. Lancashire Court/Avery Row, London W1.  In the early 1990s the yards and passageways between Brook Street and Bond Street in Mayfair were earmarked for redevelopment. Planning permission for demolition was granted, but the developers finally opted for a combination of refurbishment and judicious infill. The area is now a successful mix of high quality shops, restaurants and a museum, all supporting a lively street scene.

Retail Development in Historic Areas, published in 2005, pools the experience of English Heritage and the retail development industry, drawing on recent advice from DCLG, CABE, the Historic Towns Forum and others. Its purpose is to set out guidelines for achieving high quality new retail development in historic areas. It is hoped that this document will be helpful to planning authorities and developers in preparing and considering new retail schemes in historic areas.

The report includes a series of case studies which illustrate how the expectations of the developer, the trader and the customer can be accommodated while preserving historic places and enhancing their surroundings. The case studies show how retail development can be successfully integrated within an historic context and add to economic prosperity. In addition, the report provides guidelines to assist local authorities and the development sector to achieve creative, robust solutions for new retail development in historic areas.

The structure of this report includes:

  • an overview of the challenge facing retail development in historic areas
  • an outline of the importance of retailing in historic areas
  • trends in retailing
  • a series of case studies
  • guidance for achieving high quality new retail development within an historic context

The policy context for this report is provided by Planning Policy Statement PPS6: Planning for Town Centres (DCLG, 2005), which sets out the government’s objective to promote the vitality and viability of town centres by planning for the growth and development of existing centres and encouraging a wide range of services in an attractive environment, accessible to all.

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What's New?

  • Industrial Heritage at Risk project launched
    Britain was the world’s first industrial nation and has a wealth of industrial heritage but many industrial sites have been lost or are at risk due to functional redundancy. English Heritage's survey has shown that the percentage of listed industrial buildings at risk is three times greater than the national average for listed buildings at risk.
  • Historic Environment: Local Authority Capacity (HELAC)
    The value of a well managed, protected and appreciated historic environment to both our quality of life and to the economy is well established. Heritage tourism contributes £20.6 billion to GDP a year whilst research shows that 93% of people think that in improving their local place it is important to save heritage assets.