30 September 2010 Chapter 11 Urban Environments Tier Zone Preference Tier 1 Primary Shopping Area Tier 2 Central Business Zone Tier 3 Neighbourhood Business Zone Tier 4 Other Zones The first tier, the Primary Shopping Area, is already well established in terms of retail and commercial activity. The Primary Shopping Area is an attractive, pedestrian orientated environment. It is generally characterised by local independent retailers and national multiples providing a range of speciality shops and services, and comparison retailing, from units generally less than 500m in size. 2 It is likely to attract people combining a shopping trip with leisure and entertainment. It is important that speciality shops and services and comparison retailing continue to locate in the Primary Shopping Area, but are balanced with other leisure and entertainment activities, to encourage linked trip visits and to ensure that the town centre remains vibrant throughout the day. Car parking areas for the Primary Shopping Area are provided for by the Council. The wider Central Business Zone is the second tier in the retail hierarchy. It currently accommodates commercial activities generally requiring larger retail spaces, ranging from 500m to 1,500m.The area is typically characterised by lower-height buildings 22 and car parking is on site. The Central Business Zone is more car-orientated, with main roads allowing traffic to flow through and around the town centre while avoiding the Primary Shopping Area as far as possible. The wider Central Business Zone area should continue to meet the requirements of larger retail operators (500m to 2 1,500m) and be easily accessible by all modes of transport. 2 Infill and redevelopment of the Central Business Zone should allow suitable sites to be aggregated to meet the variable needs of new operators. The third tier, the Neighbourhood Business Zone provides a localised shopping and service function typically meeting the day to day needs of the surrounding residential areas. The local scale of Neighbourhood Business Zone centres should be retained where possible and consideration given to any sensitive adjacent activities, for example, residential zones. Any increase in the scale of the Neighbourhood Business Zones must not compromise the vitality and viability of the Blenheim town centre. Other Zones in the Plan have been included as the fourth tier. Commercial activity is provided for within other zones of the Plan, notably where the effects of those activities on the Central Business Zone are not significant and where consideration is given to the scale and type of retailing depending on the zone. Other Zones have been included to provide for operators who seek to locate in other zones because of the lack of availability of suitable alternative sites in a higher tier or where a proposed activity is not compatible in these zones. The location of commercial activities in the Rural 3 Zone will be assessed with regard to a range of matters which assist in considering the impact on the vitality and viability of the Primary Shopping Area and the Central Business Zone. 11 - 19