Trade fears over retail park expansion

Towns like Ruthin suffer from shopping developments

Plans to extend an out of town shopping centre in Flintshire have been strongly objected to by a neighbouring council.

Bosses at Broughton Retail Park have applied to Flintshire council to nearly double the size of the shopping centre.

Next is located on the retail park

However, Denbighshire local authority - who had been asked to comment on the scheme - have said such a large increase in retail space would lure shoppers away from their county.

It has been estimated local people already spend 59% of their disposable income outside the region.

North Wales chamber of commerce chief executive Stephen Welch said the extra shops would not prove detrimental for local retailers.

"It will attract people to go and have a look but after a period of time people do fall into their regular routine," he said.

"On the whole people would probably revert back to their local retail environment."

The majority of trips to the site are by car and the nature of the location means that is unlikely to change

Aneirun Phillips planning officer

Development Securities plc and Pillar Ltd plan to extend the retail space by 42%, create extra offices and double the number of car parking spaces at Broughton.

There are also plans for a major new access off the A55 dual carriageway.

Denbighshire council planning officers said the county needed to take action to persuade people to spend more money in the county.

A new retail study carried out by the council concluded the proposed extension at Broughton should be firmly resisted.

Accessible site

Planning officer Aneirun Phillips said the retail park's location off the A55 means it is not accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.

"The majority of trips to the site are by car and the nature of the location means that is unlikely to change," he said.

"This is contrary to national planning guidance that sites must be accessible by a choice of means of transport including access for pedestrians."

Flintshire council will be informed of their neighbouring county's opinion.