Experience
District and Neighbourhood Centres, Corton, Ayr
The Corton site forms a key component of the proposed South East Ayr expansion area which, on completion, will provide up to 2,750 new dwellings to support the long term growth of the town.
Swan Holding Group Ltd.
Retail
Ayr
Complete
Our Involvement
When originally proposed, planning permission was granted for a major new food retailer superstore but, reflecting changes to the retail industry and delay in the commencement of the development, this proposal failed to materialise. Swan Holding Group subsequently amended the development proposals to include, in place of the superstore, a new district centre (in the form a retail park) and new local centre to serve the expansion area.
Gravis Planning was appointed by Swan Holding to prepare the Retail Impact, Deficiency / Capacity and Town Centres First / Sequential Assessment for the planning applications. In March 2024 South Ayrshire Council resolved to be minded to grant planning permission for the proposed developments subject to signing of S75 legal agreement.
Issues Encountered
The total retail floorspace proposed for the two centres was 9733 sqm (GFA) including convenience, general comparison and bulky goods retail floorspace, together with a range of retail and related services. The assessments included:
- Extensive household survey of residents in South, East and North Ayrshire.
- Retail Impact Assessment.
- Town centre health checks.
- Retail Capacity, Quantitative and Qualitative Deficiency Assessments.
- Town Centres First / Sequential Assessments.
- Response to critiques from the Council’s consultants.
