Amber Valley Borough Council has released a comprehensive study of shopping trends in the borough, carried out by Roger Tym and Partners. It looks in detail at existing shopping habits, and makes recommendations for the future.
In the case of Belper, it re-enforces much of what the Civic Forum has been saying, based on our own survey work and communication with our members. It calls for a decision to be taken on a 'masterplan' for space usage in the town and notes a high level of satisfaction (44%) with the town centre. While noting that investment in the town is seen as 'risky' at present, Belper is the most self-contained of the four Amber Valley towns for food shopping, specifically saying that there is no need for a new additional large supermarket. The report does argue for new shopping floorspace across the borough, and in the case of Belper identifies a need for mid-range national chains, particularly clothing/ footwear and a small sized discount supermarket. It also says that the Council should be seeking a direct replacement for the now closed Focus DIY store. The report is a gold-mine for anyone looking for evidence to back the case for a sympathetic, carefully planned investment-led development of Belper.
The full report can be found at -
http://opengov.ambervalley.gov.uk/docarc/docviewer.aspx?docGuid=11c71a6389164b8f9bc667779bc37dd4