NPPF TC4: Assessing the impact of development on town centres

TC4: Assessing the impact of development on town centres 1. Development proposals for retail and leisure uses located outside town centres should be accompanied by an impact assessment if the proposal exceeds a floorspace threshold set out in an up-to-date development plan, and is not on a site which is allocated for the 45 proposed use in the plan. If no threshold for impact assessments has been set in the development plan, a default threshold of 2,500m2 gross floorspace should be applied. 2. In circumstances where an impact assessment is required, it should be demonstrated that the development would be unlikely to have a significant adverse impact on: a. Existing, committed and planned public and private investment in a town centre or centres in the catchment area of the proposal; and b. Town centre vitality and viability, including local consumer choice and trade in the town centre and the wider retail catchment (as applicable to the scale and nature of the scheme). 46 9. Supporting high quality communications The objective of the policies in this chapter is to support the expansion and upgrading of telecommunications infrastructure, in ways which limit an unnecessary proliferation of equipment and respect important environmental safeguards. Advanced, high quality and reliable communications are essential to meet changing technological, social, business and security requirements (including through delivering coverage of higher quality standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030, and nationwide gigabit-capable broadband by 2032). National decision-making policies