Town centres, retail and leisure

The planning system places an emphasis on undertaking research to inform planning policies. We have prepared and commissioned a number of studies which provide advice and information on town centres, retail and leisure.

Retail and Leisure Study 2021 and 2023

We have commissioned Lichfields to undertake a Retail and Leisure Needs Study to inform the new Local Plan.

The Phase 1 report, published in 2021 is available below. This report provides an overview of trends and recent changes that will affect the demand for main town centre uses, updates the retail and food/beverage floorspace capacity assessment and assesses other main town centre uses including the scope for leisure, entertainment and cultural uses.

View Retail and Leisure Needs Study - Phase 1 (2021) (pdf, 980 KB)

The Phase 2 report includes a more detailed qualitative and an updated quantitative assessment of the need for new retail, leisure, and other main town centre uses within the borough.

View Richmond Retail and Leisure Study – Phase 2 (2023) (pdf, 2.0 MB)

Assessment of Borough Centres 2023

We have undertaken research, looking at the composition and role of centres in the borough so that the centre hierarchy can be reviewed, to update centre boundaries and where necessary draw new ones so that every centre and parade has a boundary and to inform the definition of new primary shopping areas for the five town centres in the borough.

The full report is split into four volumes with a separate summary document:  

• View Volume 1: Assessment of Town Centres
• View Volume 2: Assessment of Local Centres
• View Volume 3: Assessment of Neighbourhood Centres
• View Volume 4: Assessment of Local Parades

View Assessment of Borough Centres 2023: Summary

Previous studies

View the earlier Town Centre Health Checks (2013), the Retail Study (2014), Distribution of Convenience Provision: Identifying Gaps in Provision and Analysis of Town and Local Centres 2006/7 (incorporating health checks for main town centres).

• Town Centre Retail Research

Other studies

View the following studies relating to hotels and the introduction of permitted development right for change of use from shop to financial services:

• Hotel Study(pdf, 669KB)
• Impact of the introduction of the permitted development right for change of use from A1 (shop) to A2 (financial services) in Richmond upon Thames (pdf, 6.3 MB)