Burnley Council wants to help traders brighten up shop fronts

The guidance is an important part of the council’s ongoing efforts to ensure that Burnley and Padiham continue to have vibrant and attractive town centres that serve residents and brings in visitors from further afield.

The draft document, known as the Shopfront and Advertisement Design Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), aims to set out clear guidance on how to achieve high standards of design in relation to shopfront and advertisements, primarily in Burnley and Padiham centres but also across the borough.

Erika Eden-Porter, a principal planner (heritage and design) at Burnley Council, said: “This is about working with owners and traders to improve the look and design of their shops. The draft SPD doesn’t seek to restrain individual design freedom but rather to ensure a high standard of design.

“The council is keen to encourage the provision of innovative, high quality modern shopfront-designs relevant to the character and tradition of the area and this is a guide for designers and applicants as to how best to achieve this.

“Where innovation is not appropriate, guidance on designing traditionally styled shopfronts is also included. The overall aim should always be to improve the overall quality and attractiveness of the shopfront.”

The document is one of a number of SPDs that are proposed to accompany Burnley’s recently adopted Local Plan. It provides detailed advice and guidance to business owners and other applicants when they are submitting planning and other related applications.

Once agreed and adopted, it will be used by the council to consider relevant applications for planning permission, listed building consent and advertisement consent across the borough.

The draft SPD is Illustrated with good and bad examples of shopfront design. It covers a range of considerations, including how a shopfront fits with the building and the street as a whole, and specific design guidance including doorway and window design, materials and colours, access, advertisements, lighting, blinds and awnings, and security measures.

Coun. Asif Raja, the council’s executive member for economy and growth, said: “The council recognise that shopping is no longer simply the buying and selling of goods, but has become an important leisure activity as well.

“The quality of shopfront design is a vital component of improving the look and feel of the borough’s shopping areas to residents and visitors alike. Well-designed and interesting shopfronts and displays will make a street a more attractive place to shop which will, in turn, attract more customers and encourage them to shop for longer, contributing to increased footfall and therefore revenues.

“It’s all part of wider work to boost the local economy.

“We hope that the SPD will inspire thoughtful and successful approaches to shopfront design to attract customers and investment into our shops, parades and town centres.”

Comments on the draft SPD and its supporting material should be made to the council by 5pm on Friday 15th March.

All the relevant documents can be found at https://www.burnley.gov.uk/residents/planning/planning-policies/supplementary-planning-documents