Retail (A class) development (2011/2012 – 2018/2019)

Monitoring changes in A2 Use Class

Use Class A2 - financial and professional services (where the services are provided principally to visiting members of the public).

Completions

In the period 2011-2018 there has been a net loss of around 2,490sqm of A2 floorspace through completions.

There has been a consistent loss of A2 floorspace since the financial year 2015/16. In particular, the financial year 2018/19 had a loss of -2,333 following the completion of the application 64-84 London Bridge Station (11/AP/1987) contributing a net loss of -3,088 sqm. In the financial years 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2014/15 there have been net gains of A2 floorspace, the largest increase in A2 floorspace was 575 sqm net in the financial year 201/12.

The majority of net gain in A2 floorspace has been delivered through development proposing less than 1,000 sqm of net floorspace. Completions data show that across the period, 602 sqm net of A2 floorspace was delivered through applications proposing under 1000 sqm of A2 floorspace, whilst there has been a net loss of -3,088 sqm delivered through applications proposing over 1000 sqm net of A2 floorspace. Nevertheless, the financial year 2018/19 sits as an outlier when looking across the whole period. Between the financial years 2011/12 and 2017/18 there have been no net or gross changes in A2 floorspace through applications delivering over 1,000 sqm net and gross of A2 floorspace.

Table 5 - Net and gross completions of schemes involving A2 floorspace

Approvals

In the period 2011-2018 there has been a net gain of 4,745 sqm of A2 floorspace through approvals. Around 12% of applications involving A2 floorspace have expired over the last 10 years.

A significant proportion of the A2 floorspace in the pipeline has been contributed by major schemes approved in the financial years 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2018/19. In the 2012/13 financial year the following application was approved Elephant Park (12/AP/1092) delivering 3,350 sqm net. In the 2013/14 financial year the following application was approved, Canada Water Sites C and E (12/AP/4126) delivering 1,088 sqm net. In the financial year 2018/19 the following application was approved Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre (16/AP/4458) delivering 1,337 sqm net.

Dissimilar to completions, approvals over the period 2011-18 have resulted in a net gain of A2 floorspace. Across the period, 2,687 sqm net of A2 floorspace was approved through applications proposing over 1000 sqm of A2 floorspace, whilst 2,058 sqm net was approved though applications proposing less than 1000 sqm of A2 floorspace.

Throughout the period monitored, there have been net increases in A2 floorspace in all financial years apart from 2011/12 and 2016/17. The financial year 2011/12 approved a loss of -2,333 with the application 64-84 London Bridge Station (11/AP/1987) contributing a net loss of -3,088. The financial year 2016/17 represented a comparatively small loss of -174 sqm net, through the approval of a number of applications which small net losses of A2 floorspace.

Table 6 - Net and gross approvals of schemes involving A2 floorspace

Page last updated: 05 April 2023