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Marketing and Viability Evidence

Marketing and viability evidence

Marketing

  1. A number of policies in this plan require marketing evidence to be submitted in support of a planning application. The following details will be used to assess the acceptability, or otherwise, of the information submitted and the marketing undertaken.
  2. Marketing evidence requires demonstration of an active marketing campaign for a continuous period of at least 12 months prior to submission of a planning application, unless otherwise agreed by the Borough Council, whilst the premises were vacant, which has been shown to be unsuccessful. Any marketing of property or tenancy also require the site freehold to be marketed in the same fashion.
  3. Marketing must be undertaken through a recognised commercial agent at a price that genuinely reflects the market value of the current or last use of the site. It must be shown to the Council's satisfaction that marketing has been unsuccessful for all relevant floor space proposed to be lost through redevelopment or change of use.
  4. Active marketing is to include all of the following:
    1. contact information posted in a prominent location on site in the form of an advertising board (subject to advertising consent, if required).
    2. registration of the property with at least one commercial property agent.
    3. full property details and particulars available to enquirers on request.
    4. property marketed for its current or last use and any others as required by a policy applying to the site.
    5. property marketed at a reasonable price and terms, including in relation to use, condition, quality and location of floorspace.
    6. no covenant or any other form of tie restricting the future use or operation of the property or land.
  5. Sufficient detailed information is required to be submitted alongside any planning application to demonstrate compliance with the above criteria.
  6. In addition, information is to be submitted regarding:
    1. the number and details of enquiries received;
    2. the number, type, proposed uses and value of offers received;
    3. reasons for refusal of any offer received, and reasons why any offers fell through;
    4. the asking price or rent at which the site or property has been offered, including a professional valuation from at least three independent agents to confirm that this is reasonable;
    5. the length of marketing period (at least 12 months continuous marketing), including dates; and
    6. the length of the vacancy period.

Viability

  1. Where applications for a change of use or redevelopment of a commercially-operated community facility are received, the Council will require evidence that:
    1. the community facility is not financially viable; and
    2. an objective evaluation method has been employed to assess the viability of the business
  2. In order to determine whether a community facility is not viable, the Council will require submission of full trading accounts for the last three full years in which the facility was operating as a full-time business. In addition, the outcomes of an objective evaluation method are to be shared with the Council and must successfully demonstrate that the community facility is no longer economically viable.
  3. Demonstration of unviability will not of itself be sufficient to justify the loss of a community facility if other policy considerations also apply.

Public houses

  1. Special considerations that also apply in the case of public houses are:
    1. the public house must be marketed on a free of tie basis
    2. the premises must remain licensed for the sale of alcohol.

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