The return of impact assessment: Assessing the impact of Regional Shopping Centre proposals in the United Kingdom

The impact of Regional Shopping Centres upon the retail hierarchy is a major consideration for all those with vested interests in the future of the town centre. However, at a time when the planning and policy system is weak, impact techniques are also ill-equipped to forecast how these new forms of retail development will interact with and impact upon the high street. A review of over fifty impact studies forwarded at the present round of inquiries has highlighted the weaknesses in the methodologies and revealed the need for greater theoretical rigour.