This study considered trends in the Northern Irish retail and leisure economy to establish a baseline position of the likely supply and demand for different town centre uses over the plan period to 2030. The tone for the study was one of caution yet proactivity, with town centres throughout the UK experiencing unprecedented volatility whilst we adjust to rapidly evolving digital retail platforms and how these impact our bricks and mortar town centres, set against the complex backdrop of fluctuating global economic pressures.

We established six live ‘roadshow consultation events’, visiting Town Teams and local politicians in diverse destinations, including Antrim, Randalstown and Ballyclare. Ahead of the roadshows, we undertook extensive household surveys and town centre health-checks to provide up-to-date empirical evidence to residents and Councillors on key matters concerning the future of their town centres. We then used the roadshow as a two-way conversation with stakeholders representing different community groups and industry to present our findings. Q&A sessions with these stakeholders were invaluable to help sense-check our findings and formulate our overall conclusions.

The culmination of our work was to make a series of policy recommendations aimed at meeting the needs and expectations of the borough’s residents, whilst protecting the vitality and viability of its existing centres. Key to this balance was defining a retail hierarchy, and what the ambition should be for each centre. Our work concluded that there have been significant shifts since the time legacy plans were drawn up, and that the role and function of a number of centres needed reconsidering.

Our final report now forms part of the evidence base for the Council’s Local Development Plan. We appeared as expert witnesses at the Independent Examination, helping the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) with their understanding and interpretation of the key policies and strategies therein. The Plan Strategy was found sound and adopted in 2025, with our team continuing to work with the Council by providing health-check updates in 2026 and undertaking a series of Retail Audits for standalone retail and leisure proposals across the borough.