Internationally, planning bodies and committees are required to make very difficult decisions with regard to the size, format, and location of rural retail developments, which may have significant long-term implications for the character and quality of rural life. Focusing on the issue of development location in the context of small towns, I evaluate the opportunities and threats associated with a movement to larger format stores. This is explored using case examples of town-centre development, out-of-centre development, and neglect from retail development within the North East of England. The results illustrate the potential to meet multiple policy objectives by encouraging town-centre/edge-of-centre development, but also permitting out-of-centre development when local circumstances render this appropriate.
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