Cork Strategic Retail Study

Planning consultants should be aware of the approaching deadline for tenders for this study:

Terms of Reference and Invitation to Submit Proposals

You are invited to submit a proposal for consultancy services relating to the review and roll-forward of the Cork Strategic Retail Study (December 2002) and the Review of Retail Warehousing in Cork (Final Report, September 2004) on behalf of Cork City and County Councils as well as the Town Councils for Clonakilty, Cobh, Fermoy, Kinsale, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Skibbereen and Youghal. A joint steering group, chaired by the Cork City and County Managers or their nominees, will oversee the project and the project will be administered by Cork City Council.

The following brief contains the relevant details for your consideration.

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2005 (Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government) provide a framework to guide local authorities in preparing development plans and they replace previous guidelines issued in December 2000. The purpose of the review and roll-forward of the Cork Strategic Retail Study (including the Review of Retail Warehousing) is to provide a joint retail strategy for the all the planning authorities in the City and County that will serve to inform their respective development and local area plans up to the year 2017.

2.0 PRINCIPAL ISSUES

Paragraph 38 of the Retail Planning Guidelines states that there is a need for Cork County and Cork City Councils to "jointly prepare comprehensive retail strategies and policies addressing the matters set out at paragraph 36(i-vi)". In Cork, the 2002 study provided a retail strategy for the City and County as whole for the period up to the year 2011. The intention therefore is that the review and roll forward now proposed will supersede the existing study and provide a joint strategy for the planning authorities, to be incorporated into the existing City and County Development Plan and Local Area Plans as soon as possible and to inform the next round of development and local area plans, looking forward to the year 2017.

The Guidelines list the matters to be included in all future Development Plans for Counties and Cities:

Confirmation of the retail hierarchy, the role of centres and the size of the main town centres.
Definition in the development plan of the boundaries of the core shopping area of town centres.
A broad assessment of the requirement for additional retail floor space.
Strategic guidance on the location and scale of retail development.
Preparation of policies and action initiatives to encourage the improvement of town centres.
Identification of criteria for the assessment of retail developments.

The study is to be carried out in accordance with the Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities, January 2005 in particular those outlined in Paragraphs 37, 40, 42, 43, 45 and 54 and address the requirements as detailed in Annex 2, 3 and 4.


3.0 BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

The following background documents are of relevance to the preparation of the study:

Cork Strategic Retail Study 2002
Cork City Development Plan 2004 and Variation No 1 2004 -Retail Warehousing
Review of Retail Warehousing in Cork, 2004
Cork Area Strategic Plan 2001

The above four documents are available on www.corkcity.ie

Cork County Development Plan 2003 and Variation No1 Retail Warehousing (available from Cork Co. Council Planning Policy Unit, Phone 353-21-4285900.)


4.0 DELIVERABLES

The research and final outcome should include (though not exclusively):



An assessment of the extent and type of existing convenience and comparison retail sales floor space, updating the survey which was carried out for the 2002 study. An extract from the 2002 floorspace survey (which was also on GIS on Mapinfo and ArcView) is attached and prospective consultants should include proposals as to the broad methodology for updating it in their submissions;

Description and assessment of the importance of the existing retail hierarchy within Cork City and County taking account of the National Spatial Strategy, the South West Regional Planning Guidelines, The Cork Area Strategic Plan, The North and West Strategic Study, and existing and emerging development and local area plans;

An assessment of the requirement for additional floor space with regard to projected population growth and consumer spending;

Provision of strategic guidance for the incorporation into the relevant Development Plans on the location and scale of new retail development

Recommended boundaries (mapped) for the core retail areas of the town/city centres and district centres identified in the retail hierarchy;

Recommended policies to encourage the improvement of the retail composition of Cork City and town centres within the County;

Development Assessment criteria for assessing future proposals for major retail development

Development of a monitoring system to enable City and County authorities to monitor retail strategies

Guideance on the location of neighbourhood centres, showrooms and car showrooms are also required.

5.0 CONSULTATION

The successful applicant will need to consult with key stakeholders, including retailers, landowners and developers to ensure that the proposals are practicable and reasonable.

6.0 STAFF RESOURCES/TIMESCALE

A Senior Director of the selected consultancy, as a minimum requirement, will be in attendance to present the initial, interim and final reports, and will lead the proposed study. The consultants will carry out all the survey work and data collection. Any relevant existing survey data and information prepared by and on behalf of the City and County Councils will be made available to the Councils where possible.

The successful applicant will be responsible for sourcing other data as required to complete this commission. In particular the development of demographic projections to 2017 will be the applicants responsibility.

7.0 PROJECT TIMING

The consultant will need to consider the following key milestones relating to this project:

Call for proposals 1 st December 2006

Deadlines for proposals 22 nd January 2007

Commissioning Late February

Complete study August 2007

Outputs should be staged, with agreement from the applicant on progressive milestones.

8.0 OWNERSHIP AND COPYRIGHT

All data and reports supplied by Cork City and County Councils shall remain the property of Cork City and County Councils. These data and reports shall be supplied for the duration of the project on the basis that they shall not be used for any other purpose and shall be returned to Cork City and County Councils at the conclusion of the project. The Copyright of all reports, papers and databases developed during the course of this project will transfer to Cork City and County Councils at the completion of the project.

9.0 CONTENTS OF PROPOSALS

As a guide, proposals should include the following:

* Appreciation of the issues facing the City and County;
* Methodology for the study;
* Qualifications, relevant experience and CV's of key study team members;
* A program of principal activities; and
* A breakdown of a project fee in relation to principal activities.


Consultants should disclose any conflict of interest with this project


10.0 SELECTION CRITERION:

The awarding of the contract will be made on the evaluation of the following Selection Criteria:

Methodology

Experience with similar projects

Technical capabilities

Management skills

Price and value for money

Having considered the proposals based on the above criteria a shortlist of applicants may be prepared and invited for interview.

11.0 PROPOSALS

Proposals should be labelled " Cork City and County Joint Retail Study" and addressed to:



Kevin Terry
Director of Services and City Engineer
Planning and Development Directorate
Cork City Council
City Hall,
Cork .


If you have any queries contact 353-21-4924086 or planning@corkcity.ie

Proponents should submit an original plus two (2) copies of their proposal.


Proposals should be received at the above address by 4.30pm, 22nd January 2007.