Floorspace surveys

The purpose of the floorspace survey is to monitor commercial activity within the development boundary over a period of time.

Information was sourced in 2020 from the Scottish Assessors Association Non-Domestic Valuation Roll, which provides information on businesses in Angus.

To ensure accuracy, an onsite survey was also undertaken, and any required updates were recorded. This information provided the baseline for the surveys which were undertaken in 2021 and 2022.

The assessor’s data categorises all non-domestic properties into the following sectors:

Comparison retail includes shops that sell goods, such as clothing, electrical goods, hardware and homeware.

Convenience retail includes shops that sell everyday items, such as food and drink, and newspapers. 

Retail services includes hairdressers, nail and beauty salons, post offices, shoe and clothing repairs.

Leisure includes public houses, hotels and guest houses, cafes, restaurants and takeaways, and sports and leisure.

Financial and Business services includes banks and building societies, property services and other business services

Other uses include offices, government buildings, information and advice services

Vacant retail unoccupied retail units

Vacant other unoccupied units which are not considered retail units

These categories have been used in this survey to assess trends in the type of businesses operating in our town centres.

The surveys include an analysis of each town centre, core retail area, and an all-town survey. To closely monitor town centre performance, in the context of the considerable economic challenges experienced, we have undertaken an annual town centre and core retail survey. However, the all-town survey, which surveys the whole town, and specifically focuses on retail and service sectors is undertaken every three years. The last survey was undertaken in 2020, with the next one planned for 2023.

Local development plans are expected to ensure that town centres are not negatively impacted by the clustering of certain types of non-retail uses (hot-food takeaways, betting shops and payday loan shops) therefore the survey will monitor their presence. We have also included use class information, and details of applications for change of use to residential properties to monitor town centre activity in more detail.

Floorspace surveys by town

Town centres overview

The town centre overview provides a summary of information gathered as part of the Angus floorspace survey, to provide an indication of town centre and core retail performance in Angus’ towns between 2017 -2022. It additionally provides a summary of the all-town survey 2017-2020 monitoring retail performance in Angus’s towns out with the town centres.