Policy DM16 Employment and business development
Proposals which provide for or assist in the creation of high quality employment and business development and inward investment, provide for the adaptation and expansion of local firms and allow accessible and equitable job opportunities for all will be permitted where consistent with the overall sustainability objectives set out in policy DM1 and other policies of this plan.
The employment areas defined on the Policies map will be prioritised for employment uses and other forms of economic development where this would not conflict with the requirements of policy DM18 in relation to town centre uses or with policy DM19 in relation to city centre office development, would not prejudice the function of the employment area and would not undermine committed proposals for its redevelopment or regeneration.
Proposals for new employment development (including expansion of established businesses and upgrading, improvement or redevelopment of existing premises) will be permitted within all defined employment areas subject to the adequate protection of neighbouring amenity and living conditions in accordance with policy DM2.
Proposal for public and community uses and main town centre uses will be assessed in accordance with policies DM18 and DM22.
Supplementary text
16.1 The NPPF requires local planning authorities to plan proactively to meet the development needs of business and support an economy fit for the 21st century, recognising and seeking to address potential barriers to investment including a poor environment or any lack of infrastructure, services or housing (paragraphs 20-21). To this end, major new infrastructure provision and strategic employment allocations are being brought forward through the JCS to support the ambitious levels of employment growth in the greater Norwich area required in the period to 2026. Investment strategies will focus on overcoming constraints on the release and development of key sites.
16.2 The City of Norwich supports a substantial and diverse employment base including a number of designated employment areas which are of particular importance for manufacturing, distribution and other employment service uses. These are located mainly around the outer ring road and include both traditional industrial estates and two substantial single-user sites, Briar Chemicals Ltd. (formerly Bayer Cropscience) and Colman Foods (the latter a very long-established major employer now part of the Unilever group of companies). In order to support jobs and economic growth as set out in policy 5 of the JCS, this policy seeks to promote the appropriate expansion of business and to secure sustainable economic development both on designated employment land and elsewhere, whilst ensuring that job opportunities are located to be accessible and existing employment areas are prioritised for the categories of job creating development which will be most beneficial both in terms of economic growth and social and environmental sustainability.
16.3 This policy aims to support business by allowing for beneficial growth and development within existing employment areas, including single user employment sites. It supports proposals which will provide for the expansion of existing businesses or the upgrading, improvement or regeneration of industrial estates where this would not compromise objectives for targeted employment growth in the city centre or threaten the vitality and viability of the city centre or district and local centres.
16.4 For the purpose of this policy the following definitions apply:
•Employment development refers to business development within use classes B1(a); B1(b), B1(c), B2 and B8 (offices, light industry, research and development, general industry and storage/distribution);
•Economic development is development which achieves at least one of the following objectives:
◦provides employment opportunities;
◦generates wealth; or
◦produces or generates an economic output or product;
•Main town centre uses are as defined in the NPPF, comprising:
◦Retail development (including warehouse clubs and factory outlet centres);
◦Leisure, entertainment facilities and the more intensive sport and recreation uses (including cinemas; restaurants, drive-through restaurants, bars and pubs, night-clubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres and bingo halls);
◦Offices;
◦Arts, culture and tourism development (including theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls, hotels and conference facilities).
16.5 The Greater Norwich employment growth and sites and premises study 2008 (the Arup study) identifies a need to ensure adequate provision of employment land and premises to support strategic employment growth, stating that there is no case for the wholesale de-designation of any of the existing employment sites for other (non B class) uses. All major employment sites are in active use and largely occupied, with low vacancy levels which are mostly associated with natural churn – that is, the normally expected rate of turnover of premises as occupiers move within the available stock – rather than lack of demand. The study does, however, note that more intensive use could be made of some sites. As a consequence, the policy provides strong protection for employment sites whilst allowing for some flexibility where development can contribute to sustainable development objectives and not undermine the JCS’s locational strategy for employment growth.
16.6 A main conclusion of the study was that many of the existing employment sites included both offices and industry and thus few had a dominant industrial or office use. It was recommended that this should be clarified as the competitiveness of the sites may be put at risk by the overall mix of uses, suggesting that this might be resolved by more detailed frameworks produced in partnership with site owners.
16.7 The city council is likely to bring forward such a management framework in a strategic review of the major employment site it owns – the Airport Industrial Estate – and (subject to consistency with the sustainable development objectives of the Joint Core Strategy and this plan) would welcome proposals for the management and future development of other employment areas where they can help to maximise the efficient use of land and assist in overall regeneration and enhancement. This approach is consistent with the NPPF’s requirement to “identify priority areas for economic regeneration, infrastructure provision and environmental enhancement.”
16.8 The Arup study recommends that there should be no differentiation between prime and general employment areas (as in the previous local plan) as all such sites will and should continue to play a significant role in future employment. It concludes that there is no reason to believe that some of the sites do not have a competitive future and should thus continue to be protected mainly for B class uses.
16.9 The NPPF states in paragraph 22 that planning policies should avoid the long-term protection of employment land or floorspace where there is no reasonable prospect of a site being used for that purpose, and applications for alternative uses of designated land or buildings should be treated on their merits having regard to market signals and the relative need for different land uses to support sustainable local communities.
16.10 Despite the more recent economic downturn and the likely pressure for alternative uses on employment land, the council considers that the scarcity of available development sites within the city boundary justifies a strategy which aims to protect, enhance and make the best use of the city’s reserve of employment land in order to support long-term economic growth and retain wealth creating employment in Norwich. Without such a strategy there is a risk that employment growth will be attracted disproportionately to more peripheral and less sustainable sites outside the city. Furthermore, policies which encourage managed investment and improvement in existing employment areas are consistent with the NPPF’s requirement to “recognise and seek to address potential barriers to investment, including poor environment or any lack of infrastructure.”
16.11 Given the NPPF’s emphasis on securing sustainable economic growth, it is not appropriate to restrict the use of employment areas solely to B class uses. Accordingly, the purpose of this policy is to allow for economic development other than main town centre uses where this does not undermine overarching objectives for sustainable development, prejudice the function of the employment area or, in the case of office development, threaten prospects for city centre regeneration based on commercial office growth (the criteria applying to B1 office development in employment areas are considered in policy DM19). Only in exceptional circumstances will the policy allow for town centre uses. This will be where the proposal meets the relevant sequential and impact test requirements and is complementary to the employment designation or where the use is ancillary to an existing business. For the purpose of this policy ancillary uses are a subsidiary use connected to the main use of an existing building or piece of land.
16.12 Examples of uses that may be considered appropriate within designated employment areas include bus depots, car showrooms, waste uses and training facilities connected with existing businesses. Proposals for trade retail outlets will be determined on a case-by-case basis with consideration being given to the particular scale and nature of the operation, its potential retail and transportation impacts and its consistency with other relevant policies of the plan.
16.13 Proposals for economic development outside the identified employment areas (including the extension and intensification of existing businesses) will be permitted where they meet the sustainable development criteria in policy DM1, satisfy the amenity requirements set out in policy DM2 and transport requirements as set out in policies DM28 and DM31. Development should not be piecemeal in character or prejudice the possible future development of a larger site.
References
- NPPF: CLG, 2012; Section 1: Building a strong, competitive economy; Support economic development, plan proactively for and promote economic growth, ensure sufficiency and suitability of the existing and future supply of land available for economic development to meet identified requirements.
- National Planning Practice Guidance, CLG 2014: Housing and economic development needs assessments; Housing and economic land availability assessment.
- JCS policy 5: The economy.
- JCS policy 12: The remainder of the Norwich urban area, including the fringe parishes.
- Greater Norwich employment growth and sites and premises study, Arup/Oxford Economics 2008.
- Employment topic paper, April 2013.
