Policy DM17 Protection of small and medium scale business sites and premises
Proposals for new small-scale business development and for live-work units, including proposals brought forward through neighbourhood plans, will be permitted where they meet the overall sustainable development criteria set out in policy DM1 and comply with other relevant policies of this plan.
Sites and premises providing for small and medium scale businesses will be safeguarded for class B business uses and other economic development purposes. Proposals leading to the loss of suitable sites or premises which are used by, or available for, such businesses will be permitted where the possibility of reusing or redeveloping the site or premises for similar or alternative business purposes has been fully explored and it can be demonstrated that there is no demand for small and medium scale business units in the area; and
a) the site or premises is no longer viable, feasible or practicable to retain for business use; or
b) retaining the business in situ would be significantly detrimental to the amenities of adjoining occupiers, would prevent or delay the beneficial development of land allocated for other purposes or would compromise the regeneration of a wider area; or
c) there would be an overriding community benefit from a new use which could not be achieved by locating that use in a more accessible or sustainable location.
Supplementary text
17.1 Despite the city’s dominance by major employers, small and medium scale businesses are also of considerable significance in the local economy and are expected to play an increasingly important role in stimulating economic recovery, providing high quality employment opportunities for local communities and fostering sustainable business growth and innovation. Policies within this plan therefore seek to offer positive support to the small business sector.
17.2 The 2008 Arup study identifies a need for more small units as a result of small business sites having been lost to housing, especially within the city centre. Further evidence from the study suggests that in the past, where it has been necessary to relocate small businesses, they often find it difficult to find suitable premises in the urban area which results in some of the demand being met in less sustainable rural areas.
17.3 Therefore policy 5 of the JCS aims to address the needs of small, medium and start-up businesses by retaining a range and choice of small and medium employment sites. The council will also support new development proposals which make appropriate provision for small businesses whether as freestanding accommodation or as live-work units, although these are more likely to be identified as part of neighbourhood plans and other small area planning initiatives.
17.4 For the purpose of this policy, premises for small and medium scale businesses means premises which provide a net floorspace of less than 1,500 square metres.
17.5 Policy DM17 complements the promotion of and protection afforded to designated employment sites by policy DM16. Loss of office premises is dealt with more particularly by policy DM19. The policy is intended primarily to protect accessibly located small business premises outside defined employment areas. Freestanding premises or small clusters of units may provide low-cost accommodation meeting a wide range of business needs, for example to support the cluster of creative industries and high-technology and knowledge driven sectors, which not only has significant importance in Norwich but is also highlighted as a national planning priority in the NPPF. Such premises may also provide for small locally based manufacturing and service companies, including, for example, motor repairs and servicing, which are unable to access prestige premises or to afford city centre rents.
17.6 The policy applies both to the existing use and, where the property or site is vacant, the most recent use. In making an assessment of the relative demand for small business sites and premises, the city council and prospective developers will need to have regard to the rate at which such units are occupied and reliable market information from letting agents on existing schemes, as well as considering whether there are other schemes which can provide suitable sized units of a reasonable quality.
17.7 For the purpose of this policy the kinds of “overriding community benefits” which might justify the loss of small business premises are most likely to derive from new community facilities falling within the D1 use class such as health centres, dental surgeries and police stations. However, since such uses should preferably be located where they are most accessible to the local population, it will be necessary for proposals offering such community benefit to show that they could not be located in a more accessible or central location, in accordance with the sequential approach and the hierarchy of centres defined by JCS policy 19.
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.
- Norwich monthly economic barometer, digest of economic statistics produced by Norwich City Council’s economic development unit, various dates.
- •Employment topic paper, April 2013.
