Draft Regulation 18 Sandwell Local Plan
Providing for Economic Growth and Jobs
8.7 Policy SEC1 seeks to ensure a sufficient quantum of development opportunities are provided to meet the demand for economic growth and support the diversification of Sandwell's economy. This Policy supports Strategic Objectives 2, 8 and 9.
Policy SEC1 – Providing for Economic Growth and Jobs
- The Sandwell Local Plan will provide at least 1,206ha of employment land (of which 29ha is currently vacant) within the borough[142] between 2020 and 2041, to support the growth of the sub-regional economy and increase productivity. Most of this requirement will be met through sites allocated for development in this Plan as set out below.
- Additional employment development will be brought forward on other sites throughout Sandwell, mainly through the redevelopment, intensification and enhancement of existing employment areas and premises.
- The Plan will deliver a portfolio of sites of various sizes and quality to meet a range of business needs. This land is in addition to those sites currently occupied for employment purposes. These sites will be safeguarded for industrial employment uses[143].
- Within the existing employment areas subject to Policies SEC2, SEC3 and SEC4, the Council will support, with public intervention as necessary, the regeneration and renewal of such areas, including their environmental enhancement and incorporation of sustainable measures to mitigate climate change impacts. Industrial developments will need to demonstrate how they have been designed to maximise resistance and resilience to climate change, as set out in Policy SCC1.
- To enable Sandwell's employment areas to remain competitive and fit-for-purpose in the long term, and to aid in the economic recovery and rejuvenation of the borough's industrial economy, new and resident companies should be encouraged to adopt a circular economy approach and related infrastructure[144].
Justification
8.8 Building a strong, responsive, and competitive economy is one of the three overarching objectives of the NPPF. This should be achieved by ensuring that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right place and at the right time to support growth, innovation, and improved productivity and by identifying and co-ordinating the provision of infrastructure.
8.9 To support the ongoing growth of the distribution sector and a strong resurgence in manufacturing, the EDNA recommends that this Plan should provide for a minimum of 185ha[145] of land for employment development for the period up to 2041, based on an average of 9.07ha per annum and allowing for the replacement of some poorer quality employment land and premises redeveloped for non-industrial uses. The employment land supply baseline figures also include completions between 2020 and 2022.
8.10 The Local Plan allocates 29ha of vacant employment land for development for the period between 2020 - 2041 and further employment development will come forward through the redevelopment of existing employment land and premises. Further land is provided on other sites that have planning permission for employment development.
8.11 143ha of the employment land need arising in Sandwell cannot be met solely within the Borough. This unmet need should be exported, as far as possible, to authorities that have a strong existing or potential functional economic relationship with Sandwell, for example in terms of migration patterns, commuting links and / or connectivity through physical infrastructure such as rail and motorway. This work is ongoing and will be secured through the Duty to Co-operate and evidenced through Statements of Common Ground.
[142] In Use Classes E(g)(ii), E(g)(iii), B2, and B8
[143] In Use Classes E(g)(ii), E(g)(iii), B2, and B8
[144] The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits#:~:text=The%20circular%20economy%20is%20a,products%20as%20long%20as%20possible).
[145] Based on work undertaken by Oxford Economics in 2023