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Chapter 3
EMPLOYMENT
   
  Introduction
3.1 It is the policy of the Borough Council to promote economic activity and job creation within its area. The Local Plan is concerned primarily with land use issues and includes the allocation of suitable land for employment use throughout the plan period, policies to assist that development and policies for the detailed control of such development.
3.2 As with housing, a sequential approach has been used in drawing up employment proposals. Brownfield sites have been given priority, followed by edge of development sites, and finally greenfield sites.
3.3 Sustainability is also very important and therefore new jobs should be created at employment sites which are accessible by public transport, close to centres of population and of minimal impact on wildlife resources and the environment in general.
3.4 The sites proposed for employment use have therefore been tested to ensure that they are compatible with sustainable principles.
3.5 It is also important to protect jobs in the countryside, and foster new employment opportunities in rural areas in order to prevent rural decline and provide local jobs. However, in Erewash nearly all the countryside is designated Green Belt. Therefore it is essential that any employment proposals for rural areas do not conflict with Green Belt policies.
3.6 The amount of land to be allocated in the Local Plan is determined by the economy policies in the Structure Plan and by Regional Planning Guidance (RPG8) which covers the period 2001-2021.
  Structure Plan Provision for Industrial and Business Development
3.7 The Structure Plan makes provision for 100 hectares (250 acres) of land for industrial and business development throughout the Borough, in the 1991-2011 period. Industry and business being generally defined as firms falling within classes B1, B2 and B8 of the Use Classes Order, 1987 (business, general industry, storage and distribution).
  Industrial and Business Land Requirements
3.8 The Structure Plan in making provision for industrial and business development includes land with planning permission in April 1997 and other sites proposed for industrial or business development but without the benefit of planning permission.
3.9 For the Ilkeston sub-area, the Structure Plan makes provision for 80 hectares of industrial and business land. Since April 1991, 7 hectares of the provision has been developed, 21 hectares have the benefit of planning permission and 26 hectares were available on redevelopment sites. The remaining provision for Ilkeston to be allocated in the Local Plan is therefore about 26 hectares.
3.10 In the Long Eaton sub-area, the Structure Plan allocation is for 20 hectares of industrial and business land. Since 1991, 2.1 hectares of land has been developed for industry and 12.15 hectares of industrial land has the benefit of planning permission or is allocated in the 1994 Erewash Borough Local Plan for industrial development. The remaining part of the provision, amounting to 5.75 hectares needs to be allocated in this replacement Local Plan together with any unimplemented sites identified in the 1994 Erewash Borough Local Plan considered appropriate for taking forward in this Local Plan.
3.11 In the Ilkeston sub-area, the allocation of land for industrial and business purposes will be achieved primarily through the development of low-grade and derelict land at Stanton Ironworks. (See Proposal E4).
3.12 At Long Eaton, an undeveloped Local Plan proposal off Meadow Lane of 1994, is carried forward in this replacement plan. It requires infrastructure investment and is complicated by having a protected railway line route flanking its northern boundary. Its development may therefore not take place until the latter part of the plan period.
  POLICY E1 - INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
  APPLICATIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PERMITTED ON THE SITES IDENTIFIED BELOW, SUBJECT TO THE COUNCIL BEING SATISFIED AS TO THE DETAILS OF ACCESS, DRAINAGE, SEWERAGE, LANDSCAPING AND OTHER MATTERS AS APPROPRIATE:
 
MEADOW LANE 3.70 HECTARES INDUSTRY/BUSINESS
   
  Existing Industrial and Business Sites
3.13 It is important to protect the stock of industrial and business sites within the Borough, especially in the Long Eaton area where employment land is at a premium. However, there may be occasions where the redevelopment of an industrial and business site would remove a nonconforming use. Each case will be considered on its merits against Policies E2 and E3.
3.14 There is also strong pressure from other sectors such as retailing for the redevelopment of industrial and business sites. It is the Council's intention to resist such proposals insofar as this is necessary to support the business sector and ensure that existing established shopping centres are not adversely affected.
  POLICY E2 - PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS USES
  ON EXISTING INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS SITES, INCLUDING THOSE WITH PLANNING PERMISSION FOR EMPLOYMENT USES, PLANNING PERMISSION WILL BE GRANTED FOR ALTERNATIVE USES IF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA CAN BE MET:
  1. THE PROPOSAL WILL NOT PREJUDICE THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF LAND IDENTIFIED FOR INDUSTRIAL OR BUSINESS PURPOSES;
  2. THE PROPOSAL WILL NOT RESULT IN REDEVELOPMENT FOR RETAIL PURPOSES, UNLESS ALL RELEVANT CRITERIA IN PROPOSALS S1, S2 & S3 CAN BE MET;
  3. IT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED THAT AN ALTERNATIVE USE WOULD RESULT IN THE SUBSTANTIAL RELIEF OF ANY SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXISTING USE OF THE SITE;
  4. IN RESPECT OF VACANT SITES, IT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE PREMISES ARE NO LONGER CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD OF ACCOMMODATION FOR INDUSTRIAL OR BUSINESS PURPOSES.
     
  Relocation of Poorly Sited Businesses
3.15 Within the urban areas of the Borough and in some rural locations, there are a number of businesses that have operated for many years in areas which are otherwise predominantly residential or agricultural. Such businesses can seriously affect the amenities of adjoining residents by reason of noise, smell, traffic congestion and general disturbance, or can seriously detract from the otherwise rural character of open countryside.
3.16 This can be addressed by encouraging the relocation of such businesses to more acceptable locations within either the existing or proposed industrial areas and by allowing more appropriate alternative uses or redevelopment of their existing sites.
  POLICY E3 - RELOCATION OF POORLY SITED BUSINESSES
  PLANNING PERMISSION WILL BE GRANTED FOR EITHER THE REDEVELOPMENT OR ALTERNATIVE USE OF EXISTING INDUSTRIAL OR BUSINESS PREMISES, WHERE THE CURRENT USE CREATES UNACCEPTABLE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND CAN BE SUITABLY RELOCATED TO AN ALTERNATIVE SITE.
   
  Stanton Ironworks
3.17 Stanton Ironworks is the largest development opportunity in Erewash and is of both countywide and regional importance. It is a brownfield site comprising 67 hectares of land officially derelict (Derelict Land Survey 1993) and an additional 38 - 68 hectares of land which could be released for development through rationalisation and consolidation of the operational plant, making a total site availability of between 105 - 135 hectares. But, as noted in paragraphs 3.9 and 3.11, only 26 hectares of additional provision of industrial and business land is relied upon during the Plan period.
3.18 However, major land reclamation is required together with substantial infrastructure improvements. The Stanton site is therefore a long term development proposal which will not be available until the latter part of the plan period (2005 - 2011).
3.19 This scale of redevelopment or regeneration is not considered to be an over-provision of employment land as the complex used to employ approximately 10,000 people and occupy a much larger area.
3.20 The regeneration of the Stanton Ironworks site will require major works to the infrastructure (surface water, drainage, energy supplies) significant landscaping, a high quality of design, and remedial works to the land in order to create a quality environment and ensure that the environmental impact is kept to a minimum. Recycling of waste materials and efficient use of energy are important considerations in developing the site in a sustainable way. In order for a development of this scale to be successfully integrated within the local environment, improvements will need to be made to the local transport network to ensure that the development is adequately connected to the surrounding road and rail network. Given the size and strategic importance of the site, improvements to the highway network will be necessary, to accommodate the associated increase in traffic volumes, avoiding the creation of unacceptable levels in traffic in nearby settlements. It is important that alongside potential highway improvements, sustainable methods of travel to and from the site are also enhanced, helping to provide links with nearby settlements. This will involve encouraging cycle and pedestrian access through new or enhanced routes and improving the level of public transport serving the site. To achieve this, S106 agreements will be sought from developers to help create sustainable transport links to the surrounding road and rail network. It is also important to provide public transport and cycle path/footpath links to nearby settlements where employees may be recruited from. Similarly, further development of the private railway line to the works should be considered as part of the regeneration package, ensuring that the maximum amount of finished goods and imported materials are transported by rail. Any opportunities for introducing a passenger rail service should also be examined to further increase the available transport choices to those wishing to access the site. Any sustainable transport proposals which help to link the site with its surroundings should be actively encouraged.
3.21 Stanton Ironworks may provide an important source of industrial archaeological information and therefore, in line with the requirements of PPG16, provision will be made for an archaeological evaluation of the site.
3.22 All these elements will be drawn together in a master plan to be prepared by the landowner in co-operation with the Borough Council. Therefore, it is not possible to be more prescriptive about the redevelopment of this site in this Local Plan. The task is to provide a land use policy for the Stanton Ironworks development site, which provides clarity about the type of acceptable uses, whilst remaining flexible to changing circumstances. Accordingly, a broad land use approach is used, designating the development area and identifying which land uses will be permitted.
  POLICY E4 - STANTON IRONWORKS REGENERATION
  LAND AT STANTON IRONWORKS, AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP, IS PROPOSED, AS A MAJOR CENTRE OF REGENERATION TO SERVE THE BOROUGH AND THE WIDER REGION. WITHIN THIS AREA THE FOLLOWING USES WILL BE PERMITTED:-
 
B2 GENERAL INDUSTRY )  
B1 LIGHT INDUSTRY ) 105 - 135 HECTARES
B8 STORAGE )  
  THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE SHOULD INCLUDE IMPROVED ROAD LINKS TO THE M1 MOTORWAY, A RAIL LINK FOR FREIGHT, IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE, EXTENSIVE LANDSCAPING, IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORT, FOOTPATH AND CYCLE PATH LINKS, AND HABITAT IMPROVEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH SURFACE WATER TREATMENT. NEW BUILDINGS SHOULD BE OF A HIGH STANDARD OF DESIGN, ENERGY EFFICIENT AND WHERE APPROPRIATE HAVE FACILITIES FOR WASTE RECYCLING.
   
  West Hallam Storage Depot
3.23 An extensive area of warehousing at West Hallam provides a valuable source of employment. Access to the depot can however lead to local problems of heavy goods vehicles using roads not designed for heavy goods traffic. A further consideration is that the depot is surrounded by open countryside comprising Green Belt. It is therefore appropriate that the depot, which is long established, continues mainly to be used for warehousing.
3.24 It is considered appropriate however to permit a relatively small proportion of the site (less than 20%) to be redeveloped for light industrial use in order to provide a broader range of local employment in this predominantly rural area in accordance with PPS7.
3.25 Full consideration needs to be given to the ecology of the site in any redevelopment proposals. Existing landscape features should be retained and a high standard of design will be required in accordance with the location surrounded by the green belt. Any proposals for light industrial development or significant intensification of warehousing/storage will need to be accompanied by a Traffic Impact Assessment. Any new development will require a flood risk assessment.
  POLICY E5 - WEST HALLAM STORAGE DEPOT
  APPLICATIONS FOR NEW WAREHOUSES OR THE REPLACEMENT OF WAREHOUSING (B8) WILL BE PERMITTED AT THE WEST HALLAM DEPOT AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USE (B1) WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED ON THAT PART OF THE SITE ADJACENT TO THE EASTERN BOUNDARY, AS SHOWN ON THE PROPOSALS MAP. SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA BEING MET:
  1. THE DEVELOPMENT IS OF AN ACCEPTABLE SCALE, MATERIAL AND DESIGN AND WILL NOT HARM THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT OR RESIDENTIAL AMENITY;
  2. THE TRAFFIC GENERATED BY THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT CAN BE ACCOMMODATED ON THE LOCAL ROAD NETWORK;
  3. THERE IS NO ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE ECOLOGY OR BIODIVERSITY OF THE SITE.
  4. THERE ARE NO ADVERSE EFFECTS IN TERMS OF DRAINAGE AND FLOODING, AS SHOWN BY A FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT.
   
  Mixed Uses
3.26 The Government is encouraging local authorities to facilitate mixed use development in appropriate locations. The principal aim of such development is to provide jobs close to where people live in order to reduce journeys to work and to foster a more sustainable way of life less dependent on the car as a means of transport. Typically, mixed use developments will be close to town centres and developed on brownfield sites where a high density of residential development would be envisaged. It is paramount that any mixed use development does not create environmental problems for the future and therefore it follows that mixed use will normally be associated with class B1 (Business) development. It may be appropriate in certain situations to also consider mixed use in association with retail and leisure development, where residential use may occupy upper storeys of buildings.
  POLICY E6 - MIXED USE
  APPLICATIONS FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PERMITTED SUBJECT TO THE COUNCIL BEING SATISFIED THAT THE MIXED USES ARE COMPATIBLE IN TERMS OF NOISE, HOURS OF WORKING, ACCESS AND EGRESS, PARKING, EMISSION OF FUMES, SMELL OR DUST, VIBRATION AND ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETER. A HIGH QUALITY OF DESIGN IS SOUGHT, WITH FULL REGARD BEING GIVEN TO LANDSCAPING, MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION, SCALE OF BUILDINGS AND SPACE BETWEEN BUILDINGS. IN PARTICULAR, THE INTERFACE BETWEEN USES NEEDS CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.
   
  Rural Employment
3.27 Although traditionally, most of the employment opportunities within the Borough are located within the main urban areas, rural areas can accommodate many forms of development if its location and design are handled sensitively. However, in sensitive areas new development needs to be strictly controlled. These include:
 
  • Open countryside away from settlements
  • Green Belt land
  • Areas of the best and most versatile agricultural land
3.28 'Planning Policy Statement 7 - Sustainable Development in Rural Areas (PPS7) states that wealth creation and environmental quality are increasingly interconnected. The appeal of the countryside is central to its economic prosperity. Healthy economic activity in rural areas facilitates investment to protect and improve the countryside. Rural development should be sustainable in accordance with the Governments objectives.
3.29 The Borough Council will seek to encourage rural enterprise, strengthen rural communities and achieve good quality development that respects the character of the countryside. However, most rural employment sites would be situated in the Green Belt and therefore be the subject of special scrutiny when considered against the Green Belt policies contained in this document, at Chapter 10.
  POLICY E7 - RURAL EMPLOYMENT
  OUTSIDE THE SETTLEMENTS AS DEFINED ON THE PROPOSALS MAP OR AN ESTABLISHED EMPLOYMENT AREA, PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL OR BUSINESS PREMISES (B1, B2 & B8) THROUGH EITHER THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW SITE, BY REDEVELOPMENT OR CONVERSION OR BY THE EXTENSION OF EXISTING PREMISES, WILL BE PERMITTED SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA BEING SATISFIED:
  1. THE DESIGN, SCALE AND SITING OF THE NEW DEVELOPMENT RESPECTS THE CHARACTER OR APPEARANCE OF THE LOCALITY, ITS SETTING AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE;
  2. THERE IS NO HARM TO THE AMENITIES OF NEARBY RESIDENTS OR OTHER LAND USERS;
  3. IT WILL NOT GENERATE TRAFFIC OF A TYPE OR AMOUNT INAPPROPRIATE TO RURAL ROADS OR REQUIRE IMPROVEMENTS WHICH WOULD HARM THE CHARACTER OF RURAL ROADS IN THE AREA;
  IF THE SITE IS LOCATED WITHIN THE GREEN BELT, AS DEFINED ON THE PROPOSALS MAP, THE PROPOSAL WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST POLICY GB1, IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE CRITERIA.
   
3.30 The diversification of farms will be considered against Policy E8.
  POLICY E8 - FARM DIVERSIFICATION
  PLANNING PERMISSION WILL BE GRANTED FOR PROPOSALS TO DIVERSIFY THE OPERATION OF AN EXISTING AGRICULTURAL USE PROVIDED THAT:
  1. IT MAKES FULL AND EFFECTIVE USE OF EXISTING ON-HOLDING BUILDINGS IN PREFERENCE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BUILDINGS, AND;
  2. IT DOES NOT HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT UPON THE CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE IMMEDIATE OR WIDER LANDSCAPE;
  3. IT DOES NOT HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT UPON THE AMENITY OF NEARBY RESIDENTS OR OTHER RURAL BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY NEW TYPES OF ON-FARM DEVELOPMENT.
  4. IT DOES NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE OPENNESS OF THE GREEN BELT.
  PLANNING PERMISSION WILL ONLY BE GRANTED FOR PROPOSALS INVOLVING THE USE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS IF THEIR FORM, BULK AND GENERAL DESIGN MAKES A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF ITS SURROUNDINGS AND THE PROPOSAL DOES NOT RESULT IN A DETRIMENTAL IMPACT ON THE CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE BUILDINGS.
 
 
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