CHAPTER FOUR:

THE ECONOMY

Policies

ECON.1 Retention of Existing Employment Sites

ECON 2A Employment Schemes on Non Protected Sites

ECON.2 Alternative uses for Existing Committed Employment Sites

ECON.3 Retention of 'Bad neighbour' Uses

ECON.4 Enhancement of Employment Areas and their Surroundings

ECON.5 Town Centre Commercial Areas

ECON.6 Future of the former Greenham Common Airbase

ECON.7 Safeguarding Rail-based Industry at Theale

ECON.8 & 9 Racehorse Industry

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CHAPTER FOUR:

ECONOMY

4.1 INTRODUCTION

4.1.1 Retaining existing jobs and creating new employment opportunities are principal priorities of the Local Plan, in so far as these objectives can be met by the plan-making process. A healthy economy is reflected in the environment and vitality of the District and contributes to the quality of life of those who live and work here. The Council is particularly concerned that there should be a wide range of employment opportunities to meet the needs and aspirations of the local workforce.

4.1.2 However, there can be less attractive consequences of an active economy. Traffic congestion, pollution, unattractive development, pressure for future housing, loss of open spaces, noise and disturbance are all problems that can arise in varying degrees. Whilst jobs are important, so is the need for positive and effective planning control.

4.1.3 Besides making decisions in its role as a planning authority, the Council impacts on the economy of the area in a number of other ways:

• it is a major employer;
• it is a major purchaser of goods and services
• it is an owner of property;
• it has important links with statutory undertakers regarding infrastructure and servicing provision;
• it provides information on development opportunities, workforce characteristics and services;
• it has the power to prepare an economic development strategy.

4.1.4 The Rural White Paper (2000) contains measures to enhance the role of market towns and widen the economy in rural areas. Measures to aid rural diversification in order to strengthen the agricultural economy are included. In order to achieve the latter objective, the re-use and redevelopment of rural buildings for employment, will be encouraged. This emphasis is picked up via policy ENV.19 in this Plan, (reuse and adaptation of rural buildings) and policy ENV.20 (redevelopment of rural buildings).

4.1.5 The principal sources of national policy guidance are in PPG4: Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms, and PPG7: The Countryside and the Rural Economy. Other PPGs are of some relevance, particularly PPG13: Transport. These guidance notes stress the importance of ensuring sufficient land and buildings are available for generating employment, in a variety of sizes and sites to meet differing needs and in sustainable locations.

4.1.6 The Regional Guidance for the South East RPG9 (2001) contains a vision of encouraging economic success throughout the region, ensuring a high quality of environment and more sustainable patterns of development.

4.2 STRUCTURE PLAN POLICIES

4.2.1 The Structure Plan notes that the County has in recent years experienced high rates of industrial and commercial development. There is now a substantial amount of unbuilt floorspace that has planning permission, or has been accepted in principle; there is also a significant quantity of vacant floorspace on the property market. If recent completion rates and take-up rates continue, then the present stock of commitments and empty premises will last well into the new century

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4.2.2 The Structure Plan sets out a careful approach towards new employment-generating development; no strategic allocations are made. However, the Structure Plan policies do allow some flexibility, with scope for employment development where it would not unduly add to transport problems or pressures for new housing development. This is to allow opportunities for businesses to expand, premises to be modernised or redeveloped and jobs lost in declining industries to be replaced. That approach assists urban regeneration and the re-use of development land in line with Government guidance and allows more flexibility in providing jobs for the local workforce.

4.2.3 The Structure Plan policies are summarised below: BU1 permits new business, industrial and distribution development, subject to a number of criteria primarily related to meeting the needs of existing firms and employment needs of the local population, whilst not adding to pressures for new housing or transport problems. Other factors to be taken into account include the amount of land available for employment uses and the rate of completions and occupation of premises. BU2 states that, within the provisions of BU1, favourable consideration will be given to the expansion of existing businesses, providing small units and the provision of industrial and distribution units. BU3 actively promotes the alternative use of committed and built employment areas across the District, in circumstances defined in local plans, subject to there being no unacceptable adverse impact upon the availability of industrial and warehousing land and premises. Permission for the renewal of employment generating schemes will likewise, not be automatically granted.

4.3 BACKGROUND STUDIES AND STRATEGIES

4.3.1 The Council has in recent years published an Economic Development Strategy in consultation with the business community and with other organisations active in the field of economic development. The Council works closely with the Thames Valley Economic Partnership, the Berkshire and Southern Buckinghamshire Enterprise Agency, Action in West Berkshire, the West Berkshire Training Consortium, the local Education Business Partnership and the Thames and Chiltern Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

4.3.2 The Council commissioned the University of Reading to undertake a District wide Economic Survey in May 1995, to look at the following issues and trends:

a) The local economy - structure and performance.

b) The state of West Berkshire in the 1990's; issues to be included were communications, the rural economy, impact of the peace dividend and the effects of development at Greenham Common.

The second part of the Study considered the future economic prospects for Newbury, incorporating a detailed analysis of the economy and presented options for the District in the 21st century.

4.3.3 The final results of this study were made available in the spring of 1996. The initial findings of the report have informed the preparation of this chapter. They are as follows: i) The District has been a successful growth area in the 1980s, as part of rural, accessible lowland England, in the south-east's western arc. ii) The movement of skilled people into the area has led in particular to greater numbers seeking to live in the rural areas. iii) This significant in-migration has been assisted by a second-wave of 'counter-urbanisation', which has caused greater numbers to live in the rural areas. iv) This in turn has created higher numbers of jobs and businesses in the countryside. v) Regional policy constraints in the mid 1990's should lead to a renewed focus on urban renewal and diversion of economic growth to the Eastern Thames Corridor. vi) This may mean relatively slow economic growth in the District, but rural employment should be sustained, due to the area's local accessibility and the inherent quality of the environment.

4.3.4 The implications of the District Economic Study, the Rural England White Paper and the update of PPG7 will be monitored.

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4.4 KEY AIMS - ECONOMY

4.4.1 On employment issues, the Council will continue to work with organisations in Business and Industry and other organisations that impact on employment in West Berkshire, to:

(i) maintain and enhance the economic health of West Berkshire, especially the rural economy and through rural economic diversification;

(ii )encourage the provision of new employment - generating development, providing it does not give rise to any additional transport problems in West Berkshire, nor adds unduly to housing pressures and meets the environmental objectives of this Plan;

(iii) resist the loss of existing employment floorspace where it is not being replaced or where the intention is to replace B2 and B8 floorspace with B1 offices, (which are over-provided for) unless other specific policies prevail.

(iv) encourage improvements to industrial sites where the existing use has adverse environmental effects, or encourage the re-location of businesses that have adverse environmental effects in urban areas;

(v) improve the accessibility of residents to employment opportunities via tele-working sites and home-based working, through the provision of a range of sites, the encouragement of training schemes and provision of support such as childcare.

4.5 RETENTION OF EXISTING EMPLOYMENT SITES

4.5.1 In accordance with the key aims it is the Council's policy to both extend diversity in the local economic base and address the needs of the rural economy. In so doing it is essential that employment areas in West Berkshire are retained for such uses. However a flexible approach is required in these areas to enable renewal of premises to meet changing market needs. The question of small businesses also needs to be considered, given the fact that many of West Berkshire's employment areas support small companies

4.5.2 Constraint remains on new employment development in the countryside, subject (inter alia) to policies ENV.19 and ENV.20 in the Plan. Employment schemes outside those sites listed in policy ECON.1, but inside settlements, are to be encouraged, in appropriate circumstances, in accordance with the key aims outlined above.

4.5.2A A number of MOD sites are located in West Berkshire's rural areas, which are extremely important to the local economy. The sites concerned are AWE Burghfield and Aldermaston, and RAF Welford, and the army establishment at Hermitage.

4.5.3 Policy ECON.1 seeks to retain key employment sites significant to the availability of business, industrial and warehousing land and premises. These areas are defined on the Proposals Map. The employment sites to which the policy applies are as follows:

1) Newbury town: Hambridge Road and Lane, London Road Estates, Newbury Business Park, Turnpike and Castle Estates.

2) Hungerford: Station Yard, Smitham Bridge Road, and Charnham Park.

3) Lambourn: Membury Estate and Lowesdon Works.

4) Thatcham: Green Lane and Colthrop

.5) Aldermaston: Calleva Park and Paices Hill (Youngs)

6) Beenham Industrial Area

7) Theale: Arlington Business Park, Station Road and adjacent estates. Sheffield Bottom.

8) Red Shute Hill, Hermitage.

9) Horseshoe Park, Pangbourne.

The three criteria used to select these sites were

(a) accessibility to the local workforce

(b) protection of the nature and characteristics of premises in the light of jobs provided.

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The total number of 'estates' noted above is 21. This correlates to the great majority of employment areas in West Berkshire. Policy ECON.1 does allow for the expansion of existing businesses, but only within the defined employment sites noted on the Inset Maps.

4.5.4 The employment areas in West Berkshire not listed under ECON.1 become automatically subject to policy ECON.2.

4.5.5 The Council is prepared however, to acknowledge the special nature of Marley's operations and the particular value of this employment base and treat 'reasonable' proposals for its own operational needs and expansion (both within and adjacent to the defined area) sympathetically. Any such proposal submitted on this basis would be judged on its merits especially in respect of the AONB setting and the need to conserve its natural beauty and the overall employment position at the time when presented to the Council in the form of a planning application.

EMPLOYMENT SCHEMES ON NON-PROTECTED SITES

4.5.6 There are a range of other employment sites in West Berkshire which are not protected by Policy ECON.1. However to accord with policy BU1 of the Structure Plan, a policy in the Local Plan should address situations where planning applications arise on these sites for employment schemes. The policy is as follows.

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4.6 ALTERNATIVE USES FOR EXISTING COMMITTED EMPLOYMENT SITES

4.6.1 As already noted there is a substantial amount of empty floorspace on the market and of committed development with planning permission but yet to be built.

4.6.2 The jobs that could be generated by the committed floorspace would meet the needs of the indigenous workforce (existing and the projected growth) and could reduce the daily outflow to Reading and London. Potentially there would be a better, more sustainable balance between jobs and numbers of economically active people. However, that broad overall position ignores a likely skills mismatch, with a shortage of jobs for unskilled and semi -skilled workers. Whilst it is appropriate to allow some flexibility for new employment to meet those needs and allow for existing businesses to expand, there is a requirement to allow some alternative use for existing committed employment sites, to reduce current commitments. The following policy sets out the criteria for considering alternative uses as required by policy BU3.

4.7 RETENTION OF 'BAD-NEIGHBOUR' USES

4.7.1 There are a range of 'bad-neighbour' developments scattered around West Berkshire which are of general benefit to the local economy. These include scrap yards, which whilst generally unacceptable in or adjoining residential areas are beneficial to the environment given their recycling function. Inevitably, development and environmental pressures will arise over the Plan period seeking to redevelop 'bad-neighbour' sites. The Council however is concerned to discourage the loss of these sites where appropriate, since to find suitable alternatives will be problematic, if not impossible.

4.7.2 The Berkshire Waste Local Plan emphasises the importance of waste recycling as a method of waste minimisation as encouraged by the Government in its National Waste Strategy. The Waste Local Plan also sets out preferred sites for recycling in the plan area.

4.8 ENHANCEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AREAS AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS

4.8.1 There is considerable scope for improving West Berkshire's employment areas and their surroundings, in order to create a more productive, safer and pleasing environment, and in order to promote high quality development.

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4.9 TOWN CENTRE COMMERCIAL AREAS

4.9.1 Newbury is identified as a major town centre in the revised Berkshire Structure Plan. However, it is not only the focus for shopping development in West Berkshire but also for employment provision. Given the range of factors which impinge upon Newbury, namely issues of conservation, shopping, employment, access and recreation, it is considered appropriate to define a commercial core area for the town centre. Within this core area, major new office schemes (defined as having a gross floorspace of 500m² or more) may be favourably considered, subject to the criteria set out in policy ECON.5. Outside, such development will be resisted except where in accordance with Structure Plan policies BU1 and BU2 and policy ECON.1 of this Plan. This will assist in protecting those areas outside the commercial core from unacceptable impact of large office schemes.

4.9.2 Similarly, there are four other settlements in West Berkshire, which, in the Council's view, require the identification of a commercial core area; namely, Hungerford, Thatcham, Theale and Pangbourne. Whilst these four towns have smaller commercial core areas than Newbury, there is still a need for identification; since these are where the primary commercial uses are concentrated which are immediately available to the public. For this reason the core areas exclude the major employment areas associated with the towns concerned. However, there is likely to be continuing pressure for new business development in the centres noted, over the Plan period and it is considered correct to direct these pressures to the core areas concerned, for reasons of sustainability. Therefore policy ECON.5 will apply to these centres.

4.9.3 It should be recognised that the Council will examine closely the traffic generation arising from new employment schemes within the Newbury town area in order to minimise the impact of such traffic on its historic fabric, general environment and commercial attractiveness.

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4.10 FUTURE OF THE FORMER GREENHAM COMMON AIRBASE

4.10.1 Following extensive public consultation and discussion with the landowner and others having an interest in the land, a Planning Brief for the future of the former Greenham Common Airbase was adopted as supplementary planning guidance by the Council's Development Services Committee on 7th June 1994

4.10.2 The former Airbase was declared surplus to defence requirements in February 1993 and comprises some 900 acres. In summary, the Brief proposes that most of the land should be restored to heathland grazing, much of which is designated SSSI. However, the former 'technical area Areas E and D3' on the south side of the base is to be used primarily for employment-generating purposes, with some sporting and recreational use. Major office developments will not be acceptable as these are already over-provided for.

4.10.3 Within the former technical area a range of new business, industrial and distribution development, sports and leisure facilities, an enterprise centre and day nursery have been developed. Provision of a site for 3 ha. is also made for a range of waste management purposes, in accordance with the Berkshire Waste Local Plan (1998). However, it is considered appropriate to continue to protect the area concerned, in order to retain employment opportunities in West Berkshire.

The Environment Agency is concerned that comprehensive drainage proposals should form part of any new development on the former airbase because of the potential risks from contaminated land on surface water runoff and water quality. New development will not be permitted unless comprehensive drainage is provided to serve the new development and mitigate potential risks.

4.10.4 The Greenham Common Trust, a local body with the Council as a member, was set up in 1994 to manage the Common “for the benefit of present and future generations.” A profit making Management Company has since been set up as part of this Trust, to oversee the development and management of the employment scheme on the areas E and D3.

4.11 SAFEGUARDING RAIL-BASED INDUSTRY AT THEALE

4.11.1 The rail site at Wigmore Lane, Theale, is defined to include that area served by the rail link. i.e. the cement works, the coated stone treatment and distribution plant and the oil depot. These uses were permitted by the Secretary of State for the purpose of transferring goods from rail to road. It is this special use which needs to be protected due to the shortage of appropriate sites for such facilities across West Berkshire. The builders yard, house

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and paddock to the south of Wigmore Lane has now been included within this policy so as to provide a further opportunity for rail-served development. Any development of this site should be subject to satisfactory road access, this access should be contained within the existing rail site and not from outside.

4.11.2 Part of the site has been identified under the Berkshire Waste Local Plan as a preferred area for road to rail transfer operations, plus major recycling facilities which could include difficult and metal wastes. It is considered that these uses conform to the road to rail transfer designation, given the opportunity to transport such wastes, by rail from the site. Care must also be taken to ensure that mitigation measures are employed to limit impacts such as noise, dust and smell from waste transfer activities.

4.11.3 Policy T8 in the Structure Plan encourages road to rail transfer sites, subject to environmental and transport considerations. Any extension to the area designated under policy ECON.7 would therefore be subject to the following factors:(a) a demonstrated need for expansion of the rail-based industries;(b )the scale and intensity of the proposed development and its wider environmental impact;(c) its impact upon the existing residential properties which are in proximity, in particular, in terms of noise, traffic and visual intrusion; (d) the scale and nature of environmental and landscape improvements;(e) the provision of satisfactory access.

4.12 POLICIES ON THE RACEHORSE INDUSTRY

4.12.1 The Council recognise the particular importance of the racehorse industry to the local economy and the character of those parts of West Berkshire where this activity is established. The main centres for training are at Lambourn, East Garston and Eastbury and to a lesser extent at Compton, West and East Ilsley with a generally wider dispersal of establishments specialising in horse breeding.

4.12.2 The Council is concerned to ensure that adequate provision is made for the racehorse industry without causing harm to landscape quality, road safety, the character of settlements or amenities of local residents and to protect the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and any Conservation Areas affected by such activities.

4.12.3 In recent years a number of issues have emerged concerning the impact of the development and operation of the racehorse industry on rural settlements and the countryside. These issues include:

(a)In established centres, the cumulative effect of development relating to the racehorse industry has been seen to threaten the form and character of settlements and their landscape setting and impose an unacceptable burden on local infrastructure

(b)An increasing tendency for owners of training establishments to consider redevelopment of their existing sites and relocation at or beyond the edge of settlements. This has the effect of subjecting the settlement to increased pressure for alternative development and of changing their character by the removal of a traditional feature. Relocation can, however, allow existing training establishments to expand and bring further employment, provide space for hostel accommodation, modern stables and facilities, and may remove problems of horse/vehicle/pedestrian conflict from the settlements.

(c) The need to review the assessment of proposals for the location of racehorse industry establishments in open countryside. Racehorse training and breeding are rural activities but do not necessarily require isolated positions in open countryside

(d) The sub-division of existing yards.

4.12.4 It is not the intention of the policy to seek to retain racehorse training and breeding establishments in their existing use if they are no longer suitable for the purpose. However, planning applications for re-use or development

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will be refused, if, arising from the scheme, material harm is demonstrated to the character and amenities of the settlement in which it is located, or the landscape and rural quality of the surrounding countryside or availability of local employment opportunities

4.12.5 In the context of policy ECON.8, the suitability of the location of existing establishments will be considered and evaluated against the following factors:

a) the existing range of facilities on the site and their adequacy for the purpose of training and/or breeding horses

(b) the availability of and access to suitable gallops and training areas;

(c)the impact on local roads including the safety of horses and riders and traffic using the highway

(d) the availability of sources of labour and the accommodation of personnel on site or in the locality.

4.12.6 In summary the central objective of policy ECON.8 is to protect suitably located racehorse establishments with an appropriate range of facilities from redevelopment and reuse pressures. If left unchecked in planning terms these pressures could lead to demands for more training establishments in the open countryside with a potential loss of amenity and landscape character. Policy ECON.9 sets down the criteria against which proposals for new yards will be judged.

4.12.7 Policy ECON.9 is based on policy RHI.2 from the 1993 Plan except that criterion (b) has been amended to refer to the issue of new racehorse establishments and extensions 'being well related to settlements'. ECON.9 deals with the provision of new yards, either within or well related to settlements

In the context of criterion (b) of ECON 9 ,the term “well related “ means locations where the siting of new yards are both immediately accessible to the range of facilities available in identified settlements, and will be visually read in conjunction with the built up areas of these settlements . In normal cases “well related “ will therefore mean adjacent to existing settlement boundaries.

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