Issue and Options 2023
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E.1.1: - Response: Do you think that the HEDNA evidence provides a reasonable basis for identifying future levels of employment need across South Warwickshire? 4.1 The University considers that the HEDNA evidence provides a basis for identifying future levels of employment need across South Warwickshire. The ICENI report follows the methodology set out in National Planning Practice Guidance, looking at a range of scenarios for identifying need. When planning for the longer term, up to 2050, taking a past-trends approach is an appropriate basis for identifying future needs, and is considered to be a more appropriate long-term basis than solely relying on other forecasting measures which have historically underestimated the level of need. 4.2 For Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick Districts combined, the requirement to plan for 345.2ha up to 2050 is considered to be robust. 4.3 The University is supportive of the principle of carrying out a cross-boundary assessment of economic needs. E2: Response: Option E2a- Include a policy which encourages businesses to be low carbon 4.4 Yes, the University fully supports the Local Plan including policies to support low carbon aspirations. 4.5 Firstly, the University encourages the South Warwickshire Local Plan to take this chance to encourage a reduction in the reliance on the private vehicle in favour of active travel and the Masterplan is supported by a forwardthinking mobility strategy. This seeks to provide innovative transport infrastructure such as mobility hubs to improve travel options and a consolidated delivery hub to reduce congestion on campus whilst also improving air quality. The University is supportive of the use of electric vehicles for business and the Masterplan provides this as a focus. 4.6 The University considers that planning at a large scale, such as the opportunity at the Innovation Campus, allows for a more comprehensive and site wide strategy for reducing energy use through building standards, travel planning and comprehensive drainage strategies. The University is committed to becoming a SMART carbon neutral campus by 2030, through measures such as improving resource efficiency and reducing campus energy demand, generating and storing green energy to support the campus and local communities and embodying the use of SMART technologies across the campus The University supports the principle of low carbon building. E3a: Include a policy expanding on SDC’s existing policy 4.7 Given that the scope of the South Warwickshire Local Plan is that of a part 1 local plan it is considered appropriate to include a policy that provides a high-level indication of employment requirements across South Warwickshire. 4.8 The University does not consider it appropriate to include too much detail on specific sectors to be accommodated, as this risks frustrating the ability of newly emerging sectors to deliver economic growth and is likely to be more vulnerable to wider structural economic changes which may arise during the plan-period. E7.1: Response- Option E7.1a: Include a policy directing employment to the Core Opportunity Area 4.9 Yes, the University believes it important to direct employment, and subsequently economic growth, to the Core Opportunity Area. 4.10 As set out through these representations, the Core Opportunity Area represents an important opportunity for the South Warwickshire economy and represents an area which combines several major investment sites including the University and major road infrastructure aligned to key settlements. 4.11 Therefore, to ensure that the South Warwickshire Local Plan sufficiently realises the potential of this area, it is considered that a policy directing employment to the Core Opportunity Area should form part of the Local Plan, however this should be closely tied to the role of Major Investment Sites to ensure that the crucial role these sites play in the economy is not undermined. E7.2: Response- Option E7.2a: Include a policy relating to additional economic growth at the major investment sites 4.12 The University welcomes the identification of the Campus within the Wellesbourne Area as a Major Investment Site. It considers that promoting economic growth at major investment sites, such as the Innovation Campus, to be of critical importance to the delivery of the Councils’ objectives regarding economic development. 4.13 Major Investment Sites are clearly key economic drivers of the South Warwickshire economy. Therefore, this should be underpinned through the inclusion of a policy which specifically directs economic growth to the Major Investment Sites. This would encourage the capitalisation of the existing high performance of these sites and help to drive inward investment and support the South Warwickshire economy. 4.14 Additional growth of employment opportunities would offer increased resilience to the local economy and assist in increasing the retention of residents in the area. The University is ideally placed to support the diversification of the local economy and support new business sectors, through its acknowledged reputation for excellence in research, training, and innovation and with strong links to business and industry. The University is already one of the area’s biggest employers and a study carried out by London Economics measured the University’s impact on the economy in 2019-20 and found that it generated over £1.15billion for the local economy alone. 4.15 The Innovation Campus is already home to applied research groups from the University’s School of Life Sciences and WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group), together with over 20 businesses including the Lotus Advanced Technology Centre, Corteva Agriscience, Rimac Automobili, and a host of growing SMEs all of which are critical to the economic future of the region and the UK as a whole. 4.16 The University has a long-term vision for the Innovation Campus, focussed on significant growth, and working together, the University and South Warwickshire can complement the ambitions of each party through the continued promotion of the Innovation Campus as a location for growth. 4.17 It is therefore critical to the local, regional and national economy that the South Warwickshire Local Plan continues to provide a positive policy context for the growth of the Innovation Campus and to help to realise the potential of its extensive landholding to accommodate a diverse range of new employment generating land uses to contribute to the broader economic growth ambitions of the area.
2.1 Under the heading “Delivering South Warwickshire’s Economic Needs”, the Issues and Options Consultation identifies a ‘Core Opportunity Area’ (shown on Figure 21 replicated below) which comprises the five main towns, the A46 Trans-Midlands Trade Corridor and the central section of the M40. This includes the University of Warwick's two campuses (one on the edge of Coventry identified as Major investment site no.7 and one at Wellesbourne identified as number 5). 2.2 The Core Opportunity Area aims to attract inward investment in accessible locations to drive the South Warwickshire economy. University of Warwick Main Campus Area 2.3 The University is recognised as a leading employer, playing an important role within the local economy as well as being of national and international importance. 2.4 The Issues and Options Consultation acknowledges the University’s ambition to continue improving and developing its campus, and states that the Plan will “need to ensure that the aspirations of the University can be met, whilst ensuring any impacts of growth are mitigated”. This will be achieved in detail through saved Policy MS1 in the short term, and a review of that policy in the longer term, but equally there are a range of more strategic policies which will impact on the University. 2.5 We are pleased that the Councils are working with the University to update the Masterplan, looking ahead to 2031, and recognise that, beyond 2031, the Plan will continue to support the University as a major employer and support its continued growth and the benefits arising to the local economy and local communities. South of Coventry Area 2.6 The University is also recognised as part of an area to the south of Coventry that is seeing considerable change through strategic housing allocations, the sub-regional employment site south of JLR and the approved gigafactory. 2.7 The authorities are considering further transport investment, including Very Light Rail, a new railway station and the potential for a transport corridor connecting the new A46 Stoneleigh Junction to the University with strategic connections onto the proposed HS2 Interchange at UK Central in Solihull, where the University is partnering on a major healthcare investment. 2.8 Warwick District Council agreed at its Cabinet meeting on 20 April 2022 to progress masterplanning work alongside Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the University of Warwick which would: • map and understand the planned and emerging developments in the area • explore how to maximise community benefits including through improvements to green and blue infrastructure and connectivity • assist partner organisations in preparing their own masterplans for specific sites and to reflect their aspirations in the wider planning of the area • understand how the climate emergencies declared by Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the University of Warwick, should inform the future planning of this area • provide a focus for considering how best to engage with HS2 in terms of how it can bring improvements to the area • provide a context for considering travel and transport improvements in the area, which should prioritise active and sustainable travel but also consider the purpose, justification and business case for a strategic transport corridor • provide a framework and rationale for future business cases and bids to deliver transport infrastructure projects • enable, subject to wider work on growth options across South Warwickshire and any agreement within the SWLP as to the development strategy, consideration of whether, where and how this area may be suitable for further growth as part of the Local Plan. 2.9 The University wishes to remain closely involved in these discussions and will assist in exploring all options to ensure that the campus can continue to thrive and that the University’s ongoing contribution to the South Warwickshire economy, the retention of graduates in the area, and its sustainable development is not thwarted. The University’s Growth Ambitions 2.10 The University of Warwick is now a world class higher education institution, ranked best in the West Midlands, 8th in the UK and 62nd in the world. It delivers over £1billion of economic impact to the region, with over 7,300 directly employed staff and 9,000 additional jobs supported across the West Midlands. 2.11 The main campus has developed over the past decade in line with a 2009 Masterplan and the 2019 Capital Plan Hybrid Permission, both of which were developed in line with existing and emerging policy. 2.12 The University is committed by 2030 to develop one of the world’s most distinctive university campuses, with redevelopment and refurbishment of buildings in its central area, creating a more people-friendly environment, continuing the modal shift towards greater use of public transport and active travel, and transitioning towards net zero through adoption of renewable technologies and other carbon reduction measures as part of its declaration of a state of Climate Emergency in 2019. 2.13 A new Masterplan will look ahead to at least 2030 and will evolve alongside the South Warwickshire Local Plan. Its highest priorities will be to transform the University’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) teaching and research facilities, provide a new Social Sciences Quarter as the home for Warwick Business School, redevelop some of the original student accommodation on campus providing a net increase in bedspaces, and develop in phases a major new greenspace – the Ecopark – which was announced at the time of the 2021 Scoping Consultation. 2.14 In the University’s representations to the Scoping Consultation in 2021, we set out a number of key points which remain relevant as the Councils explore Issues and Options: • The University fully supports the South Warwickshire Local Plan in taking a long-term view of growth, particularly as decisions around major infrastructure provision need to create certainty and confidence to underpin further investment in the area. • The University’s Mobility Strategy is already driving long term behavioural change towards more sustainable and active travel modes which is recognised through work we are doing with the highway authorities. • The University supports in principle the creation of a new transport corridor, including provision of a new rail station and Very Light Rail route from Coventry City Centre, which would significantly improve connectivity to the HS2 Interchange Station and other key innovation hubs across the region. • These major infrastructure projects, along with the construction of HS2 close to campus, will serve to redefine how people get to campus and, in turn, how the University plans the growth of its campus, whilst improving conditions on the local highway network for residents in south Coventry and Kenilworth. • The University will seek approval for its new Masterplan before the South Warwickshire Local Plan is adopted, in line with existing policies whilst making strong commitments to ever more sustainable development. This will contain growth within its original boundaries whilst incorporating the proposals for the ecopark to the south of campus, providing land for enhancing biodiversity and renewable energy generation as well as a recreational facility for staff, students and the local community. This will be delivered in phases as land is returned from HS2 and once any new transport corridor has been identified. • The University therefore seeks a supportive policy framework within which these proposals can come forward and be approved. It is not proposing any change to the current Green Belt boundary in relation to its growth ambitions for the campus although the University will continue to work collaboratively with the local authorities and other partners to plan more strategically for the area. 2.15 In doing so, the University wishes to play its part in developing wider plans for the area, recognising the catalytic role it can fulfil in meeting the plan’s five objectives.
3.2 The University supports, as consistent with its own vision, the strategic objectives set out in the plan of climate resilient and Net Zero Carbon; well-designed and beautiful; healthy, safe and inclusive; well-connected; and biodiverse and environmentally resilient.
Question I2 Option I2b: Focus on the strategic infrastructure relating specifically to the Growth Strategy 3.3 It is important that the focus in this plan is on the strategic infrastructure needed to support the growth anticipated across south Warwickshire by 2050 and specifically to the south of Coventry, as set out above.
