Object

Representation ID: 65657

Received: 27/06/2014

Respondent: Warwickshire County Council Physical Assets Business Unit

Agent: Savills

Legally compliant? Not specified

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Not specified

Concern the council is not meeting the objectively assessed need for employment land through an up to date evidence base.
Employment land calculations include assumptions relating to housing requirements. The Employment Land Review Update (May 2013) evidence base document or employment forecasting have not been updated following the publication of the higher housing figures in the Joint SHMA. The ELR update does not state how the Economic and DEmographic Forecasts study has been used to inform the demographic-based assumptions underlying the employment
forecasting. It is therefore not clear in the ELR Update whether the land being provided for is still appropriate.

Market assessment questions the majority market demand identified by the ELR update for B1a/b on the basis market signals identicate a strong demand for B2/B8 uses and identifies a preference for sites in or on the edge of the town centres. The evidence base informing the Local Plan does not
appear to be responding to the needs of the market, which raises questions over the employment
assumptions being carried forward into the employment figure set out in Local Plan Publication Draft policy
DS8 and explained in supporting paragraphs 2.24-2.29

ELR update makes assumptions about the redevelopment of existing employment areas which WCC considers are ineffective.