Avonmouth Severnside Development Strategy Report April 2012
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Avonmouth Severnside Outline Development Strategy April 2012 - Final Report AMION Consulting Limited Customs House, 7 Union Street, Liverpool L3 9QX Avonmouth Severnside - Outline Development Strategy April 2012 - Final Report Avonmouth Severnside Outline Development Strategy April 2012 - Final Report Reviewed and approved by: Signature(s): Name(s): Graham Russell Job Title(s): Partner Director Date: April 2012 AMION Consulting is the trading name of AMION Consulting Limited Registered Office: Langtons, The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9QJ Company No: 3909897 Tel: 0151 227 5563 This document including appendices contains 98 pages Ref: K:\CLIENTS\White Young Green\Avonmouth Severnside\Deliverables\Avonmouth Severnside Development Strategy Report - Final 14 Feb.12.docx Avonmouth Severnside - Outline Development Strategy April 2012 - Final Report Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................................................ i Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... i Avonmouth Severnside ............................................................................................................................................. ii Realising the Opportunity – an Integrated Strategy ................................................................................................ iv Costs, Benefits and Value for Money ........................................................................................................................ v Delivering the Strategy ............................................................................................................................................. ix Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................................... x 1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Structure ...................................................................................................................................................... 3 2 Avonmouth Severnside ...............................................................................................................4 2.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Economic profile .......................................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Market assessment ...................................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Policy context ............................................................................................................................................. 12 2.5 Issues and constraints ................................................................................................................................ 16 2.6 Additional economic development potential ............................................................................................ 23 3 Realising the Opportunity – an Integrated Strategy ................................................................... 26 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Rationale for intervening ........................................................................................................................... 26 3.3 Infrastructure options ................................................................................................................................ 26 3.4 Avonmouth Severnside Outline Development Strategy ............................................................................ 30 4 Costs, Benefits and Value for Money ......................................................................................... 34 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Costs ........................................................................................................................................................... 34 4.3 Benefits ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 4.4 Value for money ......................................................................................................................................... 39 4.5 Risks............................................................................................................................................................ 40 5 Recommendations for Delivering the Strategy ........................................................................... 43 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 43 5.2 Funding opportunities ................................................................................................................................ 43 5.3 Funding the Strategy .................................................................................................................................. 47 5.4 Governance and management ................................................................................................................... 48 6 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 51 Appendix A: Labour Market Assessment Appendix B: Market Assessment Appendix C: Risk Assessment Avonmouth Severnside - Outline Development Strategy April 2012 - Final Report Executive summary Introduction Avonmouth Severnside is one of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP’s) most important economic development opportunities, which could contribute significantly to achieving employment and economic growth over the next 30-40 years. It has been identified by the LEP as an Enterprise Area. However, if the existing constraints are not addressed, development activity in the area is likely to be more limited and its full economic potential may not be realised. By intervening to remove these constraints, the public sector would: support the Government’s priority to promote sustainable economic growth and jobs; protect existing businesses and investment; bring forward development opportunities that are attractive to the market; support the development of key growth sectors; help to promote international trade; and contribute to the maintenance of an internationally recognised ecological asset. Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council commissioned a study team led by WYG to formulate and assess a long-term development strategy for this economically and environmentally important area. The Avonmouth Severnside area is located between Bristol and the River Severn, immediately adjacent to the M5 and M49 motorways. It is made up of two main areas of economic activity – Avonmouth in the south and Severnside in the north. Both Councils and other partners are keen to see a development strategy for the area to 2050 which optimises and develops its contribution to the local and national economy, whilst also protecting its environmental assets. However, the future development and role of the area is challenged by: an increasing risk of large scale flooding; nature conservation and ecology issues of European significance; the 1957/58 planning consents to the (then) ICI Chemical Works in Severnside, which remains extant, leading to: the potential for unconstrained development and a lack of co-ordination with other parts of the area; and limitations on the ability of the local authorities to realise infrastructure improvements through the development control process; and close proximity to the national motorway network but limited motorway connectivity and local network capacity. i Avonmouth Severnside - Outline Development Strategy April 2012 - Final Report This report considers the options for realising the opportunities and proposes an Outline Development Strategy. It then goes on to assess the costs, benefits and value for money of the proposed Strategy and to identify how it could be implemented. For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that this outline development strategy is not a statutory planning document in its own right. Avonmouth Severnside Economic profile In 2010, there were some 14,200 people employed within Avonmouth Severnside. The three largest sectors in terms of employment were transport and storage (23%), wholesale (22%) and manufacturing (18%). This contrasts notably with the pattern in each of the local authorities as a whole. The main sectors of employment