l Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report Black Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report March 2008 This report takes into account the particular instructions and requirements of our client. It is not intended for and should not be Ove Arup & Partners Ltd relied upon by any third party and no St James's Buildings, responsibility is undertaken to any third Oxford Street, party Manchester M1 6EL Tel +44 (0)161 228 2331 Fax +44 (0)161 236 1057 www.arup.com Job number 122924/00 Document Verification Page 1 of 1 Job title East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Job number 122924/00 Document title Final Report File reference Document ref Revision Date Filename RP-cjr-Final Northern SubRegion ELR DRAFT 1-221107.doc Draft 1 22/11/07 Description First draft Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name The Team Colin Robinson Jane Healey Brown Signature Issue 07/02/08 Filename RP-cjr-Final Northern SubRegion ELR ISSUE-251207.doc Description Final Draft Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name The Team Colin Robinson, Ali Jane Healey Brown Parker, Jane Healey Brown Signature Final Issue Filename RP-afp-Final Northern Sub-Region ELR Report ISSUE-120308.doc Description Final Report Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name The Team Ali Parker Jane Healey Brown Signature AP JHB Filename Description Prepared by Checked by Approved by Name Signature Issue Document Verification with Document � RP-afp-Final Northern Sub-Region ELR Report ISSUE-120308.doc Ove Arup & Partners Ltd ISSUE 12 March 2008 Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report Contents Executive Summary Page Introduction 1 Issues in the Northern Sub-Region 1 Employment Land Demand 2 Employment Land Supply 3 Conclusions: Bringing Together the Demand and Supply of Employment Land 4 1 Introduction 14 1.1 Approach 15 1.2 The Study Area 16 1.3 Report Structure 17 2 Methodology 19 2.1 Introduction 19 2.2 Quantitative Methods Used 19 2.3 Qualitative Methods Used 22 3 Summary of Policy Context – Key Issues 24 3.1 Introduction 24 3.2 Planning Policy Issues 24 3.3 Regeneration Strategies and Initiatives Issues 26 3.4 Employment Land Contextual Research Issues 28 4 Quantity of Committed Employment Land 30 4.1 Introduction 30 4.2 Overview of Employment Supply by District 30 4.3 Summary 33 5 Consultation 36 5.1 Introduction 36 5.2 Key Stakeholder Consultation 36 5.3 Stakeholder Workshop 36 6 Employment Site Assessment 40 6.1 Introduction 40 6.2 Appraisal Methodology 41 6.3 Ashfield District Results 43 6.4 Bassetlaw District Results 49 6.5 Bolsover District Results 56 6.6 Chesterfield Borough Results 61 6.7 Mansfield District Results 71 6.8 Newark and Sherwood District Results 76 6.9 North East Derbyshire District Results 83 RP-afp-Final Northern Sub-Region ELR Report ISSUE-120308.doc Ove Arup & Partners Ltd ISSUE 12 March 2008 Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report 6.10 Summary 88 7 Qualitative Demand Assessment 90 7.1 Introduction 90 7.2 Local Market Assessments – Short Term District Overview 90 7.3 Market Response to Longer Term Aspirations 94 7.4 Investment Inquiries 96 7.5 Northern Sub-Region Commercial Perspective Summary 97 8 Employment Land Demand Analysis 100 8.1 Introduction 100 8.2 Summary of Historic Trends Analysis 100 8.3 Quantitative Assessment of the Experian Scenarios 104 8.4 The Growth Zone Scenario 109 8.5 Reducing Out-Commuting Scenario 110 8.6 Summary of Modelling Scenarios 111 8.7 Deriving a Preferred Quantitative Model 114 8.8 Summary - Future Demand for Employment Land in the Northern Sub-Region 121 9 Matching Supply and Demand – Implications for the Northern Sub-Region 124 9.1 Introduction 124 9.2 Balancing the Needs of Future Employers 124 9.3 Understanding the Portfolio of Supply 125 9.4 Demand versus Supply – Identification of Gaps in the Portfolio 129 10 Key Policy Choices 141 10.1 Introduction 141 10.2 Distributing the Future Supply of Employment Land 141 10.3 Ensuring the Deliverability of Sites 142 10.4 Assessment of Individual Planning Applications Involving the Potential Loss of employment land 144 11 Glossary 148 Appendices Appendix A Quantitative Methodology Appendix B Planning Policy Overview Appendix C Regeneration Strategies and Initiatives Appendix D Employment Land Contextual Research RP-afp-Final Northern Sub-Region ELR Report ISSUE-120308.doc Ove Arup & Partners Ltd ISSUE 12 March 2008 Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report Appendix E RSS EiP Recommendations Appendix F Historic Take Up Rates Appendix G Quantitative Employment Projections Appendix H Growth Zone Employee Projections Appendix I RSS Sub-Regional Employment Regeneration Priority Areas - An Overview Appendix J Pro Forma Appraisal Criteria Appendix K Committed Sites Excluded from the Appraisal Process Appendix L Maps showing employment site locations RP-afp-Final Northern Sub-Region ELR Report ISSUE-120308.doc Ove Arup & Partners Ltd ISSUE 12 March 2008 Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report Executive Summary Introduction The emerging RSS states that that the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the Northern Sub-Region will be a regional priority (policy 8). One of the major ways this regeneration might be facilitated is through ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of quality employment land to meet the needs of future and present employers, while ensuring that employment land allocations support other national, regional and local policy objectives and aspirations. This Employment Land Review (ELR) provides an analysis of employment land demand and supply in the Northern Sub-Region which will form part of the evidence base for future policy decisions on employment land, including aiding decision-makers to work towards regeneration objectives. The ELR has been completed in line with the Employment Land Reviews: Guidance Note (ODPM, 2004) and is intended to inform the emerging RSS and LDFs. Planning Policy Statement 11: Regional Spatial Strategies promotes sub-regional working and analysis to provide a consistent and integrated approach across a Sub-Region. The Northern Sub-Region of the East Midlands is one of four Sub-Regions identified in the emerging East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). It consists of seven district and borough authorities, namely Ashfield (excluding Hucknall), Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood and North East Derbyshire (excluding the Peak District National Park). Issues in the Northern Sub­Region The Northern Sub-Region has suffered from the adverse impacts of economic restructuring from colliery closures and the decline of the textile sector. This has necessitated that the Sub-Region develop new industries and sectors to provide employment. The closure of the collieries and other industrial premises has left a legacy of brownfield sites which, while providing an opportunity for future employment development, tend to have a negative impact on the image of the area and often present challenges in terms of land remediation. The redevelopment of these brownfield sites for employment or other uses may contribute towards the economic regeneration of the Sub-Region. Draft RSS Policy 4 identifies four Sub-Regional centres in the area, namely Mansfield- Ashfield, Chesterfield, Newark and Worksop. The Panel Report for the RSS adds that Sutton-in-Ashfield should also be considered as a Sub-Regional centre. These centres, like many areas in the Sub-Region, benefit from good transport links with the regional and national networks, particularly to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, as well as lying in close proximity to Robin Hood Doncaster Airport. Given the good transport links, it may be unsurprising that significant numbers of people in the Sub-Region travel to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield for retail, employment and leisure activities. Earnings of people working within the Sub-Region are lower than earnings of residents of the Sub-Region which suggests that many higher paid workers commute to work elsewhere (Regional Economic Strategy, 2006). In light of the need for employment regeneration in the Northern Sub-Region, the draft RSS suggests the following locations for consideration for employment: • Around Staveley, Markham Vale and west of Bolsover in particular by exploiting the brownfield land opportunities in the area; • Utilising brownfield opportunities along the A61 corridor through Chesterfield to Clay Cross; • Around Barlborough and eastwards towards Clowne, Whitwell and Creswell, with an emphasis on brownfield land. I:\122000\122924 NORTHERN SUB-REGION ELR\5 REPORTS\5-03 Page 1 Ove Arup & Partners Ltd ISSUE\RP-AFP-FINAL NORTHERN SUB-REGION ELR REPORT ISSUE- ISSUE 12 March 2008 120308.DOC Nottinghamshire County Council and Partners East Midlands Northern Sub-Region Employment Land Review Final Report • Along the Mansfield Ashfield Regeneration Route (MARR) while ensuring the maintenance and integrity of Green Wedges; • North of Worksop towards Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield (RHADS), concentrating on the former mining communities and mining operations. Employment sites located in these areas, and other areas throughout the Sub-Region were examined in terms