Bracknell Forest Borough Council BRACKNELL FOREST EMPLOYMENT LAND REVIEW Final Report December 2009 ROGER TYM & PARTNERS Fairfax House 15 Fulwood Place London WC1V 6HU t (020) 7831 2711 f (020) 7831 7653 e [email protected] w www.tymconsult.com This document is formatted for double-sided printing. P1872 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................ i-ix 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 2 POLICY CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 3 National Policy ................................................................................................................ 3 Regional Policy ............................................................................................................... 6 Local Policy .................................................................................................................... 8 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 11 3 THE LOCAL ECONOMY ............................................................................................ 13 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 13 The Workplace Economy ............................................................................................. 13 The Residents .............................................................................................................. 18 Travel to Work .............................................................................................................. 21 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 28 4 THE CURRENT PROPERTY MARKET ...................................................................... 31 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 31 Bracknell Forest’s Location and Businesses ................................................................ 31 The Office Market ......................................................................................................... 33 The Industrial/Warehouse Market ................................................................................. 40 5 EMPLOYMENT SITES ............................................................................................... 45 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 45 Existing Employment Areas .......................................................................................... 46 Development Sites ....................................................................................................... 51 Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 54 6 THE DEMAND & SUPPLY OF EMPLOYMENT LAND TO 2026 .................................. 57 Demand ........................................................................................................................ 57 Supply .......................................................................................................................... 63 Market Balance 2008-26 .............................................................................................. 67 7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................ 71 Objectives and Targets for Employment Land .............................................................. 71 Offices .......................................................................................................................... 74 Industry and Warehousing ............................................................................................ 79 Monitoring ..................................................................................................................... 81 Bracknell Forest Employment Land Review Final Report 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This study was commissioned by Bracknell Forest Borough Council, as part of the evidence that will inform its new Local Development Framework, to advise on the provision of employment land over the plan period to 2026. Its purpose is to assess future land requirements for industry, warehousing and offices, compare these with the supply already identified, and hence recommend whether the Borough needs more, fewer or different sites for these uses1. 1.2 The Borough Council’s brief sets out the objectives of the study as follows: . To understand market areas and segments in the Borough . To provide an understanding of the existing employment land supply in the Borough . To provide an assessment of the future demand for employment (types and locations) in the Borough . To assess the suitability of individual sites, whether existing or proposed for future employment uses . To inform the allocation of, and detailed policy approach to, employment development through the Local Development Framework process. 1.3 Following this Introduction: . Chapters 2-4 discuss the current situation, providing the baseline or starting point for the futures analysis that is to follow. Chapter 2 sets out the policy context and Chapters 3 and 4 analyse the Borough’s economy and commercial property market. Chapters 5 and 6 turn to the future, considering the demand and supply of employment land to 2026. Chapter 5 audits supply, covering both existing employment areas and sites identified for new development. Chapter 6 forecasts demand and compares it with supply to establish the balance of the market. Conclusions and recommendations are in Chapter 7. 1.4 This report was drafted in late 2008 and early 2009, before the extent of the economic downturn became apparent. This affects our findings in two main ways. Firstly, the long- term demand forecasts we have used, which were provided by the Regional Planning Body, may now be over-optimistic; this should be resolved in due course as new regional figures are issued. Secondly, our market analysis reflects reasonably normal market conditions in the wider property market, rather than the deeply depressed climate that has characterised recent months. This in our view is helpful, because an analysis carried out close to a cyclical trough would tell us little about the medium-term position. 1 Employment land uses (also known as the B uses) are classified to Use Classes B1, B2 and B8 of the Use Classes Order and physically similar sui generis uses. Like other employment land reviews, this study, in considering land requirements, does not cover land uses which do provide jobs but belong to other Use Classes, such as such as retail, leisure, education and health,. These other land uses are covered by other parts of the LDF evidence base and planned for in different ways. Roger Tym & Partners with Vail Williams December 2009 1 Bracknell Forest Employment Land Review Final Report 1.5 For the avoidance of doubt, this study has not considered land needs other than for employment. Our recommendations are made from an economic perspective and based on economic objectives, both strategic and local. The Council may of course decide to override these recommendations if it considers that competing objectives have higher priority. For example, if it decides that the need for housing overrides that for employment, it may decide to transfer more employment land to housing than we have recommended. Roger Tym & Partners with Vail Williams December 2009 2 Bracknell Forest Employment Land Review Final Report 2 POLICY CONTEXT 2.1 In this chapter, we first discuss the national and regional policy background, to set out the strategic policies to which the Borough Council in planning for employment uses will be required to conform. We then turn to the local context, considering existing local policies which the Council will need to take into account or to reconsider when framing the employment land policies in the Local Development Framework. National Policy Sustainable Development 2.2 The Government’s Strategy for Sustainable Development2 sets out four Government objectives: . Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone; . Effective protection of the environment; . The prudent use of natural resources; and . The maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. 2.3 Local planning authorities contribute to sustainable development through development plans. Planning Policy Statement (PPS)1, Delivering Sustainable Development, at paragraph 27 states that such plans among other things should seek to: . Bring forward sufficient land for housing and industrial development, which is of suitable quality and in appropriate locations, to meet the expected needs; . Allocate sites on the basis of their accessibility and sustainable transport needs, and the provision of essential infrastructure, amongst other criteria; . Provide improved access to jobs by ensuring that new development is located where everyone can access services on foot, bicycle or public transport rather than having to rely on access by car; . Focus developments that attract a large number of people, including offices, in existing centres, in order to promote the vitality and viability of these centres, social