Scarborough North York Moors Borough Council National Park Authority Whitby Business Park Area Action Plan Adopted Plan November 2014 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan Contents Alternative Format Document 2 1 Introduction 3 2 An Economic Profile of the Whitby Area 8 3 Spatial Vision and Objectives 9 4 Developing the Business Park 10 5 Business and Industrial Land 11 6 Retail and Leisure 15 7 Environment and Appearance 17 8 Accessibility 21 9 Infrastructure 25 10 Implementation of the Area Action Plan 27 Appendices A Other Relevant Plans and Strategies 29 B Feasibility Studies 30 C Implementation and Monitoring 31 D Policies Map 33 2 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan Alternative Format Document On request this and other Local Plan documents will be made available in large copy print, audio cassette, Braille or languages other than English. If you require the document in one of these formats please contact the forward planning section at the address below: Contact details: Forward Planning Section Scarborough Borough Council Town Hall St Nicholas Street Scarborough YO11 2HG E: [email protected] T: 01723 232480 W: www.scarborough.gov.uk (planning services) F: 08701 913997 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan 3 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan 1 Introduction Why Prepare an Action Plan? 1.1 Whitby Business Park (1) currently occupies a site of approximately 23 hectares on the southern outskirts of Whitby to the north east of the A171 (see context map below). It is accessed from the A171 via three separate estate roads:Cholmley Way, Fairfield Way and Enterprise Way. Part of the Business Park is within the North York Moors National Park and the planning function for the site is therefore split between Scarborough Borough Council and the National Park Authority. This creates potential challenges in ensuring that the development of the Business Park is dealt with as a ‘whole’ and that planning applications are determined in a consistent way. Whitby Business Park Area Action Plan º Context Whitby Business Park © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey 100024267 Figure 1 Context Map 1.2 Both local planning authorities therefore resolved to produce a joint ‘Area Action Plan’ covering the Business Park as a whole. The Plan is a recognition of the strategic importance of the Business Park in relation to other employment sites in Whitby and in seeking to consolidate and enhance the site it addresses a number of operational issues including highway layout, the 1 Note: a number of different names are used in connection with the site including Stainsacre Lane Industrial Estate and Whitby Business Park. For the purposes of this document the term Whitby Business Park’ has been adopted. 4 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan amount and type of employment land that will be needed in the future and potential environmental improvements. The purpose of this Area Action Plan is to produce a comprehensive strategy that helps ensure that the Business Park can make an increasingly important contribution to the economy of the area, providing jobs and services in the locality. The York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is a public private partnership that supports the growth of businesses and good quality jobs. The improvement and expansion of the Business Park will contribute to objectives in the LEP Strategic Economic Plan which seeks to support small businesses and maximise new opportunities. 1.3 It is important to ensure that land is available both for new businesses that want to locate in Whitby, and for existing local businesses who want to expand and adapt their premises to meet changing needs and aspirations, helping to contribute to an expansion of the area's employment and skills base. A thriving Whitby Business Park, with capacity to expand and capture local economic opportunities will be pivotal in meeting these objectives. 1.4 It is important to note that this Area Action Plan has been created in response to the issues presented by the Business Park, its current and future operational requirements and the potential to bring about improvements to the way in which it functions. The development of an offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank may also stimulate the need to provide more serviced land for industries that will support that development. The Area Action Plan does not represent the entire economic strategy for Whitby and its surroundings, which will be addressed further in other parts of the Borough Council's Local Plan as well as in the North York Moors National Park's policy framework. What is an 'Area Action Plan'? 1.5 All local planning authorities are required to produce a Local Plan to provide policies and land allocations to inform all planning related decisions. Area Action Plans are targeted documents that can address specific geographic areas where change is likely to take place, and can ensure co-ordination of decisions and investment. Under Regulations 5 and 6 of Part 3 of the 2012 Plan Making Regulations,(2) Area Action Plans are considered to be a ‘Local Plan’ and must be prepared following the same procedures. 1.6 The Area Action Plan will ultimately form part of Scarborough Borough Council's Local Plan and the North York Moors National Park Authority's Local Development Framework, and all future planning decisions relating to the Business Park will be informed by its contents. 1.7 The Area Action Plan covers the period up to 2026, but the policies will be monitored to assess their effectiveness and continued relevance. A review of this Area Action Plan would be triggered if monitoring suggested the Plan's objectives were not being met, or if circumstances suggested the Plan's contents were outdated. 2 The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning)(England) Regulations 2012 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan 5 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan Relationship to other plans and strategies 1.8 All applications for planning permission would be considered against the adopted policies in Scarborough Borough Council’s Local Plan and the North York Moors National Park Core Strategy and Development Policies, as well as the policies in this Area Action Plan. The adoption of the Area Action Plan will supersede Policy I2 of the Scarborough Borough Local Plan 1999 and the Proposals Map. 1.9 The National Planning Policy Framework was published by Government on 27th March 2012. It emphasises the role of the planning system in contributing to building a strong, responsive and competitive economy and supporting sustainable economic growth. It notes that Plans should recognise and address barriers to investment such as a poor environment or lack of infrastructure, identify strategic sites, support existing sectors and plan for the expansion of clusters of specialised industries. It is considered that this plan fully meets all those objectives. Although the statutory Development Plan remains the starting point for decision making, the NPPF establishes a presumption in favour of sustainable development which has three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. Policy 1 Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development When considering development proposals the Authorities will take a positive approach that reflects the presumption in favour of sustainable development contained in the National Planning Policy Framework. They will always work proactively with applicants jointly to find solutions which mean that proposals can be approved wherever possible, and to secure development that improves the economic, social and environmental conditions in the area. Planning applications that accord with the policies in this Area Action Plan (and, where relevant, with policies in neighbourhood plans) will be approved without delay, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Where there are no policies relevant to the application or relevant policies are out of date at the time of making the decision then the Authorities will grant permission unless material considerations indicate otherwise – taking into account whether: Any adverse impacts of granting permission would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework taken as a whole; or Specific policies in that Framework indicate that development should be restricted. 1.10 Paragraph 115 of the National Planning Policy Framework also states that great weight should be given to conserving landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks which have the highest status of protection. The conservation of wildlife and cultural heritage are important considerations in all these areas and should be given great weight. 6 Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan Whitby Business Park AAP Adopted Plan 1.11 The Yorkshire and Humber Plan (the Regional Spatial Strategy) was published in 2008. It provided an overarching strategy for the region as whole, addressing issues such as housing provision and economic development. The Plan was formally revoked by Government on 22 February 2013. Nevertheless the Plan provided some of the initial impetus and context for the development of this Area Action Plan and therefore Appendix A draws out some of the key elements of regional policy that formed the background to this Plan. 1.12 The York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership has produced a Strategic Economic Plan which sets out how it works with partners to