Support

Representation ID: 10041

Received: 28/07/2022

Respondent: The Southill Estate

Agent: Carter Jonas LLP

Policy DS4(S) seeks to deliver an additional 26,700 jobs, in order to create a high value and high skilled economy. The Economic Growth Ambitions Topic Paper provides information on the ambitions in PSBLP to rebalance the local economy, with less reliance on Class B8 warehouse and distribution uses and an increase in higher value added jobs. The Bedford Employment Land Study identifies the need and demand for employment land between 2020 and 2040, and assesses the sites that should be allocated to meet the employment land supply. The Southill Estate owns the land at Pear Tree Farm Elstow that is within a larger allocated site for a science and innovation park in the adopted Allocations & Designations Local Plan (Site Ref. AD11 – Land at Medbury Farm), and it is proposed that this site is carried forward as a smaller draft allocation in PSBLP (Policy EMP 5 – Land at Pear Tree Farm). Paragraph 9.11 of the Employment Land Study Part 1 identifies the characteristics of potential employment land allocations, including having few constraints, an ability to accommodate flexible building types, providing connections to technology and communications infrastructure, and having good market visibility and proximity to an employment cluster. The land at Pear Tree Farm (identified as land at Medbury Farm) is assessed against suitability criteria in the Employment Land Study Part 2 – see pg.41. It is recommended in the Study that the site is retained as an employment allocation.

Section 6 of the NPPF provides national planning policy for the economy. Paragraph 81 provides support for economic growth and productivity. Paragraph 82 expects planning policies for economic development to include the following: to encourage sustainable economic growth; to identify strategic sites for inward investment to meet anticipated needs; to address potential barriers to investment including inadequate infrastructure; and to be flexible to meet future needs. Paragraph 83 expects planning policies to address the specific locational requirements of different sectors, including high technology industries. Policy DS4(S) of PSBLP is consistent with national policy, in that it is based on an assessment of employment land needs and demand, it supports economic growth, it seeks to meet the needs for higher value jobs, and specifically allocates land for research and development employment uses including at the Pear Tree Farm site.

Policy DS4(S) is supported, and no changes are required.