Employment

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Introduction

7.1. This chapter deals predominantly with land uses that fall within the B Use Class, that is offices, research and development, light and general industry and storage and distribution. (For a further definition of the Use Classes and Permitted Development Rights within and between Use Classes - see Glossary). Employment is generated within many other Use Classes, particularly offices within Use Class A2, large institutions such as hospitals and universities and the tourism and leisure industry. Policies relating to these specific industries will be found in other relevant chapters. There are some specific policies in this chapter dealing with commercial uses outside the B Use Class which are often found on industrial estates and business parks.

Employment Aims

7.2. The overall aims of this local plan have been set out in the Introduction and in Chapter 2, Plan Strategy. Within that context there are certain aims specific to employment generating industries which are reflected in the policies within this chapter:

•  to encourage industries and offices in locations where they are accessible to their workforce on foot, on bicycles and traveling by public transport, particularly in areas of high unemployment;

•  to provide opportunities both for new job creation and for the expansion of successful Leicester-based industries;

•  to encourage the diversification of the Leicester economy particularly through an increase in the number of service industries, the introduction of new manufacturing industries and of high technology based industries;

•  to maximise the employment densities of new development within the City;

•  to promote the refurbishment or redevelopment of underused employment land and premises;

•  to improve the environment within employment areas; and

•  to ensure that the character and amenities of adjoining areas are not adversely affected.

National and Regional Policy Context

7.3. The introductory chapter sets out the local, regional, national and international context within which this plan has been developed. The main issues surrounding employment generating land uses concern the need to balance economic growth with protection and enhancement of the environment, the desire for sustainable economic growth (which includes the need to reduce the number and length of work-related car journeys) and maximizing the use of previously developed land in urban areas.

7.4. The concept of mixed use developments that will enable people to live and work in close proximity is one way towards more sustainable environments. Where small scale mixed uses are proposed, the B1 Use Class and other types of employment that can exist in close proximity to housing will be an important component of urban mixed use schemes. New mixed use development is considered in more detail within the Plan Strategy and Urban Design Chapters.

THE LOCAL ECONOMY

Manufacturing

7.5. Leicester has maintained a stronger manufacturing base than many other areas with employment concentrated in the traditional textile, hosiery, knitwear, clothing, footwear and mechanical engineering industries. In 2000 24% of employees in Leicester worked in manufacturing compared to 15% in Great Britain as a whole. Some of these industries have been experiencing problems of decline. This is shown in the accompanying chart, together with other changes in the major manufacturing industries in Leicester between 1995 and 2000.

Service Industries

7.6. Over the last two decades it has been the service sector which has seen the most sustained growth in employment. Service industries accounted for 71% of employees in Leicester in 2000 although this was still below the 79% who work in this sector nationally. The largest employers and the greatest number of employees are now concentrated in the health and public administration sectors in the City. Business services and retailing are the third and fourth largest sectors respectively.

7.7. Many of these employment opportunities within the service sector do not fall within Use Classes B1, B2 or B8 to which the policies in this chapter mainly apply. In particular over 6,000 people work in the Construction industry. It is important to bear in mind that policies relating to leisure, tourism, education, health and retailing, which are found elsewhere in the Plan, have a major impact on opportunities for employment.

Distribution

7.8. Wholesale distribution firms, taking advantage of Leicester’s centrality, have continued to locate in and around the City employing just over 6,700 people in 2000. Wholesale distribution became highly mechanized and centralised in the 1980s which contributed to lower employment densities. However more recent trends towards “Just In Time” stock control are resulting in smaller, strategically located warehouses. While large distribution firms will continue to be guided to county-wide locations such as Magna Park there will still be a need for local smaller-scale distribution facilities serving the City’s internal markets.

Size of Firms

7.9. Leicester has a tradition of small firms and a high ‘new firm’ formation rate. This tradition is echoed within the Asian business community. The 2000 Annual Business Inquiry shows that there were over 10,600 businesses in Leicester in that year. Of these, 78% had less than 10 employees and 90% less than 25 employees. Firms with fewer than 25 employees accounted for 30% of the workforce. As a result of these statistics, demand for starter units remains high.

The Labour Market

7.10. In line with the changes in industrial sector employment there have also been significant changes in the make-up of the workforce and the nature of the work on offer with particular growth in the number of female and part-time workers. In  2000 the number of women in the workforce exceeded the number of men although 41% of female employees were part-time workers compared to 14% of male employees. Self-employment and temporary employment has also become much more common, while the availability of part-time work has led to an increasing dependence on more than one job.

7.11. Unemployment in Leicester since 1983, when the claimant count was introduced, has followed the general pattern of economic cycles experienced nationally. In November 2005, the City had over 8,700 claimants and an unemployment rate of 7.9% (resident-based rate). This was 3.1% higher than the national average but the City figure conceals much higher rates within certain areas and groups of the population. Rates significantly above the City average are found in the inner City and in some of the outer estates. Higher rates are also found amongst the ethnic minorities, the 18-34 age group, and people with disabilities.

Location of Industry

7.12. Development of Leicester in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries resulted in a swathe of industrial areas encircling the City centre and a mix of terraced housing and factories particularly in the east and south of the City in Spinney Hills, North Evington, Knighton Fields and Aylestone. Much of this early industrial development also lined the River Soar and the Grand Union Canal. This has left a legacy of stretches of waterway flanked by factory walls. Although some of these factories still require access to water, the canal and river have much greater potential particularly for housing, leisure and recreation. This issue is examined in more detail within the Plan Strategy Chapter (see Policy PS07) and the Special Areas Chapter (see Policies SPA09 – SPA10).

7.13. With the exception of Cobden Street and Freemens Common most post-war industrial development has been located beyond the housing areas added to the City in the mid twentieth century. These post-war estates have been large purpose-built industrial areas separated, as far as possible, from adjacent residential areas and include Braunstone Frith industrial estate begun in the 1950s, Gorse Hill begun in the 70s and Bursom and Hamilton Industrial Parks developed in the 1980s. All of these estates are in the west and north of the City. No similar development occurred in the south-east.

7.14. While the outer industrial estates will continue to provide the best location for medium to large sized factories requiring good access to main distributor roads, many of the small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which are so important to the local economy can be facilitated on previously developed land within the City.

Future Economic Growth

7.15. Forecasts carried out by Business Strategies Ltd for the period 1999-2009 show that the greatest number of new jobs in the City will continue to be in the education and health sectors (over 7,000 new jobs predicted). The second largest growth sector will be business services. The main job losses are predicted within the traditional textiles and clothing industries which could lose a further 7,700 jobs over the period if the predictions are correct.

7.16. There is a continuing need to encourage the diversification of the City’s economic base. The City Council particularly wish to encourage “growth” industries such as high-tech based businesses, tourism and professional and financial services. This is in line with LRC objectives for the creation of new employment opportunities. The introduction of new information and communications technology (ICT) should provide opportunities to reduce the need to travel. The City’s two universities, in particular, with their specialisms in biomedical science, space research, textiles research and vision mapping, amongst others, act as a major catalyst for job creation. There is also current and potential growth in water based tourism and leisure linked to regeneration of the Riverside.

EMPLOYMENT LAND REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPLY

The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan Review

7.17. The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan 2005, identifies a total requirement of 89 hectares for employment land. Table 7.1 shows how the City will meet this requirement within the Local Plan period from 1996 to 2016 through actual development and current and new allocations and commitments. It should be noted that 50% of the development between 1996 and 2004 was on previously developed land. In many cases this is not new employment land but an intensification of the existing use. The City has a finite amount of land available for new industry and brownfield development will become increasingly important, alongside the allocation of Strategic Employment Sites within the Structure Plan’s Central Leicestershire Policy Area.

Table 7.1. Employment Land Supply: 1996 –2016

Local Plan Requirement          89 hectares (ha)                          

Table 7.2. Employment Sites: Allocations and Commitments, March  2004

Land allocated for B Use Class development, March   2004

Land and Premises committed to B Use Class Development: March 2004

* sites with current planning permissions for a  B Class use within Potential , Development Areas.

** sites that are too small to show on the Proposals map but which have the capacity for major office developments (>1,000sq.m.) and are within the defined City and Town Centres.

*** sites with a subsequent planning permission given for an alternative use.

G - greenfield site

B - brownfield site

Table 7.3. New Allocations for B Use Class Development

Strategic Employment Sites Provision

7.18. Most of the sites listed within Tables 7.2 and 7.3 are shown on the Proposals Map as Employment or Business Park Development Proposals. There are exceptions in the case of current planning permissions for employment uses in Potential Development Areas (PDAs) and some office allocations that are too small to show on the Proposals Map. In the first instance sites with planning permission for Class B uses in PDAs do not represent the only possible end use for any of these sites. Other alternative uses could be acceptable and these are set out in policies PS09, PS09a and PS09b (Potential Development Areas) in the Plan Strategy Chapter.

7.19. Some office allocations and commitments have a very small site area which cannot be distinguished on the Proposals Map. However they are capable of accommodating major office developments of over 1,000 square metres floorspace. Finally where a site has a subsequent planning permission for an alternative use which is in line with Local Plan policies, the later permission will be reflected on the Proposals Map. Further information on any of these sites can be found in the Employment Sites Availability Survey  which is published annually on the City Council’s web site.

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GENERAL POLICIES

Sustainable Development

7.20. In order to maintain a “sustainable” City it is necessary both to support and provide for Leicester’s indigenous industries and to provide opportunities for new job creation. These employment generating developments need to be located as close as possible to where people live or to be easily accessible by public transport in order to minimise the need for car travel.

7.21. The City Council will continue to protect areas designated specifically for B Class uses where it feels this to be justified. It is also aware that many employment generating uses fall outside this land use designation and the following policies consider where non-B Class uses may be appropriate in areas traditionally reserved for manufacturing and distribution.

7.22. Any new development for employment use will need to meet the policies, set out principally in the Urban Design, Access and Movement and Built Environment chapters, pertaining to the impact on the local environment, the quality of the design, accessibility and safety issues, traffic generation and parking and other operational requirements.

7.23. The City Council wishes to encourage the expansion of successful local industries close to their present location where this is possible. However it intends to prevent any new development, extensions to existing development or changes of use of existing buildings from adversely affecting the local environment and the amenities of local residents and other businesses. While the Council will, where possible, accommodate the expansion needs of local businesses it may require restrictions on hours of use, noise insulation, steps taken to deal with potential air pollution and other matters related to circumstances.

7.24. Where such disturbance cannot be effectively ameliorated or where the amount of on-street parking or traffic generated is unacceptable, planning permission will not be granted. This will also be the case if the development would have an adverse effect on the character of the local environment.

7.25. The industrial environment and ‘image’ of the City play a part both in attracting inward investment and effecting the success of existing industries. The Council will therefore pursue funding through National and European sources to provide a better industrial environment and more efficient business premises. This will be done in line with regeneration proposals for the City as a whole which will be led by the activities of the LRC. Land uses that contain processes or by-products of a hazardous nature are not generally suitable to large built-up areas such as the City. The control of such land uses is contained within the adopted Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan (2005), Employment Policy 8.

Key Employment Areas, Primarily Employment Areas and Business Parks

7.26. It is the intention of the City Council to maintain some employment opportunities, particularly of an industrial nature, within recognised areas separate from residential areas. These are designated as Key Employment Areas. Where employment and residential areas meet, consideration will be given to the hours of use and level of noise permissible from nearby industrial development and appropriate landscaping and other buffers.

7.27. Although major office development falls within use-class B1 it has been identified within PPS6 as a town centre use and is therefore subject to the sequential test required for all such uses. The Key Employment Areas are not suitable locations for town centre uses and major office development is therefore excluded from the list of suitable land uses within Policy E02. Policy E05 deals specifically with major office development.

7.28. The Key Employment Areas provide local employment opportunities within self-contained estates which allow a certain amount of general industry away from residential areas. They are all close to strategic road routes and have the potential for public transport. Three of these areas adjoin railway track although only Cobden Street has sidings onto the estate. These sidings known as Humberstone Goods Yard are one of only 80 “Strategic Freight Sites” identified by Railtrack in the United Kingdom.

7.29. While many new job opportunities are within service and leisure industries, it is still essential that the City should continue to provide for manufacturing and distribution industries. These should ideally be accessible to the local workforce. The purpose of this policy is to give such areas in the City an added level of protection from pressures from developers for alternative land-uses.

7.30. The type of industry that can be accommodated within these Key Employment Areas will be guided not only by the proximity of any particular site to adjoining residential areas but also by the needs of existing businesses within these areas. For example, Freemen’s Common Key Employment Area has developed predominately as a storage and distribution centre serving the City. The introduction of any B2 Class uses into this area will need to be compatible with these existing uses.

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7.31. While policy E03 gives Primarily Employment Areas a level of protection from proposed changes of use which are outside the B-Class Use, unlike the Key Employment Areas, proposals outside this use will be looked at on their merits. The proposed alternative use would need to comply with other policies within the Local Plan. In particular, proposals for retailing will not normally be acceptable.

7.32. Redevelopment of a site within a Primarily Employment Area for a non-B Class use will be considered where the new development would have a significant impact on a far wider area than merely the site itself. The City Council would need to be convinced that the new use was desirable in this location and that the environmental, social and economic benefits would have significant urban regeneration repercussions. Alternatively where there is a need for a local community facility such as a Place of Worship for which no alternative sites can be found, the use of sites within Primarily Employment Areas will be looked at sympathetically by the City Council.

7.33. Where it is proposed to redevelop sites within Primarily Employment Areas for housing, it must be demonstrated that there is a greater need for housing rather than Employment uses.  In particular, account will be taken of the Council’s employment land studies and housing needs survey.  The City Council will then consider each application on its individual merits.

7.34. While Primarily Employment Areas are intended to cater for the whole range of B Class Uses they are more closely interwoven with the housing areas of the City than the Key Employment Areas. There will therefore be instances where issues of amenity dictate that B2 or B8 uses will not be appropriate. Some Primarily Employment Areas fall within the B8 Restriction Zone (Policy E07). Major office development is also excluded from Primarily Employment Areas that do not fall within the identified Commercial Zones of the City Centre, the Abbey Lane Research Business Park,Beaumont Leys and Hamilton (Policy E05).

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7.35. Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS8) for the East Midlands (March 2005) highlights the need for more high quality employment sites within the urban areas of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. Bede Island North Business Park is an example of the type of high quality development that can be achieved within the City as part of a wider regeneration initiative. Large scale warehousing would not be suitable for this type of development. Where an element of B8 uses is appropriate such as in the proposed Bursom Business Park, this has been set out and conditioned within the particular site specific policy (see Policy E14). Other types of light and general industry can be accommodated but they must be able to demonstrate a high level of design and landscaping. Heavy duty B2 industries producing high levels of noise, fumes and heavy traffic would not be suitable.

7.36. Abbey Lane Research Business Park has been allocated specifically for science based, high technology businesses to take advantage of its location adjacent to the National Space Centre and in line with the LRC Masterplan. Policy E15 sets out the particular development requirements of this site.

7.37. Other uses which could be considered complementary to a Business Park would be those providing a service for the business community such as central office or banking facilities, hotels and conference centres. The need for such complementary facilities will vary according to the location of individual Business Parks. More central Parks will be served by the variety of facilities on offer in the City Centre. Any complementary uses which are subject to a sequential test elsewhere in this document will also need to satisfy the Local Planning Authority that a more central site is not available.

Offices

7.38. PPS6 identifies major office development as a town centre use and requires that such uses should be located within existing centres where access by a choice of travel modes is easy and convenient. The location of any new major office development is therefore subject to the sequential test as set out in PPS6. Major office development within the City is defined as over 1,000 sq.m. floorspace or typically employing at least  50 people on site. A Central Office Core has been identified around London Road Station within the City Centre. The Office Core and the Abbey Lane Research Business Parkwill be the preferred location for any major office development in line with the LRC Masterplan as set out in Policies PS05 and PS08. A second area of search includes the remainder of the City Centre (as defined by the Central Commercial Zone boundary). Major office development at Abbey Lane Research Business Park will have to be in line with Policy E15 and will facilitate the development of a science based Business Park at this location as set out in the LRC Masterplan.

7.39. Major office development should not be allowed to occur through unchecked incremental growth of out-of-centre offices. The City Council, however, is sympathetic to the expansion needs of firms in the City and will allow expansion of existing offices provided that they are in locations with good public transport links and that the expansion would not contravene other policies throughout the Local Plan. The need for a sequential test will not apply to offices that remain ancillary to another land use.

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7.40. In the City Centre, there are concentrations of office uses in areas that are not generally suitable for B1 research and development and industrial processes or for B2 general industrial and B8 storage and distribution processes. These have been identified on the Proposals Map as Primarily Office Areas. They are generally located close to the City Centre and have narrow street patterns or areas of pedestrianisation where access for loading and unloading for a broader industrial use would not be satisfactory. The City Council would wish to see these retained and developed as office areas.

7.41. Many of these office areas were originally residential, such as in the Friar Lane and New Walk areas. In many areas they still provide quiet backwaters within the bustling City Centre where a housing/office mix is acceptable. Housing in the New Walk Conservation Area provides activity and surveillance outside office hours and contributes to the unique character of New Walk.

7.42. There may be instances on the edge of these office areas where B1(b) and B1(c), research and development and light industry may be acceptable provided that unacceptable levels of traffic are not drawn into the office areas, that there is off-street provision for loading and unloading and that there is no loss of any viable office or residential units as a result of the development. Such uses are more likely to be acceptable if they are fairly small-scale.

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Warehousing

7.43. Leicester’s location close to national transport routes make it attractive for distribution and warehousing industries. This is a growth industry and should not be deterred from locating in the City. However, land for industry is in short supply particularly within the central area and should not be lost to large scale low density employers such as the distributive industries. This could result in a net loss of employment with adverse consequences for nearby residential areas in particular where there is already a high level of unemployment. Such large scale warehousing uses are more appropriately located away from the central area of Leicester. This has the advantage of ensuring that the heavy traffic associated with this type of warehousing is not drawn into the city centre.

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7.44. The permitted development threshold of 235 sq.m. allows B1 and B2 uses within that range to change to B8 use without the need for planning permission. This will allow small scale distribution activities which specifically serve the Leicester economy to locate within Key Employment Areas and Primarily Employment Areas throughout the City. Larger storage and distribution industries should locate outside the Restriction Zone in Key Employment Areas and Primarily Employment Areas.

7.45. Wherever possible access from warehousing onto the specified road network or the railway should be as direct as possible. Warehousing which draws heavy traffic through residential areas will not be permitted in the interests of safety and amenity. The use of rail freight will be encouraged.

7.46. Trade showrooms are often an integral part of B8 uses. They should however remain ancillary to the storage and distribution functions. In particular the appearance of trade showrooms on the frontage of industrial buildings should not serve to attract visits from the general public.

Vehicle Repair Garages

7.47. The City Council has, over the years, experienced a constant demand to allow car repairs to be undertaken within residential areas. This use, however, is not acceptable on land or buildings in or allocated for Class B1 use or close to residential or other uses which would be detrimentally affected by the noise and other disturbance caused.

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Other Commercial Uses in Employment Areas

7.48. Other Commercial Uses outside the B Class Use will generally not be allowed within Key Employment Areas, Primarily Employment Areas or Business Parks. However there are some specific commercial uses which may be suitable within these areas, although planning conditions may be required to prevent a future change of use to retailing. These include factory shops, cash and carry warehouses, car showrooms, car and machinery hire premises and taxi offices.

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7.49. Factory shops are a recognised source of cheap goods particularly where the factory shop makes available “seconds” which would not normally find their way into high street shops. Where these are allowed within existing employment areas the retail element must remain ancillary to the main use.

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7.50. While retail warehouses open to the public are not acceptable within employment areas, trade warehouses serving local businesses are an important part of the local economy and these should be facilitated where possible within Key Employment Areas or Primarily Employment Areas. Trade warehouses over 235 sq.m. should not be located within the B8 Restriction Zone (see Policy E07). Warehouse clubs are sui generis use but will be treated in the same way as retail businesses depending on the degree to which they share the characteristics of large retail outlets.

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7.51. Car showrooms and other vehicle and caravan sales areas often require more extensive sites than are generally available in shopping centres. While showrooms are acceptable within shopping centres they often seek other locations particularly with prominent frontages onto the main road network. Where such frontages are part of a Primarily Employment Area this use may be acceptable. This will be especially so when the development contains workshops and/or storage areas that need to be located away from residential areas. Consideration of future uses is more likely to apply to smaller and older sites which may become redundant. Where sites are in shopping centres, alternative uses such as retail, offices, restaurants or community uses would be an option. Encouragement would be given where appropriate to mixed use schemes.

7.52. The City Council will not allow car showrooms, vehicle sales or caravan sales or intensification of existing uses within Key Employment Areas where it intends to encourage the location of traditional manufacturing and storage and distribution industries. They will also not be suitable uses within existing or proposed Business Parks.

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7.53. Like car sales, car hire, taxi hire and machinery hire premises often require large areas for storage, workshop and parking purposes and this can more easily be accommodated within employment areas. As with Policy E12 this type of use will not be acceptable within the Key Employment Areas or Business Parks. Most car hire and private hire taxi businesses deal with bookings over the phone and do not need to be easily accessible. The hire of machinery and tools will also usually necessitate collection by a vehicle or the business will deliver the goods themselves. The hire of smaller items (falling within class A1) or taxi or car hire offices without associated parking, storage or workshops can be accommodated within shopping centres.

SITE SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT POLICIES

7.54. Very few sites of any significant size remain in the City available for industrial development. The following policies relate to three major employment sites. Part of the largest site, Gipsy Lane Brickworks, will be available for general industry but the remainder has been allocated for more intensive business uses. This is partly due to the particular location and characteristics of these sites but it is also intended to maximise the employment potential of the remaining employment sites in the City and to provide high quality developments that will encourage and cater for further economic diversification. The need for more high quality employment sites in the urban areas of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby is acknowledged by RSS8 March 2005. A smaller site of 1.47 hectares has been identified within the Braunstone New Deal Area for business development associated with this initiative (see Policy E17).

Gipsy Lane Brickworks

7.55. The Gipsy Lane Clay Pits have ceased to be worked since the 1980s. The Gipsy Lane Brickworks Policy Area includes the old clay pits, a scheduled SSSI, a SINC, the old brickworks buildings , Belgrave allotments and an area of golf course land adjacent to the clay pits that has been separated from the main area of the Humberstone Golf Course by Victoria Road East Extension. At almost 20 hectares in total this represents the largest opportunity for industrial development in the city.

7.56. The policy area is divided into two development sub-areas which are dealt with in E13a) and E13b). They are divided by a scheduled Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) at the centre of the brickworks, where development will not be permitted. This is shown as green space on the Proposals Map. Policies GE01 and GE02 in Chapter 10 give protection to the SSSI and SINC respectively. Development will be allowed on the area of the SINC which is within E13b) provided that appropriate measures are taken to protect the ecological features of the site. E13b) provides one of only three opportunities within the urban area to develop high quality business parks and its strategic importance outweighs the need to prevent development throughout the whole of this SINC.

7.57. The existence of these green spaces offers an opportunity for a business park development around them and towards Thurmaston Lane and Victoria Road East extension. This eastern half of the site is therefore restricted to high quality B1/B2 development. However other uses which would complement a business park will be considered on their merits. These could include central facilities serving firms on the business park such as a conference or exhibition centre or office facilities. It could also include facilities for those working in this area such as small banking or eating establishments. These latter would need to show that they were specifically serving the business park and were not detracting from the vitality and viability of any local centres. Also uses which would facilitate visits to the SSSI and the SINC by the general public will be considered sympathetically. Any town centre uses will be subject to a sequential test.

7.58. The western half of the policy area which lies between the existing industrial area off Barkby Road and the SSSI and SINC provides one of the very few opportunities in the City to accommodate B2 and B8 uses away from residential areas and with good access to the strategic road network. The southern tip of this western half is close to housing and while there will be no access between the residential and industrial areas any development in this area will need to consider residential amenity.

7.59. Gipsy Lane Brickworks Site Development Guidance (February 2002) considers these and other design issues in greater detail and should be consulted by any prospective developer.

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Bursom Business Park

7.60. This extension of the Bursom industrial area to the east of Beaumont Leys Lane was originally allocated for B1 use only in the 1994 City of Leicester Local Plan. The intention was to provide a landscaped office and research park, in demand at the time, and to prevent a continuation of the general industry on the first phase of development at Bursom which, it was felt, would lead to an industrial sprawl which might blight future housing developments.

7.61. Since the 1994 Plan there have been some significant changes. Firstly the demand for such office parks dipped while at the same time the City experienced a continuing demand from indigenous firms for land for relocation and expansion. The limited supply of land for industry in the City, together with the restrictions previously placed on this site, have led to firms being unable to expand or relocating away from the City with, in both cases, a consequent loss of jobs.

7.62. At the same time the increasing emphasis on sustainable development has meant that national planning guidance now requires that major trip generators such as large office developments should be located within town centres where they are more accessible by public transport. It has also been shown that it is possible to accommodate a range of B Class uses within a high quality environment. By creating a site that can accommodate City firms wishing to relocate, this will also help to bring about regeneration in the inner city.

7.63. As a result the second phase of industrial development at Bursom has been allocated as a Business Park development which can accommodate high quality B1 and B2 Use Classes and a limited amount of B8. Major office developments are subject to the sequential test as set out in Policy E05. In order to prevent any blight on future developments in this area and in the adjoining Ashton Green proposals it is essential that the allocation should remain of the highest quality design with appropriate landscaping. For this reason B8 uses have been limited by the total amount of floorspace and their location within the site. Site Development Guidance for the Bursom Business Park Extension was adopted in April 2001.

 7.64. As with the Gypsy Lane Brickworks Business Park (Policy E13b) other uses which would complement the business park and the wider employment area will be considered on their merits. Examples of these are given in paragraph. 7.57.

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Abbey Meadows Research Business Park

7.65. A study undertaken by Segal, Quince, Wicksteed in 1998 as part of the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Structure Plan Review concluded that there is a strong case for supporting development of a hierarchy of sites for high-tech firms in the City and County. This hierarchy should include incubator facilities, as close as possible to related research institutions; well managed, ready-built small units for existing high-tech small to medium sized enterprises (SME’s) and at least one substantial Science Park development in a high quality location capable of providing a range of facilities.

7.66. The consultants concluded that development opportunities adjacent to the National Space Centre (NSC) currently offered the greatest potential within Leicester. This is due to a number of factors, but specifically the presence of the NSC and the identification of this area as a Priority Investment Area by the City Council and English Partnerships. The LRC has ratified this potential and includes provision for a science-based park in this vicinity within its Masterplan.

7.67. The sites providing current redevelopment opportunities within this area are identified as the Abbey Lane Research Business Park on the Proposals Map. The Research Business Park is made up of the existing National Space Centre and adjoining underused previously developed land in a central accessible location. This site specific policy outlines the approach that the City Council will require of any development. Further guidance is provided in Policy PS08 in the Plan Strategy Chapter.

7.68 Given the potential of this particular site for research and development linked to the National Space Centre, its recognized potential as a high quality employment site and the strategic importance of such a site in regional terms it is felt that the current redevelopment opportunities should be safeguarded and allocated for a high quality business development with significant research and development links. Major office development with links to high technology industry will also be permitted within the Research Business Park  (see Policy E05).

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Sunningdale Road Waste Facility Site

7.69. In the previous Local Plan 2.5 hectares of this privately run sports club and playing field were allocated for the expansion needs of the adjoining business. This business has now left the area and the  Playing Pitch Assessment (2001) commissioned by Sport England and the City Council highlights the high quality of these particular pitches. As a result the previous allocation has been rescinded. The current allocation is much smaller and will allow the remaining area to continue to function effectively as a sports ground.

7.70. The 0.8 hectares which are allocated for the waste facility site can only be developed in conjunction with the adjoining employment site to the east. It cannot be developed separately for any other industrial or commercial use. As such, if the development of a waste facility on this site does not come about, the 0.8 hectares will continue to function as part of the sports ground and the allocation will be reviewed in subsequent Local Development Documents.

7.71.  Preliminary work in conjunction with Leicestershire County Council on a new Waste Development Framework (WDF) suggests that the provision of suitable sites for waste treatment and transfer will be a priority for Waste Planning Authorities. When comparing the capacity for waste disposal against the projected volume of waste arisings to 2016 a shortfall already exists. 

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BRAUNSTONE NEW DEAL AREA

7.72. An allocation for a small business development of 1.47 hectares has been identified on the former sports grounds on Hockley Farm Road, west of Braunstone Way to be developed in connection with the Braunstone New Deal Community Initiative. It will depend on the relocation of the playing pitch to Braunstone Park. The whole of this area between Hinckley Road and Hockley Farm Road is a Biodiversity Enhancement Site so that any development will need to be in line with Policy GE03 in the Green Environment Chapter The remaining green space will be used as an amenity and play area. Negotiations with the developer of the business units will be undertaken to ensure that landscaping, access and management of the business development and green space will be achieved to the satisfaction of the City Council. A commuted sum payment will be sought for the refurbishment of the play area. The site is shown as an employment development proposal on the Proposals Map and is therefore also covered by Policy E01.

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