Bingley Neighbourhood Development Plan

9. Creating an Attractive Environment for Business Investment Comment

9.1 Economic Context

9.1.1 The Vision for the Neighbourhood Plan is clear that Bingley's economic future depends on creating the right environment for local and inward investment. Other parts of this Plan aim to improve the quality of design in new development to improve the attractiveness of the town. A specific focus to ensure the town centre provides an attractive business, cultural and community hub is included. There is also a clear Objective 3 to create and attractive environment for new businesses and new investment.

9.1.2 Bingley has a relatively strong and buoyant economy due to its own attractive surroundings, accessibility to Leeds and Bradford and a good workforce. It is home to over 700 businesses, employing in total 6,000 people. These businesses vary in size from large financial institutions to sole traders. A significant employer is Damart which employs approximately 500 people.

9.1.3 There is good, mainly local demand, for vacant units, especially office-related space, as they become available. A good example is the office park on Dowley Gap Lane, which is rarely unoccupied.

9.1.4 According to the 2011 Census, some 64.0% of the population area is of working age i.e. between the ages of 16 and 64. A further 17.8% are aged under 16 years of age, with the remainder being aged over 65. Of those in employment, some 49% are classed as either Technical/Professional or Senior Management. This figure is high in comparison to Bradford (34.8%) and England and Wales (40.9%). 45.8% of the population is qualified to Level 3 (2 A Levels and above), compared to Bradford (39.9%) and England and Wales (39.8%). Unemployment is relatively low.

9.1.5 Bingley Town Council wants to work in partnership with local business and other stakeholders to develop a co-ordinated approach to the economic development of the town.

9.1.6 The Bradford Adopted Core Strategy plans to strengthen the economic role of Bingley both for the town and wider area. Sub Area Policy AD1: Airedale, states, "Keighley and Bingley will be the principal focus for indigenous economic development including starter units for small and medium sized businesses, business park premises for larger digital, design and knowledge, financial and service sectors at Dalton Lane Business Innovation Zone and Royd Ings". The emerging Local Plan does not alter the basic elements of this strategy, but will set out updated requirements for employment land provision together with site allocations.

9.2 Employment Provision

9.2.1 Employment provision in the town is clustered in and around the town centre and along the Airedale Corridor. Reflecting this, five sites were allocated in the adopted Bradford Replacement Unitary Development Plan (2005) specifically for employment development.

9.2.2 These were:

1. S/E1.9 Castlefields Lane, Crossflatts
2. S/E1.10 Castlefields Road, Crossflatts
3. S/E1.14 Land Adjacent to The Airedale Route, Crossflatts
4. S/E6.1 Bingley
5. S/E6.2 Crossflatts

9.2.3 Further information about these five sites, including locations plans, is on Bradford Council's website.

9.2.4 The continued allocation (and safeguarding) of these five sites for employment purposes was advocated in the adopted Core Strategy. The emerging Local Plan proposes to retain four of these sites as allocations but remove S/E6.1 as this has already been substantially developed for road infrastructure. This is a policy position that the Neighbourhood Plan supports.

9.2.5 In addition to the five major employment areas identified above, there are several smaller employment sites and buildings to be found across the town. Many of these are situated in residential areas or in the countryside. They play an important, and growing, role in the economy of the town.

9.2.6 The existing employment provision of the town is under pressure. Recent years has seen the gradual loss of employment sites to housing and other uses, many close to where people live. Further, the Government's extension of Permitted Development Rights, allowing for a change of use from business premises to residential and other uses without the need to secure planning permission, places an element of uncertainty over current and future supply of employment sites.

9.2.7 This trend is of some concern to the community. There is limited space for new employment sites. Without action, it will undermine the economic role and success of the town and contribute to it becoming a dormitory settlement where people commute, often long distances, to work in nearby centres.

9.2.8 It is vital, therefore that, wherever possible, existing employment sites and buildings in the town are safeguarded for employment generating uses. It is recognised, however, that there may be some circumstances where it may not be appropriate or beneficial to safeguard an existingemployment site or building. Where, for example, its design may not be suited, or easily adapted, to meet the needs of modern business. The Plan, therefore, seeks to retain suitable employment sites and buildings that meet modern business needs, a policy position that is supported by local and national planning policy.

9.2.9 There is no effective policy that can be adopted in the Neighbourhood Plan to protect employment sites given national planning policy provisions which allow change of use, existing Core Strategy policy EC3 and emerging Local Plan policies. Instead, all that can be done is to ensure that the employment premises and sites remain attractive for business, meet functional requirements, allow expansion where needed, are promoted/marketed effectively. Policy BING4 below provides support in this aim.

9.2.10 Proposals to redevelop sites in employment for non-employment uses should only be consented when it is clearly demonstrable that a site is no longer required or financially viable for its current or an alternative employment use and that a suitable buyer cannot be found. Applicants will demonstrate the genuine marketing efforts required in Policy BING4 by the following means:

• The site has been continually marketed for its existing use (including other employment uses) for 6 months over the last 12 months prior to the application being submitted.
• All opportunities to re-let/re-occupy the site have been fully explored.
• The site has been marketed using a variety of methods and marketing tools available that are likely to attract future occupiers (including advertising boards, online marketing and mailshots).
• The site has been marketed at a price which is considered reasonable (i.e. using recent and similar transactions) for existing use and other suitable alternative uses agreed with the Council
• (applicant should submit at least three recent comparables).
• Issues with re-occupying / letting / selling: When prospective owners / tenants showed interest in the premises, why did they not pursue it any further? A full list of interest parties and their reasons for not pursuing this premises further for its permitted uses would need to be submitted

9.3 Policy References

Bradford Adopted Core Strategy Policy EC3, Emerging Local Plan EC1 and District Strategic Land Assessment 2020.

9.4 Supporting Small and Start-up Businesses

9.4.1 Within the Parish, there is a significant and growing number of small businesses. While precise figures on the number of small businesses locally and nationally are hard to come by, what evidence there is suggests that the proportion of small businesses is relatively high. According to the 2011 Census, 10.1% of the economically active population stated that they were self-employed. This compares to 8.9% for Bradford and 9.8% for England.

9.4.2 As a location for small and start-up businesses, the town has considerable potential for further growth, especially office related, due to its attractive surroundings, availability of good quality sites andpremises, workforce and accessibility, especially to the motorway network. The Plan is keen to encourage their growth in appropriate locations. A flourishing small business sector is key to a sustainable, diverse and vibrant economy and community.

9.4.3 Often these can operate in residential areas from a home office, above a shop or a small workshop without causing nuisance or detriment to the environment. Though such types of development often do not necessarily need planning permission, where it is required, the Plan is generally supportive of their provision when it is in a suitable and appropriate location. In some circumstances, this could include the conversion of existing or redundant buildings such as barns, former mills and vacant spaces above shops.

9.4.4 There are examples of where the planning system has actively supported the development of new and small businesses such as through the provision of small business units specifically tailored to the needs of small businesses.

9.5 Policy References

Bradford Adopted Core Strategy Policies EC1, EC2 and EC4, Emerging Local Plan EC2 and EC3.