brentwood.gov.uk

Employment Land - Need and Supply -

ECC acknowledges the ambition to develop new key strategic employment sites but this needs to be set within the wider context of Brentwood's Spatial Strategy, and any location needs to be consistent with the criteria to seek to ensure future developments are located in accessible locations reducing the need to travel. ECC therefore withholds support until the appropriate highway modelling has been undertaken, to assess both the site specific and cumulative impacts of such developments on the local, and wider, highway network.

ECC supports the proposed strategy of providing a range of employment and business development, through new employment (B use) land and existing employment sites, and their redevelopment where appropriate. However ECC considers uses should not be restricted to B use classes on allocated employment sites, other sectors, such as retail, hotel and leisure also need be provided for. Furthermore consideration should be given to the need for providing businesses with sufficient flexibility for them to function which reflects requirements for 'Grow-On Space'. ECC welcome the opportunity to engage with BBC in considering which interventions are the most appropriate and viable to ensure the Draft Plan provides flexible local employment space (such as flexible tenure) to meet the employment and economic needs of the Borough.

ECC welcomes and supports the ambition for economic growth in Brentwood Borough, seeking to deliver the upper range of employment land requirements, and notes the additional evidence base produced since the Draft Local Plan (2016) consultation, including the Economic Futures 2013-2033 (November 2017), and the Brentwood Economic Strategy (2017-2020).

As ECC advised under the Spatial Strategy section of this Appendix, concerns are raised over the allocation of 57% of the new employment land on one site, Brentwood Enterprise Park (BEP). The Economic Forecast Report also highlights concerns with regard to the considerable reliance on the BEP employment allocation. It is recommended that consideration be given to the phasing and deliverability of the site, to ensure a readily available supply of employment land across the short, medium and long term.

Furthermore ECC would draw attention to the 'red line' boundary for the Lower Thames Crossing major road scheme, which seeks to incorporate a significant part of the BEP employment allocation. Clarification is sought over the deliverability of the full allocation over the Plan period, particularly given the need for the site to come forward in the short, medium and long term.

ECC acknowledges the significant contribution the BEP allocation would make to meeting the employment needs of the borough over the Plan period. However, its location, in close proximity to the M25 and A127, which is presently over capacity, provides primarily car based connections to service centres, and potential sources of employees. The location is not favourable to sustainable transport measures and at present there is limited evidence regarding any potential connectivity of the proposed development via sustainable transport measures. Additional clarification will be required regarding opportunities for such measures, and the output of any impact on the strategic junction, local road network, and potential mitigation requirements. The potential impact on the above would also depend on the mix of B1, B2 and B8 uses proposed on the site.