CITY OF STOKE-ON-TRENT LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ...

Policy Aims (PA)3.9 PA4 To ensure that employment land in the right amounts is provided of the righttype and in the right place to meet projected future employment land needs to2021PA5PA6To ensure no desirable development is lost due to a lack of site availabilityTo ensure established employment areas have adequate provision for theirimprovementSpatial Policies3.10 The Development Portfolio must take account of national planning policy includingsecuring sustainable development. Planning Policy Guidance Note 4: Industrial andCommercial Development (PPG4) recognises that many urban areas contain largeamounts of land, once used for industrial purposes but now under-used or vacant.National policy objectives recognise that getting this land back into beneficial use isimportant to the regeneration of towns and cities and that optimum use should bemade of potential sites and existing premises in inner cities and other urban areas,taking into account such factors as accessibility by public transport, particularly in thecase of labour-intensive uses.3.11 An essential element of Government guidance in the preparation of the LocalDevelopment Framework, is the approach of plan, monitor and manage. The Stokeon-TrentLand Availability database contains information, updated on an annualbasis, of all available development land available for a number of uses, includingindustrial and commercial, and whether the sites are current development planallocated sites, whether they are available for development, what planningpermissions have been granted and the likely timescale for development. Thedatabase provides the baseline data for Regional Monitoring Returns and providesstatistical and planning application information for potential developers. This databasehas been used to form the baseline information for this Development Portfolio.3.12 The ‘Prosperity for All Chapter’ within RSS contributes to the maintenance of high andstable levels of economic growth as a key element of the overall strategy forsustainable development. The strategy encourages diversification of the regionaleconomy through the promotion of high value-added businesses and the attraction ofinward investment. Existing economic activities in the Region are encouraged tomodernise, both to stay competitive and to embrace the opportunities offered by newtechnologies and ICT, particularly through improvements and innovations in productsand processes. The potential for existing industries to apply new technology to helpaddress the implications of global climate change is also recognised.3.13 RSS policies and requirements are translated into spatial policies for NorthStaffordshire within the Core Spatial Strategy. Preferred policies coveringEmployment within the Economic Prosperity Section are:• Key Economic Opportunities (CP15) – recognising the development of theNorth Staffordshire’s economy will be achieved through a number ofmechanisms such as diversification and modernisation of the City Centre,harnessing the creative and knowledge assets and improvement in the levels ofproductivity, modernisation and competitiveness of existing economic activities.• Meeting Employment Needs (CP16) – providing the total economic growthprovision to 2021.22