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

SA8SA11To increase investment in the economy and broaden the employment base ofNorth Staffordshire, including the development of new types of work anddiversification of existing businesses.To ensure a balanced portfolio of good quality and available employment landis provided and maintained to meet the needs of existing businesses andpotential inward investors.Thematic options3.19 1. Promotion of all Industrial sites for all types of B uses2. Allocation of specific types of employment and industrial sites inspecific locations3. Promotion of employment and industrial sites which can accommodatea range of uses, where appropriate, which meets different commercialrequirements but can ensure sustainable development in the rightlocations.Policy SS7Employment portfolio sites may accommodate the range of uses set out in Table 4. Theloss of (Class B) employment land will not be permitted unless it can be demonstratedthat having regard to the type of land or premises; its function; its availability; andgrowing economic and market demand; it can be demonstrated that such loss wouldnot be detrimental to the economic prospects of the City.Reasoned Justification3.20 Through a strategic approach to reversing past out-migration from the inner core andbuilding upon a package of measures to grow economic activity in a more balancedway across different sectors of industrial and commercial development a morefocused approach to allocating sites can be developed for specific sectors focusingdevelopment and investment opportunities. Specific industrial area allocations whichare of an appropriate size and scale and take advantage of location and resourceopportunities and to meet the requirements set out in NSIEDS, will guide the rightdevelopment in the right locations. If there are no limitations to the type ofemployment uses on industrial allocations this will encourage business andcommercial premises which, because of the number of employees and minimumoperational requirements can be accommodated within town centre locations andwhere possible within mixed use schemes. Rigidly applying only certain use classeson one site and not another could be too inflexible to cater for changing commercialrequirements. The sites allocated in Table 4 identify a range of uses which could beaccommodated on each of the sites whilst still maintaining a more rigid approach onsome sites where this will aid regeneration and sustainable patterns of development.The portfolio of sites has be drawn up using existing land availability information andsite representations made through the LDF process and known developer interests.To identify a range of uses on each site and develop a strategic policy frameworkthrough which planning applications can be considered presents a more sustainableapproach to plan preparation. Ensuring the larger areas of industrial land inappropriate areas are reserved for industrial uses and can be protected from othercommercial developments, where appropriate. This is in line with national andregional planning policy guidance.27