A thriving economy drives everything else - the jobs we do, how and where we do them shapes the rest of our lives. Through the Local Plan we can:

• Set out how many and what sort of jobs will be needed in North Somerset up to 2038 to support our residents and businesses.
• Help to tackle inequalities through economic growth that is inclusive and helps to improve peoples’ life chances.

Whilst about a third of North Somerset’s residents currently commute out of the area for work, mostly to Bristol, this means that the majority work more locally. There is a lot of uncertainty created by both the Brexit process and Covid-19 and the impact these will have on the economy. We’ll keep this under review and collect new evidence, although it certainly seems that creating new jobs will be a priority for this plan period.

Meanwhile, the 2018 North Somerset Employment Land Review showed that we need to plan for around 13,500 new jobs over the 15 year plan period. This will mean using around 28.5ha of land for this new growth. Some employment land has also been converted to other uses and more work is being done to look at whether we need to make up for this.

Recently Weston-super-Mare has been promoted as an employment centre to support regeneration and reduce out-commuting and we’ve tried hard to retain the land which is already reserved for business uses. Most of the land for business growth in North Somerset is in Weston, with an emphasis on Junction 21 Enterprise Area. Recent major housing planning permissions have all been linked with providing additional land for businesses.

Planning for economic growth and jobs will need to reflect the changing nature of the economy and demand for land. We’ll need to support priority sectors and local businesses that play a key role in the economy. Regenerating town centres and tourism will be important. There is likely to be more home working, digital infrastructure, and possibly more localised hubs rather than large offices. The plan will also need to address the requirements of the Port and Airport considering their wider economic role, and the jobs and benefits they generate.

QUESTION 4: How should we plan for how you and your family will work in the future, or the future needs of your business?