Policy WSM 19	Employment-led regeneration at Weston Villages
Core Strategy Policies CS 20: Supporting a Successful Economy CS30: Weston Villages CS28 Weston-super-Mare	Replacement Local Plan Policies E/1c: Weston Regeneration Area H/1: Residential Development Strategy
Policy Intentions: To provide detailed policy guidance on the delivery of the employment-led approach at both Weston Villages and elsewhere within the town. To deliver balanced new development and improve self-containment of Weston-super-Mare over the plan period.
Background: This policy has developed from earlier principles established through previous planning documents in North Somerset including the Replacement Local Plan and more latterly the adopted Core Strategy. The employment-led strategy forms a central strand of the Core Strategy and was subject to significant discussion during the Examination in Public. In principle the strategy seeks to facilitate future residential development that is balanced with sufficient employment creation to ensure new development does not exacerbate the existing imbalance between jobs and homes with all of the negative consequences this brings. This principle relates to the whole of the town and its application will relate specifically to the proposed Weston Villages (Policy WSM 19 - Employment-led regeneration at Weston Villages) and on sites of 10 or more dwellings (including mixed use allocated sites) in the remainder of the Weston Urban Area (Policy WSM 20 - Employment-led regeneration within the Weston urban area excluding Weston Villages). Policy WSM 19 (Employment-led regeneration at Weston Villages) proposes the detailed policy mechanisms that will be used to guide the strategy at the Weston Villages. These will be central to the development management of development proposals there and include specific requirements including the need to provide an Economic Statement with planning applications.

Policy WSM 19: Employment-led regeneration at Weston Villages

Residential development proposals at the Weston Villages will be phased with the delivery of employment development at the Weston Villages to secure 1.5 Full Time Equivalents (FTE) per dwelling over the plan period. The following detailed provisions will be applied to planning applications to ensure the necessary phasing and relationships between employment creation and new homes are in place.

a)  All planning applications that include residential development must demonstrate through an Economic Statement (ES) the range and delivery of employment generating land uses in step with housing. This should include a phasing schedule setting out the number and phased creation of employment against the delivery of new homes.  The ES should also include the proposed typesof employment development, the proposed number of employment opportunities created, and should set out other agreed measures to support local employment creation.

a(1)    For detailed applications, a Detailed Economic Statement (DES) will demonstrate how employment will be delivered (a) in relation to that application, and (b) in relation to the wider sub-area the application site is part of, and if part of a joint sub-area, that wider area.  In instances where a full application spans two sub-areas, the phasing of employment and homes should be considered against the combined sub-areas.

a(2)    For outline applications, an Outline Economic Statement (OES) will demonstrate a broad phasing plan that will provide a context for subsequent reserved matters assessed in line with a(1) above.

a(3)    Reserved matters applications will be accompanied by an DES that updates the original OES submitted with the outline application.

b)   Provided that the ES is satisfactory a phased approach to the delivery of the 1.5 ratio will be taken to allow a minimum of 0.9 jobs per dwelling up to 2017, provided that developers submit within the ES that appropriate provision will be made in later years to make up the balance to achieve 1.5 overall.  This should be supported by an employment trajectory that correlates to the agreed sub-area masterplan identifying which sites will be developed in the early years at the reduced ratio and which sites will be developed to make up any shortfall.  Any such phasing agreement will be set out in a S106 Agreement and through the application of planning conditions.

c)  All employment generating land uses with some exceptions, will be counted towards the release of residential development, however the focus should be on B class employment. Employment should be located at appropriate locations throughout the Weston Villages to ensure land uses are distributed in the right place, contribute to sustainable development and support the successful delivery of the Weston Villages.

d)  Within each approved scheme and in each sub-area, housing delivery will be monitored against employment creation taking into consideration the agreed Economic Statement and phasing agreed through Section 106 and through Conditions.  This phased delivery of each approved proposal should include a 250 dwelling threshold whereby a review will take place and if employment creation has not taken place in line with agreed phasing, a review of the linkage/ phasing and other measures will be considered.   

e)  Each 250 dwelling tranche will relate to an individual sub-area as defined through the Weston Villages SPD.  Where collaboration is taking place between developers across separate sub-areas to create a joint sub-area and an integrated development  proposal, the 250 dwelling tranche will relate to each sub-area.  It will not be acceptable for a single landowner of multiple sub-areas to bring forward residential development on each sub-area as a means of maximising residential growth ahead of the delivery of employment development.  For residential applications of less than 250 dwellings, the 250 dwelling threshold will extend into the next residential application within the same sub-area.

f)  Detailed aspects related to phasing, quantities and other material issues will be agreed between North Somerset Council and the relevant developer(s) on a case by case basis taking into account the parameters set out in this policy, and other material considerations.  They will be agreed through the relevant Economic Statement as required through (a), (a1), and (a2) above. They will be set out in Section 106 Agreements and planning conditions will be used to regulate the delivery.

Policy WSM 20	Employment-led regeneration within the Weston urban area excluding the proposed Weston Villages
Core Strategy Policies CS 20: Supporting a Successful Economy CS28 Weston-super-Mare	Replacement Local Plan Policy H/1: Residential Development Strategy
Policy Intentions: To provide detailed policy guidance on the delivery of the employment-led approach on residential sites of 10 or more dwellings and at the proposed mixed use sites within the Weston Urban Area. To improve self-containment of Weston-super-Mare over the plan period and to ensure that the cumulative effect of large residential developments do not exacerbate the imbalance between jobs and homes in the town.
Background: This policy has developed from earlier principles established through previous planning documents in North Somerset including the Replacement Local Plan and more latterly the adopted Core Strategy. The employment-led strategy forms a central strand of the Core Strategy and was subject to significant discussion during the Examination in Public. In principle the strategy seeks to facilitate future residential development that is balanced with sufficient employment creation to ensure new development does not exacerbate the existing imbalance between jobs and homes with all of the negative consequences this brings. This principle relates to the whole of the town and its application will relate specifically to the proposed Weston Villages (Policy WSM 19 - Employment-led regeneration at Weston Villages) and on sites of 10 or more dwellings (including mixed use allocated sites) in the remainder of the Weston Urban Area (Policy WSM 20 - Employment-led regeneration within the Weston urban area excluding Weston Villages). Policy WSM 20 (Employment-led regeneration within the Weston urban area excluding Weston Villages) proposes the detailed policy mechanisms that will be used to guide the strategy at the Weston Urban Area including at the proposed mixed use sites. These will be central to the Development Management of development proposals there and include specific requirements including the need to provide an Economic Statement with planning applications.

Policy WSM 20:Employment-led regeneration within the Weston urban area and excluding the proposed Weston Villages

Residential development proposals within Weston Urban Area of 10 or more dwellings will be required to deliver employment development on site to secure 1.5 Full Time Equivalents (FTE) per dwelling. The following detailed provisions will be applied to planning applications to ensure the necessary phasing and relationships between employment creation and new homes are in place.

a)        All planning applications that include residential development must demonstrate through an Economic Statement (ES) the range and delivery of employment generating land uses in step with housing.  This should include a phasing schedule setting out the number and phased creation of employment against the delivery of new homes.  The ES should also include the proposed types of employment development, the proposed number of employment opportunities created, and should set out other agreed measures to support local employment creation.

a(1)     For detailed applications, a Detailed Economic Statement (DES) will demonstrate how employment will be delivered in relation to that application.

a(2)     For outline applications, an Outline Economic Statement (OES) will demonstrate a broad phasing plan that will provide a context for subsequent reserved matters assessed in line with a(1) above.

a(3)     Reserved matters applications will be accompanied by an DES that updates the original OES submitted with the outline application.

b)        All employment generating land uses with some exceptions, will be counted towards the release of residential development, however, the focus should be on B class employment. The employment proposed should be compatible with the local area and with wider strategies in the town including the Junction 21 Enterprise Area, Weston Villages proposals and Town Centre regeneration. It should not be sequentially preferable at either of those locations.

c)        Within each approved scheme, housing delivery will be monitored against employment creation taking into consideration the agreed Economic Statement and phasing agreed through S106 and through Conditions. 

d)        Detailed aspects related to phasing, quantities and other material issues will be agreed between the council and the applicant on a case by case basis taking into account the parameters set out in this policy and other material considerations.  They will be agreed through the relevant Economic Statement as required through (a), (a1), and (a2) above. They will be set out in Section 106 Agreements and Planning Conditions will be used to regulate delivery.

e)        In instances where it is either unpractical, unsuitable, or unviable to deliver employment on site (including in relation to part (b) above) a justification will need to be made that focuses on either the adverse impact of the delivery of employment on the site, and/or the adverse impact on overall viability.  The latter should be evidenced through a viability appraisal prepared to an agreed format with the council.  Inability to market a potential location will be a factor in determining the suitability of a site for employment purposes. If it is successfully demonstrated that it would be unsuitable and/or unviable to locate employment on the site, a financial contribution will be sought to mitigate the impact of additional residential.  In the case of viability this contribution may be negotiated, however, the provisions for assessing viability as set out in Policy DM 75 (Development Contributions, Community Infrastructure Levy and viability) will be applied.

Policy WSM 21	Junction 21 Enterprise Area
Core Strategy Policy CS20: Supporting a Successful Economy	Replacement Local Plan Policy E/1c: Weston Regeneration Area
Policy Intentions: To provide a supportive, positive policy context for economic development and job creation at the Enterprise Area.
Background: The Junction 21 Enterprise Area has been established as a mechanism to stimulate economic growth in this part of Weston-super-Mare, increasing investment in the area and the creation of new employment and enterprise. Planning has a key role in facilitating this both in terms of the development strategy for this area as identified through the various planning documents and in terms of any additional measures that can be utilised including the use of Local Development Orders (LDO).

 

Policy WSM 21: Junction 21 Enterprise Area

Within the allocated employment sites at the Junction 21 Enterprise Area as shown on the Proposals Map the council will support and facilitate development for B1, B2 and B8 employment use and introduce complementary measures to speed up and simplify the planning process for appropriate uses and locations. This will include the use of a Local Development Order (LDO) to simplify the process of development in certain areas.