4.01 In translating strategic guidance, the vision for employment policy in the Local Plan is to: ‘Achieve a prosperous, dynamic and sustainable local economy which meets the needs for local jobs and maintains a diverse business community within established environmental designations’.

4.02 In the policy framework as set out below, employment generating uses are defined as those uses which fall within Part B of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, as amended. Business and Industrial Uses are central to the functioning of the District’s economy, although it is fully recognised that other forms of development have significant employment generating potential. This is reflected in other chapters of this Local Plan.

4.03 Wycombe District has a robust and diverse economic base which is continually changing to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. The District’s economy has undergone considerable restructuring with a growth in new knowledge, technology and service based industries. This has been mirrored by a decline in traditional manufacturing and warehousing sectors. The District Council supports the creation of a dynamic modern economy and wishes to continue to attract investment and jobs in the future growth industries. The Council has a dedicated unit actively involved in promoting economic development with a programme of work reviewed annually in an action plan. This work focuses on promoting skills development and training, support for business and marketing of the District to potential investors. The unit operates within a regional framework and is guided by the Regional Development Agency's (South East England Development Agency) Regional Economic Strategy '2002-2012'. Working in the Thames Valley region the Council's Business Development and Regeneration Division works closely with other agencies to meet its own and these partner objectives. In addition to SEEDA and local government agencies across the County, these business support and training agencies include Bucks Economic Partnership (BEP), Business Link ~ Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire (MKOB), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Thames Valley Economic Partnership (TVEP) as well as business organisations, such as Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TVCCi) and private landowners, developers, agents and businesses.

Back to Top

4.04 By way of national planning context, Planning Policy Guidance Note 1: General Policy and Principles (PPG1, February 1997) recognises that the planning system has a key role in meeting the needs of a growing economy, in a way which is consistent with sustainable development. It considers it important that the locational demands of businesses are taken into account when preparing Development Plans. PPG1 also recognises that development sites should be consistent with the need to reduce reliance on the use of private cars. Planning Policy Guidance Note 12: Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance (PPG12, February 1997) encourages Development Plans to address economic considerations such as revitalising and broadening the local economy and stimulating employment opportunities. This means adopting a flexible approach in identifying a range of sites available to business.

4.05 Planning Policy Guidance Note 4: Industrial and Commercial Development in Small Firms (PPG4, November 1992) emphasises the need for economic growth to be pursued together with a high quality environment and that Development Plans should aim to ensure that there is sufficient developable land available, well served by infrastructure. PPG4 also refers to the Town and Country (Permitted Development) Order 1995 and Use Classes Order 1987, which seeks to allow changes of use between some types of employment, without the need for planning permission. It emphasises that Local Plans should not generally seek to restrict this freedom, so as to allow for flexibility and innovation. PPG4 supports the reuse or recycling of urban land which is under-used, vacant and important to the regeneration of urban areas. It also encourages development to locations which minimise the length and number of trips, especially by motor vehicle and discourages development that will unacceptably add to congestion.

4.06 PPG13 (March 2001) has the objective of integrating planning and transport at the national, regional, strategic and local level to promote more sustainable transport choices, promote accessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure facilities and services by public transport, walking and cycling; and to reduce the need to travel, especially by car.

4.07 The District Council aims to secure sustainable development in the countryside and to meet the social and economic needs of people who live and work in the rural areas. As agricultural practices are becoming less dominant in the countryside, a key objective for the District Council is to maintain a buoyant economy in sustaining a living and working countryside. Policies and proposals relating to the rural economy are in the Local Plan Chapter, ‘The Countryside and the Rural Economy’.

4.08 The Regional Context is set out within the published Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9, March 2001). The guidance has a vision of encouraging economic success throughout the region. The main principles governing the continuing development of the Region include urban areas as the main focus for development, increasing economic opportunities by raising skills levels, and reducing disparities between different parts of the region. This context needs to be set alongside the Government’s aim to give continued protection to the Metropolitan Green Belt and to protected landscape areas such as the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

4.09 Southern Buckinghamshire forms part of the Western Policy Area which includes High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Guildford and is recognised as an area that is on the whole economically very buoyant and characterised by pressures and constraints. Guidance points out that the region has enjoyed rapid growth in the past, which has put pressure on its infrastructure. This growth is unlikely to be sustained in the future and the M40 should be regarded as a corridor of movement rather than development. Regional Policy places a clear emphasis upon making better use of existing employment land resources and sustainable locations for development, within an overall policy context that focuses development on urban areas and which only allows greenfield development after other alternatives have been considered.

4.10 In reflecting regional guidance, the Adopted Buckinghamshire County Council Structure Plan (March 1996) proposes most new economic development in the Northern half of the County, with a greater emphasis on restraint in the South. It recognises the specific role and challenges facing the High Wycombe Urban Area whereby it will be important to support the restructuring of the local economy, protect existing employment sites and permit new or replacement employment provision in appropriate circumstances. Outside High Wycombe, the Structure Plan allows for new employment development in settlements beyond the Green Belt where significant new housing growth is identified. The Structure Plan also contains a presumption against new employment generating development within the Green Belt.

Back to Top

4.11 The key objectives of Local Plan policies for employment are:

Back to Top

4.12 The Adopted County Structure Plan proposes most new economic development in the Northern half of the County and defines employment policy for Southern Buckinghamshire, as one of restructuring the local economy. The County Structure Plan acknowledges the specific role and challenges facing the High Wycombe Urban Area in respect of employment provision, and identifies High Wycombe as a main employment growth centre. The County Structure Plan recognises that High Wycombe may require new employment provision to secure a more diversified economic base. In achieving balanced economic development and restructuring of the local economy, Structure Plan policy allows the development of new employment land, but only where this is in substitution for an equivalent area of existing employment land within the District which has been redeveloped for non - employment uses.

4.13 Within the District, High Wycombe town centre is the most sustainable location for employment, given its function as a public transport interchange. In this area there are strong policy grounds for protecting net residential accommodation (see policies H10 and H21) and retail units (see policies S3 and S4). Provided there is no net loss of residential or retail accommodation, employment development, likely to be on the upper floors of mixed use schemes, is acceptable within the S1 policy area for High Wycombe.

4.14 In the remainder of the District, Structure Plan Policy allows small scale new employment development within settlements beyond the Green Belt where new housing has been designated, provided that this does not undermine the concentration strategy for High Wycombe. The Structure Plan provides the scope to provide for sensitive, small-scale employment generating development appropriate to the local needs of rural settlements beyond the Green Belt.

4.15 Established employment areas and scattered employment sites make a significant contribution to employment land supply within the District. The District Council seeks to protect these sites and recognises their crucial role in the maintenance and restructuring of the local economy.

Back to Top

4.16 Business Parks have been identified as being suitable to meet the needs of high technology and prestigious office firms rather than general industries. This reflects their prominent locations and purpose built nature of design and layout. Covering some 34 Ha there are a total of 6 designated business parks. These are:

1. Kingsmead Business Park, High Wycombe;
2. Peregrine Business Park, High Wycombe;
3. Dun and Bradstreet, Holmers Farm Way, High Wycombe;
4. Globe Park, Marlow;
5. Marlow International, Marlow; and
6. Beacon Heights, Ibstone Road, Stokenchurch.

Acceptable uses are development which falls within Use Class B1 of the Schedule to the Use Classes Order 1987. Planning permission will not be granted for general industrial or warehousing uses on these sites. Development which is permitted will be expected to provide a very high standard of building design, landscaping and satisfactory access arrangements. The only undeveloped Business Park is land at Beacon Heights, Ibstone Road, Stokenchurch, which is marketed under the name Vantage 5. One of the reasons this has not been developed is understood to be its lack of a significant highway frontage. The boundaries of the site have therefore been extended to include the dwellings on the road frontage. Given the AONB location a high standard of design and building materials will also be required. Furthermore the location makes the provision of a Green Travel Plan in line with Policy T16 essential.

Back to Top

4.17 Employment Areas are composite areas already in employment generating use which form the principal employment base of the District. They are a finite resource and in order therefore that they can be responsive to market conditions and remain economically viable all employment generating uses are acceptable in principle within them. Employment Areas extend to some 143 Ha and provide a variety of sites and units to meet the differing practical needs of both large and small firms.

4.18 The rate at which Employment Areas are developed for other purposes has been monitored. Identified losses have been on such a scale that if allowed to continue they will prejudice the Local Plan’s ability to support a diverse and dynamic local economy. The use and development of employment areas will continue to be monitored.

4.19 Covering some 86 Ha and approximately 300 individual sites, many existing industrial and business premises are scattered throughout residential areas, rural areas, town centres and local centres. The District Council considers that these are a particularly suitable source of accommodation for small firms provided their activities are acceptable environmentally. Between 1991 and 1997, 4.7 Ha of scattered employment land was redeveloped for uses other than employment. Given the important role of these sites in providing sustainable patterns of living, the loss of locally based, accessible employment land will be resisted.

4.20 The District Council will seek to adopt a favourable approach in determining applications for employment generating uses on scattered employment sites. In all cases the most important consideration will be the merits of the scheme itself in its environment and highway context. Non-employment generating uses will only be considered where it can be clearly demonstrated that the use of a site for employment generating uses is no longer practicable due to, for example, inadequate access, unacceptable impact on surrounding residential property or clear evidence of a lack of potential or existing occupiers.

4.21 There are a number of uses falling outside the “B” uses classes, which have many of their characteristics, which do not fall within any Use Class. These are often referred to as “sui generis” uses. Such uses therefore are also acceptable within scattered employment generating sites, subject to the other criteria. It should be stressed that uses falling within other use classes such as leisure or retail uses are not acceptable.

4.22 In the case of the sites listed below the current occupiers go beyond being simply non- conforming but can be considered to be badly sited. These are well-established uses for a number of years and there is limited planning enforcement to control or limit these uses. The Council will seek to ensure that the sites are redeveloped in accordance with surrounding land uses; in most cases this will mean residential development, but in order to make it work for the current user to relinquish a valuable use this may involve an element of compromise.

4.23 The Local Planning Authority will not permit any development of the sites that would result in the consolidation or worsening of the nuisances or problems which exist, or create new ones. Once the site is vacant the local planning authority will not permit any development that would facilitate the reoccupation of the site for purposes that are not compatible with the surrounding land uses. The possibility of losing these sites from employment generating use is considered to have only a negligible potential effect on the overall supply of employment generating opportunities in the District and therefore would not affect the employment strategy of this Local Plan.

Back to Top

4.24 Policy H6 allocates the Wycombe Marsh site for a mixed-use development. The ‘Paper Mill’ part of the site currently has planning permission for 11 474 sq m of B1 floorspace. As part of a wider, comprehensive package, the use of at least 2 hectares is now proposed for employment generating purposes, including an element of B1(c).

Back to Top

4.25 The Princes Estate, formerly the Building Research Establishment, is a self-contained site of 9.4 hectares on the west side of Princes Risborough. In the Wycombe Rural Areas Local Plan and the Wycombe District Local Plan the site was allocated as an isolated employment site within the open countryside. In both plans there was a site specific policy promoting the comprehensive redevelopment of the site. That approach continues. In meeting Princes Risborough’s future employment needs, the Princes Estate is identified as a key strategic employment site.

4.26 An outline permission for the redevelopment of this site with 18 580 square metres of business use was granted in 1994 but has not been implemented. A proposal for 5574 square metres of B1 buildings and residential development was dismissed on appeal in 1996 on the basis that the residential element represented the loss of land identified for employment purposes. In 1999 the Council resolved to permit a redevelopment scheme which totalled 28 512 square metres of new floor space comprising 14 256 square metres of B1(a) floorspace and 14 256 square metres of B1(b), B1(c), B2 and B8 development. In April 1999 Ercol announced their intention to relocate to the Princes Estate and the new factory was opened in October 2002. The Council’s policy remains one of protecting the entire estate for employment purposes and to encourage its redevelopment for a range of employment opportunities and a variety of B1, B2 and B8 premises in order to meet the employment needs of future strategic housing development as well as local needs.

4.27 Given the environmental constraints of the site, in particular the relationship with Horsenden Conservation Area, the relationship with the open countryside, and also the need to fully understand the highway implications of the redevelopment of the site, development proposals should represent a comprehensive development of the entire site. There are also infrastructure problems in relation to the site, and the County Highways Authority has expressed particular concern in this regard. The Council would wish to ensure that the amount and character of traffic generated on surrounding residential roads, (particularly Summerleys Road) and town centre roads would not have an environmentally adverse impact. The site is in close proximity to the railway station. The opportunity should be taken to link the site through to the railway station via an extension of the existing pedestrian bridge, and there may be an opportunity to provide additional parking for the railway station, subject to highway considerations.

Back to Top

4.28 Stockwell’s Timber Yard at Stokenchurch is at present occupied by a low-intensity, mainly storage use. If, as an alternative to the present use, development of the site is proposed this should be in the form of a mixed business, general industrial and warehousing redevelopment. This designation recognises the commercial nature of the existing timber yard use and the locational advantage of a site close to the M40 motorway junction.

4.29 However, within such a development, a minimum of 50% of the total floorspace should take the form of small units for existing firms or seed bed units for new business ventures. Stokenchurch, in particular, has many small industries which occupy sites that are not appropriate by current standards but which provide local employment and represent the traditional industrial structure of the area. The present trend is for sites occupied by these firms to be redeveloped for residential purposes thus possibly contributing to an improvement of the local environment but displacing local firms which may have difficulty in relocating.

4.30 The redevelopment of the timber yard, with a proportion of small units, may enable small local firms, whether badly sited or simply seeking better premises, to relocate or new firms to become established. Development of a seedbed scheme, including some shared administrative services, may be appropriate and would in principle be acceptable so long as the units themselves are designed as independent units in order to prevent amalgamation and occupation by larger firms (which are more appropriately located on sites in the employment areas). In addition, the District Council wants to ensure a mix of business uses on the site and will restrict the proportion of small units to a maximum of 40% in the B1 use category.

4.31 The site is within the AONB and adjoins an area of open countryside. In order to minimise its impact, a high degree of soft landscaping is required throughout the site and especially along the western boundary. Native species, as found in the surrounding countryside, should be used.

Back to Top

4.32 Many small enterprises start by people working in or from their homes. Technological innovation may well increase the incidence of home working, not only for the self-employed but also for employees. This trend could help to reduce the demand for travel at peak times. The District Council supports homeworking, which can make a contribution to more sustainable lifestyles.

4.33 Planning permission is not generally required where the use of part of a home for business purposes does not change the overall residential character of the property. However, where planning permission is needed, proposals will be assessed according to the criteria set out in Policy E9 below.

Back to Top

Chapter 5: Retailing>

<Chapter 3: Housing