8.1 The Economic Development and Prosperity strategy reflects the changing nature of the district’s economy building upon the growth of key sectors and recognising that Harlow is becoming a destination for world class knowledge based businesses. The strategy identifies suitable land for the delivery of new employment land and supports the delivery of committed land at the Enterprise Zone, Public Health England and its Science Campus. The strategy acknowledges the contribution that Harlow Town Centre will make towards job provision in the district, this being set out in the Town Centre Area Action Plan and will look to develop a visitor economy for the district.
8.2 The existing employment areas will continue to make a significant contribution towards employment needs in Harlow and will be maintained and enhanced.
The strategy recognises the importance of providing grow-on space for business expansion. Most importantly, the Economic Development and Prosperity strategy for Harlow aims to improve the skills levels of its residents to align with business needs and to close the gap between workplace and resident earnings.
8.3 This chapter and the policies contained within it will help deliver the Council’s Corporate Priorities, as follows:
8.4 This chapter and the policies contained within it will help deliver the following Local Plan Strategic Objectives:
ED1 Future Employment Land
To reflect the Economic Development and Prosperity Strategy for Harlow and the sub-regional service role of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, up to 18.8ha of B1
(a, b and c) uses are allocated at Harlow Business Park at The Pinnacles and at the Harlow Enterprise Zone at London Road.
Proposals for non-B1 use on these sites will require strong justification.
A further 2.2ha of land is allocated for employment uses (B1a, B1b, B1c, B2 and B8) at Templefields.
These employment sites are allocated on the Policies Map with the following reference numbers.
| REF | LOCATION | CAPACITY(Ha) |
| ED1-1 | Harlow Business Park, The Pinnacles | 4.6ha |
| ED1-2 | London Road | 14.2ha |
| ED1-3 | East Road, Templefields | 2.2ha |
| TOTAL EMPLOYMENT PROVISION | 21ha |
Opportunities for office floorspace in Harlow Town Centre will be identified through the Harlow Town Centre Area Action Plan.
Harlow’s Functional Economic Market Area (FEMA)
8.5 Harlow is set in a unique position with excellent strategic transport links to economic opportunities in London to the south, Cambridge to the north and international destinations via Stansted Airport. This places the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town centrally between a leading world city and one of the highest ranking universities.
8.6 Harlow has a strong commuting pattern with parts of West Essex and East Hertfordshire but also clear commuting links with Cambridge and London 17 . The FEMA for Harlow is therefore broadly based around the Housing Market Area (HMA) which includes Uttlesford, East Hertfordshire and Epping Forest.
8.7 Harlow is an important destination for employees in the FEMA, providing jobs in a range of occupations. The district is fast becoming an attractor for Life Science and MedTech, advanced manufacturing, ICT and digital industries. The delivery of Harlow Enterprise Zone, the relocation of Public Health England and the possible relocation and expansion of Princess Alexandra Hospital will strengthen these growth sectors. London Road, which forms part of the Enterprise Zone, has been specifically identified to facilitate the Research and Development sector of the local economy. Warehouse and general industrial uses on this site will, therefore, require strong justification.
8.8 The Government’s decision to support Garden Town status for the Harlow and Gilston area, delivering in excess of 16,000 homes, has placed an even greater emphasis on the ability of Harlow to deliver space for quality businesses and employment. The Garden Town will look to satisfy a more strategic demand for growth sectors, building on Harlow’s historic and current economic strengths.
8.9 The London Stansted Cambridge Consortium (LSCC) further supports Harlow Enterprise Zone as an important opportunity site for growth sectors in the corridor and identifies the district, and therefore Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, as being a strategically important destination for jobs, particularly high-skilled jobs. The LSCC also endorses the regeneration of Harlow Town Centre and supports the requirement for major improvements to the transport network including Junction 7a on the M11 and the four-tracking of the West Anglia Mainline.
Assessment of Employment Needs
8.10 Evidence was prepared jointly across the FEMA to identify employment needs and floorspace requirements for the area as a whole and for individual districts.
The evidence used employment projections from the East of England Forecasting Model, population growth as stipulated in the SHMA and local evidence to identify an overall floorspace requirement. This concluded that 10 to 24ha of office land (B1a) and 68ha of industrial land (B1b, B1c, B2 and B8) should be planned for during the period of 2016 to 2033.
8.11 For Harlow, the evidence identified the need to plan for a further 2 to 4ha of office land (B1a) and 16ha of industrial land (B1b, B1c, B2 and B8) between 2016 and 2033. The Local Plan has identified sufficient land to meet this requirement through the delivery of the Enterprise Zone and through undeveloped sites at Templefields and The Pinnacles. These sites, along with the Enterprise Zone, have been identified for B1 uses in order to develop the Economic and Prosperity Strategy for Harlow and to reflect the Harlow Economic Development Strategy 2017 to satisfy the strategic demand for growth sectors in the Garden Town. These sites will also assist in delivering a mix of unit sizes for medium and large businesses, small workspaces for start-ups and provide opportunities for grow-on space.
8.12 New jobs will be created in other sectors in Harlow, including through the regeneration of the Town Centre which is already a large provider of retail-based jobs and where regeneration opportunities are being sought through the Harlow Town Centre Area Action Plan. Princess Alexandra Hospital is a major job provider in the district and its expansion will be supported. This is set out in further detail in the Strategic Infrastructure chapter.
8.13 The Council will work with a number of bodies to implement the Economic and Prosperity strategy outlined above. It is imperative that, in order to attract businesses and investment to the district, Harlow has a workforce in place to fill new jobs, provided through new dwellings and working age residents.
This workforce must have the right skills and education to support those jobs and a sustainable infrastructure network that enables employees to access job opportunities and enable businesses to function properly. This includes, for example, working with schools, Harlow College and local employers to improve skills; working with infrastructure providers to bring forward projects such as Junction 7a and four-tracking of the West Anglia Mainline; bringing forward digital infrastructure for smart enablement across the district; and working with local businesses to identify their future needs.
8.14 The Council will work closely with the LSCC who has developed a vision for the core area of Harlow, Epping Forest, East Hertfordshire, Uttlesford and Broxbourne.
This area has been identified as one of the most important and fastest growing economic regions. The Council will also work closely with the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Essex Alliance.
8.15 The Local Plan reinforces the Economic and Prosperity Development strategy by encouraging new employment development in strategic employment areas and protecting existing floorspace.
ED2 Protecting Existing Employment Areas
Existing Employment Areas at The Pinnacles, Templefields, Burnt Mill, Staple Tye, Bush Fair and Church Langley will be retained and enhanced for a mix of office, industrial and warehouse uses and other associated activities in accordance with Policy PR1.
The Enterprise Zone at London Road will facilitate the Research and Development Sector and other associated activities. Employment uses which are not related to the Research and Development sector will, therefore, require strong justification.
Grow-on space will be supported on existing Employment Areas and on future employment sites identified at The Pinnacles (ED1-1) and Templefields (ED1-3).
Neighbourhood Service Areas at The Stow, Bush Fair and Staple Tye will be protected in accordance with Policy PR2 and the provision of smaller start-up units, shared spaces and workhubs in these areas will be encouraged.
In all the above cases, developers will be expected to work with broadband service providers to ensure that the provision of future proofed high speed broadband infrastructure is available to occupiers and this should be by fibre connection wherever possible.
8.16 The district’s existing Employment Areas and Neighbourhood Service Areas, as set out in this policy and shown on the Policies Map, continue to make an important contribution to employment provision and will be protected. To ensure they continue to attract investment, retain employment uses and draw in a variety of local and national businesses, the Council is seeking to bring forward regeneration plans for the north-eastern part of Templefields as part of the Enterprise Zone and improve connectivity to The Pinnacles. The Council will continue to implement the Master Plan for London Road. In respect of London Road North, this policy will ensure that the site continues to deliver Research and Development uses to support the overall economic development strategy for Harlow. The Local Development Order for London Road North lists development uses permitted on the site. Other uses will require strong justification.
8.17 Harlow has a large proportion of small businesses with less than 10 employees, this being slightly lower than the East of England average. Harlow does, however, have more medium to large businesses than the UK and East of England average18 .
This business structure suggests a need for a mix of both small workspaces to capture start-ups, and medium to large units to accommodate expansion and scaling up of a growing business and follow-on space as they become established. It is, therefore, important that the district continues to support the Neighbourhood Service Areas which provide space for start-up businesses, shared spaces and future opportunities for workhubs as well as seek opportunities for future grow-on space for larger businesses.
8.18 To continue to support existing knowledge-based industries, and to promote the development of new ones such as creative industries, high speed broadband is, therefore essential. Policy ED2, along with Policy IN4, aims to improve and secure the delivery of high speed broadband infrastructure.
8.19 The Local Plan ensures that the strategic employment sites continue to provide a mix of B1, B2 and B8 uses and protects the sites from alternative uses unless exceptional circumstances arise. It also protects Neighbourhood Service Areas and supports the provision of smaller units at these sites by discouraging warehousing and industrial uses and amalgamation of units.
8.20 The Council has prepared Article 4 Directions to protect employment uses from conversion.
8.21 When submitting an application, developers for new Employment Areas will be expected to provide information to demonstrate how they have sought to secure high speed broadband provision as part of their proposals
ED3 Developing a Skills Strategy for Harlow
A Skills Strategy which improves the skills and education attainment of Harlow residents will be prepared and delivered in partnership with existing and new businesses, Harlow College and University Centre and other partners including the education authority and Education and Skills Funding Agency.
8.22 Improving skills levels and education attainment is imperative to improving the lives of residents by increasing living standards through higher wages. It is also important in supporting the resident workforce and retaining and attracting businesses which focus on particular growth sectors.
8.23 The Skills Strategy will ensure that economic prosperity in Harlow’s businesses translates to local residents and the local community.
8.24 The Council has prepared an Economic Development Strategy for Harlow which identifies projects and schemes to help improve skills levels across the district.
This includes establishing Workforce Development Plans with large employers, and working with education providers and the Education and Skills Funding Agency to ensure education and training matches need and to explore and promote opportunities that encourage the workforce into particular growth sectors.
8.25 A joint venture between Harlow College and Anglia Ruskin University has already helped to provide additional degrees and foundation degrees at the College including those related to business management, bioscience, engineering, graphic design and journalism.
8.26 The Local Plan supports the employment of local people, work related training and education opportunities in major developments. This will be secured through planning obligations on both commercial and residential proposals.
ED4 Developing a Visitor Economy
A visitor economy will be developed, building upon the district’s arts and cultural attractions, the ‘Sculpture Town’ status, the New Town heritage and natural features such as the River Stort.
Proposals which enhance Harlow’s visitor economy will be supported where they are of a scale, type and appearance appropriate to the locality, provide local economic benefits and are underpinned by appropriate infrastructure.8.27 Harlow has an opportunity to grow and develop its visitor economy, given its strategic position and network links to London and Cambridge, its proximity to Stansted Airport, its New Town heritage and its important collection of public sculpture. The district already hosts a number of facilities which contribute towards this strategy and a sub-regional Town Centre which will continue to provide commercial leisure and night-time activities.
8.28 Developing a visitor economy has multiple benefits that will contribute towards the economic and social wellbeing of local communities. It can regenerate areas, provide employment for local residents, provide business for SMEs and catalyse growth. The London Stansted Cambridge Consortium (LSCC) vision for the Core Area, as set out in the Context, Vision and Objectives chapter, recognises tourism as being a strong economic sector in the area. It makes reference to recreation and green assets, such as the River Stort, being a contributor towards this.
8.29 The Harlow Town Centre Area Action Plan will investigate opportunities to provide leisure and entertainment facilities in order to develop both a day-time and night-time economy in the town centre. This will help in attracting visitors to the district and potentially be a magnet for complementary facilities including hotels and
over-night accommodation.
8.30 Improving Green Infrastructure links will help connect users of the River Stort to the Lee Valley Regional Park, to Epping Forest and north through to Hatfield Forest. It is anticipated that this will bring visitors from the wider region and improve
water-based facilities along the River Stort.
8.31 The Local Plan protects existing cultural, community and sporting facilities which bring visitors into the town, and seeks to provide public art through major development.
17 Office for National Statistics, 2011 Census.
18 Office for National Statistics, 2015. NOMIS Official Labour Market Statistics..
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