5 EMPLOYMENT SITE ALLOCATIONS

5.1 The Core Strategy identifies the District's needs for employment land to 2026.

5.2 Several studies were carried out on employment and economic development to inform the Core Strategy. The studies consider that in meeting likely future employment requirements:

There is a slight under supply of industrial and warehousing space amounting to 3.5ha. Industrial and warehousing space should generally be retained in employment use but recognise opportunities for relocation or mixed use redevelopment of industrial and warehousing space where this would contribute to wider sustainability objectives and would not harm the overall economic performance of the District
There is an oversupply of office floorspace in the District, in particular as a result of land at Leavesden. Office space may be released from employment use where it is expected to be surplus to employment needs across the plan period. This would need to be supported by an up to date Employment Land Study.

5.3 Core Strategy Policy CP6 sets out that key employment areas within the District are Leavesden Aerodrome, Croxley Business Park, Tolpits Lane, Maple Cross/Maple Lodge, Kings Langley Employment Area, Carpenders Park West and Rickmansworth Town Centre.

5.4 Allocating land as a key employment area protects existing employment uses and directs new employment uses to these areas. Employment uses include offices, factories, warehousing and light industrial.

5.5 Policy CP6 also sets out that the Site Allocations document will identify sites for additional employment floorspace and the boundaries of designated employment areas. It will also identify sites with the potential to accommodate mixed use development.

5.6 It was noted that this was likely to include the introduction of residential and other uses at Leavesden Aerodrome, Kings Langley employment area and Delta Gain, and expansion of business activity at Maple Cross. Opportunities for economic development in the South Oxhey area would also be supported.

5.7 Areas identified as having potential for mixed use may include development for employment, residential and other uses to contribute to sustainable communities and reduce the need to travel.

Identification of Employment Sites

5.8 The adopted Local Plan Proposals Map identifies allocated employment sites. To address employment needs highlighted in the Core Strategy and to reflect changes to employment sites that have taken place over the last ten years, the Site Allocations document has reviewed these allocations taking into account responses to consultations.

5.9 National and local planning policy will guide planning decisions on sites which are not specifically allocated for employment.

Employment Allocations

5.10 Details of individual allocated employment sites are set out below. Appendix 2 shows employment allocations alongside all other allocations by parish area.

5.11 Local Plan 1996-2011 employment allocations are not automatically carried forward, and only those sites identified below will now be allocated for employment/mixed use.

POLICY SA2: EMPLOYMENT SITE ALLOCATIONS

Allocated employment sites will be safeguarded for business, industrial and storage or distribution uses.

Sites allocated as having potential for mixed use development may provide for mixed use development including, but not limited to business, industrial and storage or distribution; residential or community uses.

Employment Site Allocations

Site Ref			E(a)		Site		Croxley Business Park

Comments	Part of zone is within a floodzone. Flood Risk assessment would be required to support planning applications on the site. Adjacent to a SSSI and a Local Nature Reserve. Measures to avoid adverse impacts and to enhance biodiversity will need to be provided by developers, applications would need to be supported by an adequate ecological survey. Minimum of 8m buffer must be provided to ditch on site. The site lies within Source Protection Zone 1. A preliminary risk assessment to determine whether there is contamination of the site and whether further remediation works will need to be undertaken would be required to support planning applications on the site.
Site Ref		E(b)		Site		Tolpits Lane

Comments	Adjacent to a SSSI and Local Nature Reserve. Measures to avoid adverse impacts and to enhance biodiversity will need to be provided by developers; applications would need to be supported by an adequate ecological survey. Groundwater protection zone. Footpath link and/ or green corridor between Croxley Common Moor and Hampermill Lakes will be supported.

Site Ref

E(c)

Site

Carpenders Park West/Delta Gain

Comments

Part of site is within a floodzone. Flood risk assessment would be required to support planning applications on the site.

Minimum 8m buffer must be provided to river on site.

Site Ref

E(d)

Site

Maple Cross/Maple Lodge

Comments

Part of site is within a floodzone. Flood risk assessment would be required to support planning applications on the site.

Minimum 8m buffer must be provided to ditch on site.

Part of the site is adjacent to a wildlife site. Measures to avoid adverse impacts and to enhance biodiversity will need to be provided by developers; applications would need to be supported by an adequate ecological survey.

The site lies within Source Protection Zone 1. A preliminary risk assessment to determine whether there is contamination of the site and whether further remediation works will need to be undertaken would be required to support planning applications on the site.

To ensure the long-term and sustainable planning of the area a planning brief will be prepared for the Froghall Farm/Maple Lodge site by the Council in consultation with relevant stakeholders and those with a land interest.

Site Ref

E(e)

Site

Kings Langley Employment Area

Comments

Individual employment sites within the broad area have not been specifically identified.

Minimum 8m buffer must be provided to River Gade.

Part of the site (north of Masters Yard) is identified as a wildlife site. Measures to avoid adverse impacts and enhance biodiversity will need to be provided by developers, supported by adequate ecological survey.

A number of waste sites are located to the north of the site. Parts of the site are in Source Protection Zones 1 and 2. A preliminary risk assessment to determine whether there is contamination of the site and whether further remediation works will need to be undertaken would be required to support planning applications on the site

Primrose Hill Playing Fields would need to be retained, or replaced with at least equivalent facilities, as part of any redevelopment.

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