4 Issues and Options

4.1 Introduction

While there are a range of opportunities and constraints that need to be resolved and/or balanced in the JAAP area, the future strategy for the area will be principally determined by a small number of issues and options for the area. These are discussed below.

(14) 4.2 Issue 1: The Future Development and Role of London Southend Airport

There are a number of ways in which the future development and role of London Southend Airport will materialise, as discussed previously. In essence there are potentially three scenarios for the future of the airport that are determined by the investment potential and the extent to which the asset can be utilised to act as a driver for the local and subregional economy. The potential options are:

1. Continue the current airport model (MRO focus). The low investment option for the airport would continue to see incremental growth in the functioning of the airport using its current infrastructure. Growth in activity at the airport has been limited in the recent past and very much focused towards expansion of the MRO functioning of the airport. Aircraft movements are currently in the order of 39,000 movements per annum and would be anticipated to increase to around 50,000 movements per annum (last seen in 2000). Investment would be restricted to redevelopment or improvement of existing facilities and limited MRO opportunities as they come forward. Within this constraint the result would be limited growth in passenger numbers from a current level of 30,000 passengers per annum³, but this would be constrained by the fact that limited operators would find the airport an attractive commercial proposition given its facilities and catchment. In terms of economic benefits, new employment would be limited to MRO growth and any wider aviation clustering opportunities would be restricted. The airport, however, would not be the economic driver required by Southend and Rochford to help achieve employment aspirations.
2. Airport growth: existing runway and new facilities. The Airport Masterplan 2005 sets out a vision for how the airport could grow towards being a regional airport based on using its current runway (length 1,610 metres). The key to this option is the provision of new passenger infrastructure in the form of a new railway station for the airport and investment in new passenger terminal facilities. The importance of the railway is fundamental to increasing the attractiveness of the airport to potential airline operators as it increases the size of the passenger catchment to include core markets within London (by reducing the travel time to the airport). With this investment, the airport masterplan indicates there is the potential to increase passenger movements at the airport to around 1 million passengers by 2012 and up to 2 million passengers by 2030. Independent analysis of the masterplan forecasts undertaken by York Aviation highlight that while they are theoretically achievable, they are highly optimistic given the airport would remain constrained to airlines who operate smaller aircraft. In this regard there is a high level of risk associated with this option. The economic reality is that passenger operators are operating larger and more efficient aircraft and will view the airport as a constraint to commercial operation. This then casts doubt on whether the investment in the infrastructure is viable to proceed. In terms of economic benefits, growth of the airport would underpin the wider aspirations of the area but are relatively high risk in respect of potential deliverability given the reality of the situation.
3. Airport growth: extended runway and new facilities. The final option for the future of the airport is based on the option above with the addition of increasing the length of the runway (up to 1,799 metres). This addition has an important impact in terms of the capacity potential of the airport and its resultant attractiveness to airline operators. Currently the runway is an identified constraint on the operation of the airport. By lengthening the runway across Eastwoodbury Lane into the current RESA area it would mean that larger aircraft (such as Boeing 737s) would be able to be operated fully laden out of the airport for business and passenger uses, making the airport a more attractive fixed base for a wider range of operators. The airport is likely to grow faster to a capped passenger capacity of two mppa because given the new runway and railway station it would attract two or three fixed base operators to the airport in a relatively short period of time. The lengthened runway would also give a boost to the business market and MRO markets by attracting new fleets and making the airport a more efficient base for these purposes. Given the growth on the airport is dependent on its ability to attract operators (through offering an enhanced asset) the risks of this option are greatly reduced. The likelihood of reaching the passenger forecasts is strong which in turn improves the potential for investment in the other assets of the railway station, passenger terminal, and supporting facilities. In economic benefit terms the airport under this option would clearly act as a driver for the local economy, providing direct employment as well as enhanced opportunities for wider aviationrelated and business employment.

(4) 4.3 Issue 2: The future of the JAAP as an employment area.

Reflecting the area’s position within the Thames Gateway South Essex growth area, the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) has set challenging employment growth targets for the Southend and Rochford area. In total an additional 16,000 jobs are targeted for the area in the period to 2021, of which approaching half will be B Use Class employment requiring land allocations within the emerging Local Development Frameworks (LDFs). Within the context of existing employment land in Southend (which as identified in the evidence base is generally poor quality and constrained) the Southend Regeneration Framework and emerging LDF policy anticipate an increased employment focus within the JAAP. For example, the recent Regeneration Framework indicates the JAAP area could provide approximately 80,000 sq.m. of new commercial floorspace in the form of a new business park to the north of Aviation Way.

Given the amount of potential land within the JAAP area the scale of employment provision in the area will be constrained not by land but by market conditions; sequential testing to justify the level of office provision appropriate outside of the Town Centre; and sustainability in transport and environmental terms.

The proposed increased employment focus in the JAAP could take a variety of different forms depending on the both the scale and nature of employment growth that is envisaged, and the level that can be sustainably accommodated. The potential options for increasing the employment focus are outlined below.

1. Low scale employment growth. The analysis of the existing employment areas within the JAAP identify that land is currently under-used with a mixture of low density employment development and some opportunity sites. Therefore, there is an opportunity to increase employment in the area through intensifying the use of current employment land and not allocating additional employment land. In choosing this option, employment growth in the area would be relatively limited, providing the potential for additional 15,000 sq.m. of B1 floorspace capable of accommodating up to 620 additional jobs. The nature of this additional employment would be partially constrained by the existing premises offer in the area as the complete restructuring of the area would not be possible. Therefore, any new employment development would be focused primarily towards light industrial and aviation-related uses, with some potential for office provision. The area would support employment growth in light industrial sectors but would provide a secondary role in terms of accommodating employment growth in the office based professional sectors. Recent evidence suggests there is demand for sites and premises in the area which indicates this limited scenario is highly achievable.
2. Medium scale employment growth. To increase the role the JAAP plays in future employment provision, a more focused and pro-active approach to developing opportunities will be required. This will entail allocation of new employment land to create a new ‘market’ offer for potential investors and businesses. This would be in addition to the intensification of existing land use. Given the character and assets of the JAAP it is seen that there are two approaches to medium growth.
   
   One would be to focus effort towards developing an aviation cluster in the area by building on the current level of aviation related businesses. This approach is predicated on airport growth to create the capacity and depth of activity to generate a clustering opportunity. It would include businesses that require runway access (located within the airport boundary) and those that provide support MRO and related services that would be located on neighbouring employment areas. The new employment land allocation would be used to develop additional sites and premises restricted for use by aviation-related businesses. This would require a clear policy stance by the local authorities in terms of the types of businesses and development that is acceptable. There are risks associated with such a targeted approach to land use in that opportunities would be highly dependent on the ability of the airport to grow. The JAAP would not support wider employment growth needs in the area and would therefore limit market potential to solely aviation related businesses and restrict other activities from locating in the area.
   
   The other approach would be for the JAAP to support the wider employment growth envisaged in the sub-region by increasing the opportunity for B Use Class employment growth. With forecasts indicating growth in B1 markets over the period to 2021 the focus of new development would be towards business park and office style accommodation supported by some new light industrial provision. The lack of aviation focus would reflect either no anticipated growth in the airport or a conscious policy stance to restrict airport potential to within the airport boundary.
   
   Under both these approaches there is the potential for up to 64,000 sq.m. of additional floorspace (49,000 sq.m. in a new business park) and the potential to accommodate up to 2,600 additional jobs.
3. High scale employment growth. To achieve high scale employment growth within the area and provide a significant contribution towards sub-regional employment aspirations, the JAAP area would need to take a pro-active role in encouraging employment development for both aviation-related growth (associated with an airport growth scenario) and targeting the accommodation of wider B-class sector growth. Given the current constraints of the local property market, this scenario would give the area the greatest chance of creating employment capacity and attracting investor demand. It would require the greatest allocation of additional employment land and a repositioning of land allocation towards the area (including potential release of less attractive sites elsewhere in the sub-region). The market analysis, while accepting the current market limitations, recognises that the area would be attractive to companies and investors and would help to provide an offer that is currently lacking. Accommodating a high growth scenario in the area would mean allocating sufficient employment land to allow for the potential of the area to be realised. There is the potential for up to 94,000 sq.m. of additional floorspace to be provided (79,000 sq.m. in a new business park) to accommodate up to 3,900 additional jobs in the area over the planning period to 2021.

(8) 4.4 Issue 3: Balancing Development with Environmental Enhancement in the JAAP

A key objective of the JAAP is to ensure a high quality environment is maintained for residents alongside the utilisation of the area to deliver business and employment opportunities. To achieve this, a positive approach to environmental quality and amenity is necessary and should underpin any future development scenario for the area. The approach will need to consider the impacts that increased development and activity may have on the environment and provide mitigation to manage these effectively; consider how open areas may be enhanced to provide new habitats and recreational opportunities; and the policy designations necessary to determine boundaries and space between built areas and land uses.

The following outlines the key decisions that will need to be made in respect of enhancing the environmental quality of the area whilst sustainably realising its potential as an employment area.

1. The Green Belt. Currently the Metropolitan Green Belt cuts right across the JAAP area, taking in all currently open space within the Rochford part of the JAAP, including a large proportion of the operational airport area. In taking forward development in the JAAP important decisions need to be made about the extent of Green Belt designation and whether it needs to be revised to reflect future aspirations for the area. The options for doing this include:
   • The Green Belt could be maintained as currently designated, thus precluding development outside of current areas unless by exception. This would not preclude development within the airport boundary (which is catered for in the Green Belt legislation) but would make additional employment land allocations very difficult to achieve.
   • The Green Belt could be revised to take identified new parcels of development land out of the designation, but would remain tightly drawn against proposed development boundaries so as to restrict development to that which is required for the current planning eriod.
   • A strategic revision to the Green Belt could be considered, realigning the designation to follow topographical boundaries and respond more flexibly to current and future development aspirations. In this option it would be used to clearly define a new ‘Strategic Gap’ between the urban boundaries of Rochford and Southend. This would involve removing the Green Belt from within the airport boundary and drawing it more widely than simply identified development areas in any future option.
2. Enhancing amenity space. The JAAP area includes large areas of open landscape, recreational and amenity space which help define the character of the area. In developing the future scenario for the JAAP decisions need to be made about which spaces must be protected, which ones can be enhanced to provide valuable habitats and assets for the area, and which areas could be considered for other uses. For those areas protected or enhanced, what enhancement is appropriate and what are the benefits of doing this?
3. Mitigating environmental impacts. More activity from the airport and businesses will inevitably result in environmental impacts that will need to be managed. The JAAP will need to consider physical and policy approaches that combined will help manage the sustainable future for the area. The key impacts (noise, pollution, air quality) are likely to result from increased aircraft movements and traffic in the area. What is important is that key receptors (potentially affected residents) are considered in taking forward future plans. This means that the location of new development needs to be carefully considered, controls on airport operation ensure quality of life is maintained for residents, and sustainable transport strategies are implemented to minimise traffic impacts.

(4) 4.5 Issue 4: Transport and Movement

Whatever strategy is agreed upon for the JAAP area, an appropriate transport strategy will need to be implemented to ensure that development is sustainable. As identified in Section 2, the area and its wider hinterland are facing a range of transport issues. Within this context development of the JAAP needs to integrate with proposals to improve the functioning of the wider network (including improvements to the A127 and SERT) and provide internal solutions to movement and accessibility. While the transport strategy will depend on the scenario being considered (dealt with in more detail in Section 5), the strategy will need to consider:

1. Improvements to current ‘constraints’ identified within the immediate network to improve movement within and through the area
2. Linkages to the wider transport network and potential improvements envisaged to this network
3. Consider the location of new development in relation to the transport network and accommodate high levels of public transport accessibility
4. Encourage a modal shift from the current levels of car borne traffic through traffic management solutions
5. New routes and key points of access to new development area. In this respect some key decisions and investments will need to be undertaken under the various growth scenarios.

(4) 4.6 Issue 5: JAAP Areas for Change

To take the JAAP area forward consideration needs to be given to where future development/ enhancement could take place (‘Areas for Change’) and what opportunities are appropriate in any particular area. Figure 4.1 identifies the proposed Areas for Change within the JAAP area. These are defined as the only sites where improvement, enhancement or development would be appropriate and have emerged from a detailed spatial analysis that resulted in identifying a number of ultimate constraints and issues that frame the JAAP area. These constraints/issues include:

• Existing residential areas
• Good quality employment areas where redevelopment/intensification is not possible
• Areas where commercial employment development would not be appropriate or viable
• Constrained areas within the airport boundary where operational requirements prohibit development.
• Areas of environmental importance that must be protected.

In light of the above, the resultant Areas for Change identified can be broadly categorised as follows.

• Vacant and under-utilised sites. Within existing developed employment areas there are a number of opportunities for more intensive development on vacant and under-utilised sites (particularly within Aviation Way Business Park). The analysis shows a number of sites to be currently vacant, others where development proposals are emerging, and sites where land could be used more efficiently.
• Reorganisation of sites within airport: Several sites within the airport are not being fully and efficiently utilised. With the development of the terminal and interchange there should be scope of reconfiguration of some sites and relocating uses to make for more efficient use of space. Current terminal building offers scope for other uses.
• Southern parts of the Metropolitan Green Belt: Potential Green Belt areas adjoining Aviation Way Business Park to the north offers potential for expansion for employment land subject to meeting all the necessary planning policy criteria. However, the maintenance of the Green Belt between Rochford and Southend in order to avoid coalescence needs to be a major consideration in proposals for future development of the JAAP.

The specific Areas for Change proposed by the JAAP are listed below.

1. The Brickworks' site – this area contains a row of residential properties in front of the now cleared works site. The quality of the area is poor and access is difficult. This area has long been identified as an area in need of improvement.
2. Agricultural land to the north of Aviation Way Business Park – this area lies between Aviation Way and Rayleigh Brook and consists primarily of agricultural land. The proximity of this area to existing development and the airport mean that of current Green Belt land this area is the most suitable, if needed, to accommodate an extension to employment activity.
3. Land adjacent to the airport boundary at the end of Aviation Way – this area is a naturally defined site where potential expansion of the airport boundary might be appropriate. On one side is the area, on the other is an area of natural woodland habitat.
4. Aviation Way Business Park – this existing business park has been identified for change because its current use is inefficient as an employment area and it holds further potential that could be realised.
5. Agricultural / amenity area to the south of the airport boundary – this area lies between two residential areas and currently includes a cricket pitch, agricultural land and private allotments. The area is of low amenity value and improvement to the area could enhance the overall character of the JAAP.
6. Northern maintenance zone within the airport boundary – an operational airport area, this zone contains a number of opportunity sites identified in the Airport Masterplan.
7. The Flying Club strip – this area is underused in land terms, holding a small number of flying clubs. Airport proposals see this area becoming the passenger focus for the airport, located around a proposed new railway station.
8. Southern maintenance zone and passenger terminal area – improvements to the airport will lead to opportunity sites within this area to accommodate aviation-related activity.
9. Land east of the railway line – this thin strip of land abuts the railway and Southend Road. Currently it is poor value amenity land and previous proposals for the area have included use as a parkway.
10. Airport RESA – this area is south of the runway and is the safety zone required for airport operation. While no development could take place here, it would accommodate west extension if developed.
11. Land south-west of Nestuda Way – the area currently contains football pitches and facilities, and agricultural land. While parts of the site are restricted in terms of development, the area does have the potential to change.

These are shown in figure 4.1 overleaf.

³ Source: CAA Annual Airport Statistics, 2006