11. Economic Development

(1) Vision

In five years...

• The Council are using the findings of the Employment Land Study to ascertain future employment provision to meet the District's needs, and to assist in identifying alternative locations for old and poorly located employment sites which are no longer fit-for-purpose.

• The long term future of the wharfage at Baltic Wharf as an employment area has been secured.

• Area Action Plans for Rochford, Rayleigh and Hockley have been finalised and the first phase of enhancement opportunities are being implemented.

• The potential of London Southend Airport and its environs is beginning to take shape through the provision of a Joint Area Action Plan in partnership with Southend Borough Council.

• The Joint Area Action Plan seeks to realise the airport's potential as a driver for the sub-regional economy, providing significant employment opportunities and ensuring the quality of life for its residents and workers.

By 2017...

• Sustainable, well used and strategically located industrial estates are being protected and enhanced, where appropriate.

• New businesses are being supported at the most vulnerable points in their lifecycle through the development of an Eco-Enterprise Centre.

• The Eco-Enterprise Centre is a flagship, eco-friendly building creating an inward investment draw which is bringing new businesses into the area.

• Appropriate uses within the District's commercial centres are being supported.

• London Southend Airport and its environs has become a driver for the sub-regional economy, providing a range of aviation and non aviation-related employment opportunities for the local population.

• A skills training academy within the vicinity of London Southend Airport and its environs has been established to provide high-skilled training in aviation-related industries.

• The Joint Area Action Plan supports and regulates the operations of London Southend Airport taking into consideration environmental and social effects, and residential amenity.

• A new airport terminal building at London Southend Airport has been completed and is operational following the implementation of an agreed surface access strategy.

• A new employment park in the west of the District with good links to the main access networks has been developed which caters for a range of employment types in a flexible manner that adapts to changes in the economy.

By 2025...

• Old, poorly located, "bad neighbour" industrial estates have been relocated to fit-for-purpose sites in sustainable locations which meet the needs of businesses and benefits residential amenity

• The new employment park is accompanied by a travel plan and is accessible to workers by a range of transport options.

• Over 3000 net additional jobs have been provided which meet local employment needs. A balance has been struck between the local workforce and jobs through the aviation-centred skills training academy providing local workers with high-value, transferable skills.

Objectives

1. Ensure the growth of local employment opportunities and deliver an additional net 3000 local jobs by 2021.

2. Enhance the local skills base in the District through providing additional training and support.

3. Implement the London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan to realise the potential of this local resource.

4. Ensure the delivery of an Eco-Enterprise Centre which will provide valuable support for new businesses within the District.

5. Support the continued functioning and growth of small and medium sized businesses, and encourage flexible practices such as home-working to enhance the range of local employment opportunities in the District.

6. Implement Area Action Plans for the commercial centres of Rayleigh, Rochford and Hockley to enhance their attractiveness and increase spending retention within the District.

7. Support projects within the District such as Cherry Orchard Jubilee County Park and aid the delivery of priorities in the Economic Development Strategy.

8. Ensure the protection of existing employment land in sustainable locations, and reallocate "bad neighbour" industrial estates for more appropriate uses, such as residential, to meet the District's housing needs.

9. Allocate the minimum amount of Green Belt necessary for additional employment land, as appropriate, and fully utilise the office space potential of Rayleigh and Hockley centres

Introduction

11.1 The Council's approach to economic development is focused on developing existing spatial patterns of employment, providing higher level employment, realising the economic potential of London Southend Airport, and enhancing the skills of the District's population.

11.2 Rochford District is a generally prosperous part of the country, despite only a modest share of resident 'knowledge workers', the typically higher paid employees.

11.3 There are a number of opportunities for economic development in the District, for example London Southend Airport has the potential to provide significant economic growth, including, but not exclusively, around aviation-related industries. Further to this, there is an entrepreneurial culture within the District; and the District is part of the Thames Gateway - a national priority for regeneration and growth.

11.4 In the past, employment allocations for the District were quantified in terms of the amount of land to be set aside for employment purposes. The East of England Plan instead specifies the number of jobs each sub-region must provide. Rochford District is within the Thames Gateway sub-region and must provide 3000 new jobs during the plan period. A significant proportion of these jobs can be accommodated as part of the growth around London Southend Airport and the Council will produce a Joint Area Action Plan with Southend Borough Council to ensure that the airport's potential is fully realised, whilst having regard to environmental and amenity impacts such as noise, air quality and traffic generation.

11.5 There are a multitude of physical constraints within the District that restrict opportunities for employment growth. The two primary constraints are the rural nature of the District together with the limited transport links - both issues are more prevalent in the east of the District. The Council encourage rural diversification in the District and are seeking improvements to transport connections. The Council's approach to rural diversification is set out in the Green Belt section of the Core Strategy and the approach to transportation issues in Transport.

(1) 11.6 There are a number of areas within the District which are currently allocated specifically for employment purposes and are protected from development which would undermine their role in generating employment. The Council consider it necessary to review some of these allocations, particularly in light of changes to the economy and the decline of the manufacturing sector. Some sites currently allocated for employment are better utilised as residential or mixed-use, reducing the need to release Green Belt for housing, or, where appropriately located, alternative employment or community uses other than industrial ones.

11.7 The Council examined these issues in depth through the production of an Employment Land Study. The study provides the following:

• An assessment of current and future demand for different types of employment land outside of the London Southend Airport Joint Area Action Plan area.

• An assessment of the current supply of existing employment land including analysis of the quality of existing employment land allocated in the Rochford District Replacement Local Plan 2006.

• An assessment of the appropriateness of potential additional sites for use as employment land.

11.8 The Employment Land Study assesses demand for additional employment land against two scenarios, in addition to a base line scenario. The two scenarios are based on differing levels of development at London Southend Airport.

11.9 Low growth involving some additional supply of employment land at the airport would have little impact on demand across the District. Higher growth increases both demand for additional allocations and supply for the District as a whole.

	Demand m2	Supply m2	Balance m2	Balance ha
Base case
Office	18,161	0	-18,161	-2.27
Industrial	15,356	15,760	404	0.10
Total	33,517	15,760	-17,757	-2.17
Scenario A
Office	18,248	783	-17,378	-2.2
Industrial	15,901	16,685	1329	0.3
Total	34,149	17,468	-16,049	-1.8
Scenario B
Office	20,603	3,340	-17,263	-2.2
Industrial	21,042	19,707	-1,335	-0.3
Total	41,645	23,047	-18,599	-2.5

11.10 Under all the Scenarios (including the Base Case) there is an additional net demand for employment land outside of the London Southend Airport Joint Area Action Plan area for office development of just over 2 ha and a sufficient land supply for industrial uses.

(1) 11.11 The Employment Land Study also recommends that any de-allocations of employment land be compensated for by allocations of new employment sites.

Employment Growth

11.12 The Council will actively seek to maintain high and stable levels of economic and employment growth in the District, and will support proposals that secure growth within high value businesses and which match local skills in order to reduce reliance on out-commuting.

11.13 The Employment Land Study has identified the economic characteristics and opportunities for the District as a whole (excluding the area around London Southend Airport which has been looked at in detail as part of the London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan evidence base). The study notes that the supply of employment land within the District is tight, with little available land. Rochford District is currently a stronger industrial, rather than office location, however, net additional demand for industrial land is very limited over the planning period. The study recommends that an additional 2.2 hectares of land suitable for office use be allocated.

11.14 Town centres have an important role to play in the District's economic development. Rochford is recognised as a healthcare hub providing local employment opportunities and supporting the vitality of the town centre. Rayleigh town is the largest in the District, supporting a range of activities, and the Employment Land Study has identified the potential for additional office uses within Rayleigh town centre given its strategic location. The economic potential of the town centres of Rayleigh, Rochford and Hockley is further acknowledged, particularly with regard to their redevelopment opportunities, through the provision of Area Action Plans. This is discussed in more detail in the Retail and Town Centres section of this document.

11.15 The Economic Development Strategy is regularly updated to reflect the local economic climate and local employment opportunities. It seeks to work with partners and colleagues to maximise opportunities for development within the District and encourage a thriving local economy. Three key themes emerging from the Economic Development Strategy run though the Core Strategy, including increasing the skills base, increasing competitiveness and enhancing places, to ensure a cohesive approach to economic and employment growth.

11.16 The Economic Development Strategy supports the development of key projects such as Cherry Orchard Jubilee County Park and Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project. The strategy supports the enhancement of the District's commercial centres to ensure their economic vitality by increasing footfall and spending retention in the District, through the development of Area Action Plans. Equally the Core Strategy supports economic and employment growth, local skills enhancement and the development of an Eco-Enterprise Centre in an appropriate location (Policy ED4) to provide support for new and existing businesses.

11.17 The Council recognises the need to develop skills within the District to meet local employment opportunities and vice versa, and as such, the Council supports the development of a skills training academy to ensure a balance. This approach has the advantage of training people and providing them with additional skills, increasing the proportion of highly skilled jobs in the District, and increasing people's transferable skills whilst reducing out-commuting.

11.18 The Council also recognises the need to support the development of an Eco-Enterprise Centre which would offer invaluable support and advice for early stage businesses at the most vulnerable point in their lifecycle.

(1) 11.19 The District is entrepreneurial in character, and small and medium sized businesses contribute significantly to the area's employment and economy. The Council supports the protection and enhancement of small and medium sized businesses, both within the existing industrial estates and town centres and those existing enterprises in rural locations, which are important to the local economy. The Council also acknowledges the important role that home-working can play in the local economy through retaining employment opportunities within the District, and the development of the Third Sector through enhancing local volunteering opportunities as encouraged in the Sustainable Community Strategy.

London Southend Airport and Environs

(1) 11.20 The East of England Plan identifies London Southend Airport as having an important role to play in the economic development of the area. London Southend Airport is split between Rochford and Southend, and, given its importance to the region, Rochford District and Southend on Sea Borough Councils are producing a Joint Area Action Plan in order to identify how the airport's economic potential can be realised.

11.21 Southend on Sea Borough's Core Strategy (December 2007) recognises the importance of London Southend Airport for the area. Strategic objective SO11 of this strategy is to: "Secure the regeneration of London Southend Airport to enable it to reach its potential to function as a local regional airport providing for significant new employment opportunities and improved surface access subject to environmental safeguards"

11.22 The Airport Masterplan 2005, prepared by London Southend Airport, 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), but with the provision of new passenger infrastructure in the form of a 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.

11.23 The airport has been supported in phase one of its development and currently has planning permission for the development of the train station, passenger terminal and new hotel.

(1) 11.24 Whilst it is acknowledged has the potential to become a regional catalyst for economic growth and employment generation, the Council is mindful of concerns regarding the potential impact of the airport's development on the environment and on the amenity of local residents. These are issues that will be accounted for as part of the Joint Area Action Plan which provides an opportunity to introduce tighter controls over the operation of the airport.

(1) 11.25 The airport is surrounded by employment uses, many of which complement the airport. The Council believe that there is also an opportunity for economic development through the expansion of other employment uses around the airport, including those that are not directly linked or reliant on the aviation industry. Thus, whilst the airport has economic growth potential, it is recognised that the Council cannot be over-reliant upon one employment sector. As such, the growth of employment uses within the Joint Area Action Plan Area will not be focussed solely on aviation-related uses, although it is recognised that non aviation-related businesses would benefit from a thriving London Southend Airport.

11.26 Marrying local skills with jobs is necessary to increase local employment opportunities and sustain the local economy. Through recognising the growth potential of the airport, there is opportunity to provide high-tech skills training in aviation-related industries to meet local employment needs. The Council will support the development of a skills training academy, which can train the local workforce in an employment sector with growth potential and provide employees with valuable transferable skills.

Existing Employment Land

11.27 The Council will enable existing businesses to diversify, modernise and grow and will protect employment land from alternative development that would reduce the quantity and/or quality of jobs in the District. Employment policies will maintain a degree of flexibility in order to ensure that sites can respond and adapt to changes in the economy.

11.28 However, the District contains several industrial estates which are looking tired and in need of investment. Some are also close to housing and have a negative impact on residential amenity.

11.29 The Council will consider the location and condition of existing industrial estates and will promote the creation of new employment areas in more sustainable locations. The Council will encourage the relocation of existing "bad neighbour" uses to more appropriate locations.

11.30 The Council will protect appropriately located industrial estates which are well used and sustainable with the potential for continued economic and employment vitality, and support the improvements recommended in the Employment Land Study, where appropriate.

11.31 Existing employment land identified within the District includes:

• Star Lane Industrial Estate, Great Wakering

• Baltic Wharf, Wallasea Island

• Eldon Way/Foundry Industrial Estate, Hockley

• Swaines Industrial Estate, Ashingdon Road

• Purdeys Industrial Estate, Rochford

• Riverside Industrial Estate, Rochford

• Stambridge Mills, Rochford

• Rochford Business Park, Cherry Orchard Way, Rochford

• Rawreth Industrial Estate, Rayleigh

• Imperial Park Industrial Estate, Rayleigh

• Brook Road Industrial Estate, Rayleigh

• Northern section of Aviation Way Industrial Estate, Southend

(14) 11.32 The Council will protect the District's employment land considered to be economically sustainable, good neighbour sites, which exist in harmony with surrounding land uses. Subject to enhancement or redevelopment where appropriate, the following sites will be protected:

• Baltic Wharf - This site adequately serves its current purpose in providing employment in port-related activities. Due to its poor strategic location and poor site access, infrastructure improvements should be made to improve its accessibility and to retain existing employment uses.

• Ashingdon Road/Leecon Way - This is a fit-for-purpose industrial estate which is in a good condition. The existing uses should be retained.

• Purdeys Industrial Estate - This is a fit-for-purpose industrial estate which is in a good condition. The site should be maintained and, if possible, expanded.

• Riverside Industrial Estate - The quality of existing building stock at this site is very poor and so should be improved. It is centrally located, which makes it a strategically good site for additional office use to meet future requirements.

• Rochford Business Park - This is a new site in very good condition with good access to the highway network.

• Imperial Park Industrial Estate - This is a fit-for-purpose industrial estate with good access to amenities, which is in a good condition. The existing uses should be retained.

• Brook Road Industrial Estate - Although the existing building stock quality is poor there is potential for redevelopment which should incorporate high quality office accommodation.

• Aviation Way Industrial Estate - This site is in adequate condition but could be improved through enhancement, intensification and expansion which will be promoted as part of the London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan. The Council will seek alternative uses for existing employment land sites which are considered poorly located "bad neighbours", or where an alternative use would be more appropriate. In cases where such land is reallocated, the Council will seek to ensure existing businesses can be re-accommodated at appropriate alternative employment sites.

• Star Lane Industrial Estate (5.8 ha) - The site has good road access at a site level and it is adequately serviced for its purpose, however, it has poor strategic access and the quality of existing building stock is very poor. As such, the Council will reallocate this site for other uses and the existing employment land will be relocated elsewhere within the District.

• Eldon Way/Foundry Industrial Estate (4.6 ha) -In recent years there has been increasing pressure for non-industrial uses on the estate to be allowed in place of employment uses. The site is well placed in proximity to the centre of Hockley and would be more appropriately utilised as a mixed use development incorporating office space to complement surrounding employment uses, as well as a range of community and leisure uses more appropriate to its town centre location. Alternative land will be required to be allocated to accommodate employment uses that may become displaced as a result of redevelopment.

• Stambridge Mills (1.8 ha) - This site is currently poor quality and is not in use. Whilst it could be safeguarded for light industrial use, it has been identified within the Urban Capacity Study as a suitable site for housing allocation, and as such, the existing employment land should be reallocated. Issues around flood risk must be resolved prior to any development of this site.

• Rawreth Industrial Estate (5.9 ha) - Existing building stock is of poor quality and the site has particular environmental issues. The site has been identified in the Urban Capacity Study as suitable for housing use, and as such, the site will be reallocated for housing. The existing employment land will be relocated elsewhere within the District. The allocation of the above employment areas will entail the de-allocation of a total of 18.1 ha of employment land.

Future Employment Allocations

11.33 The Employment Land Study has identified that there is generally a sufficient supply of employment land for industrial use within the District, but that any de-allocation would have to be compensated for. The study also identified a need for an additional 2.2 hectares of office space. Land to the west of Rayleigh is the most suitable strategic location for additional employment land provision and the Employment Land Study recommends that land in this location comes forward for office development. There is a recognised deficit in adequate brownfield sites within the District, and as such, the Council will reallocate the minimum quantity of Green Belt land necessary in this appropriate location to meet this local need

11.34 The industrial estate at Aviation Way is also a good strategic location with the potential to develop and provide additional capacity for non aviation-related industries with good infrastructure links. The potential enhancement, intensification and expansion of Aviation Way Industrial Estate will be explored within the London Southend Airport and Environs Joint Area Action Plan

11.35 It is also important to take into account environmental and social considerations. New employment areas will be directed away from areas of landscape or ecological value. In addition, new employment developments must be accessible to all sections of the community by a range of transport opportunities and should be of a type that meets local skills

11.36 The Employment Land Study recommends that, in order to satisfy the additional office demand in the District, a portion of land west of Rayleigh, which is currently allocated as Green Belt, be developed for employment use. This will principally be a mix of high quality office and industrial space. This approach should ensure that the Green Belt allocation west of Rayleigh is, on the whole, still protected

11.37 The rationale for allocating land in Rayleigh is that it is well connected to London by road on the A127 and it is an ideal location for strategic employment development in the District. Employment Land Study research shows that the west of the District is the most desirable location for employment mainly due to its strategic access. This location also relates well to the A127 enterprise corridor, which is a sub-regional focus for employment growth and infrastructure investment. The area will consolidate its position as a strategic office location during the planning period and a new development within Rochford District is a strategically sound place to develop office employment stock

11.38 The Council will support the development of an Eco-Enterprise Centre. Enterprise, or business incubation, centres provide an ideal, structured environment in which new businesses can grow. They differ from other types of business support because they offer comprehensive, responsive and customised services to early stage businesses at the most vulnerable point in their lifecycle. The most obvious benefits are usually inclusive rents and short term tenancies which help businesses to avoid longer term financial commitments. With communal areas, access to meetings rooms and a shared reception, start-up businesses are able to bring prospective clients to quality premises and give a highly professional appearance. Business support services, seminars and training can be provided on site, making them far easier to access and lessening staff time out of the office to train

11.39 The Centre's support services are usually provided by an internal team as well as sought from external networks and partner agencies. Incubation is a resource-intensive activity not intended to support businesses indefinitely. Incubation services help businesses to survive the particularly difficult first few years so they can move on with increased chances of sustainability

11.40 The Council believes that the establishment of an eco-friendly Enterprise Centre would help to reduce the number of business closures in the District and help to educate forming businesses of their environmental responsibilities. The Centre, which will be a flagship, eco-friendly building, will also act as a much needed inward investment draw, bringing new businesses to the area. It would become a focal point for businesses in the District seeking access to information, guidance, mentoring and involvement with local business networks

11.41 The Council will work with landlords to develop appropriate grow-on space in the District. The Council will do this by developing service level agreements and for landlords prepared to meet the necessary criteria, which will include operating business friendly leases and meeting certain environmental standards, their premises will be added to a list of recommended grow-on space for businesses moving on from the Centre. This will help to make best use of and improve local, vacant stock, and keep the businesses supported operating within the Rochford District

11.42 In order to achieve this, the Council intend to secure public funding which in turn will be used to lever private sector investment. In terms of delivering services on an ongoing basis, the Council will work in partnership with other key stakeholders and partners whose remit is to support and develop businesses in the District

11.43 The Enterprise Centre will be incorporated into employment allocations or an Area Action Plan that includes increased employment opportunities.