Main Modifications Consultation

Amend paragraph to read:

The Local Plan should ensure that a sufficient quantity of land is available for employment generating uses and development in Rutland throughout the plan period. These are uses falling within Class E c) to g) (commercial, business and service), Class B2 (general industrial) and Class B8 (storage and distribution) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended). Where the term employment development is used in Policy E1 below, the definition of this term is the same as that defined above for employment use.

In respect of other employment uses, mentioned below in Policy E1, are thosethat do not fall within the primary employment use classes E c)-g), B2 or B8, but which nevertheless generate employment or contribute to economic activity.

Delete paragraph 7.7:

St George’s Barracks and Woolfox are proposed as Future Opportunity Areas (policy SS4) within this Local Plan. These sites may deliver new employment premises and uses in the future; however, the sites are not included within the employment land allocations below.

Amend policy text to read:

Policy E1 - Strategic employment land allocations

The following sites are proposed as strategic employment development sites. The employment generating use(s) considered most appropriate for each site is indicated, together with the gross site area. Sites areas are also shown on the Policies Map.

Permission may also be granted for ‘other employment generating uses’ on these sites where the following criteria are satisfied:

Amend policy text to read:

1. the proposed use will generate new employment opportunities and will achieve economic investment and growth of the County;
2.  it is demonstrated that the proposed scheme will make a significant contribution to the local economy through the generation of a range of additional jobs;

1. 3)the alternative use would not have a detrimental impact on the overall supply and quality of employment land within the County;
2. 4)an end user for the proposed development has been positively identified; and/or
3. 5)on sites of 1ha or greater demonstrate through an economic impact assessment that the proposed scheme will create significant employment requiring NVQ level 4 or above and/or apprenticeships leading to NVQ level 5 and above.

Insert additional paragraph into policy under new clause 3) to read:

Development proposals which would result in the loss or reduction of land allocated under Policy E1 for employment purposes will only be supported where it is demonstrated that such development would not undermine the overall supply of employment land in the County and is otherwise justified, having regard to relevant policies of this Plan.

Amend policy text to read:

Policy E1.1 Car Park Rutland Showground

Delete the whole of Policy E1.2 Uppingham Gate

Delete the whole of Policy E1.3 Burley Appliances

Amend policy text to read:

E1.4 1.2 Pit Lane, Ketton

Amend policy text to read:

E1.5 1.3 Woolfox Depot, Great North Road

Amend policy text to read:

E1.6 1.4 Wireless Hill, South Luffenham

Insert new Policy E1.5 to read:

E1.5 Land West of Bosal Way, Barleythorpe

Insert text into the Policy after the clauses to read:

For the purposes of Policy E2, “employment uses” includes development within Use Class E(c) to E(g) and Use Classes B2 and B8 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order (as amended). This reflects the range of uses typically appropriate within the Planned Limits of Development, including offices, research and development, light industrial uses, general industrial uses, and storage and distribution. In this context the terms ‘employment uses’ and ‘employment development’ have the same definition as set out above.

Insert supporting text after Policy E2 to read:

Why are these policies needed?

Policy E1 is intended not only to support the delivery of employment development, but also to safeguard allocated employment sites for their intended purpose over the Plan period. Where alternative or non‑employment uses are proposed on allocated employment land, the Council will carefully consider the implications for the long‑term supply of employment land and the delivery of the economic strategy set out in this Plan.

The inclusion of a reference to the relevant use classes in Policy E2 is intended to provide greater precision in how the policy is applied, ensuring that proposals are assessed consistently against the types of employment uses anticipated by the Plan. This supports effective decision‑making by aligning the operation of Policy E2 with the range of employment activities envisaged within the Economy chapter, while retaining flexibility for appropriate employment development on unallocated sites.

Amend existing paragraphs 7.15 to 7.17 to read:

Employment Needs

The Employment Needs & Economic Development Study recommends the following:

• office requirement for 7,450 sqm or 1.5Ha
• industrial and warehousing need for between 18.2 ha and 34.9 ha, giving a combined employment land requirement of between 19.7ha and 36.4ha, wWith an acceptable mid-point of 26.6 ha be planned for in the Local Plan
• With an acceptable mid-point of 26.6 ha be planned for in the Local Plan need to acknowledge the wider ‘roaming’ demand on the A1 corridor that could support a large development with a logistics focus

The study identifies that this combined requirement of 19.7ha - 36.4ha could support the total jobs that can be supported in the County based on the identified need range from 3,335 to 4,378 additional jobs. For completion, it is recommended that the mid-point of 26.6 ha is reasonable to plan for and this would result in 3,860 additional jobs based on the assumptions used in the Study. However, it concludes that while a range of job creation is possible with the recommended level of need, the link between floorspace growth and jobs growth cannot be wholly reconciled. This is particularly the case for industrial jobs which comprises the greater percentage of the need.

The Employment Needs & Economic Development Report (2023) also considered the suitability of existing employment allocations and new sites which had been proposed to the Council for employment uses to meet future needs. Site allocations have also been assessed against the Council’s site assessment criteria to ensure that they are suitable for development.

Employment Land Supply

The table below sets out the contribution all sources of employment land make to the overall supply in meeting the employment land requirement established in Policy E1. Policy E1 identifies allocations to deliver a minimum level of employment land over the plan period alongside existing completions and commitments. For completions and commitments this supply includes only land genuinely capable of accommodating employment floorspace. For Woolfox (Policy E1.3), this is of particular relevance where the planning and allocation boundary covers 19.11ha. However, this includes substantial area required to deliver biodiversity net gain, with the net developable area reduced down to 12ha. This is included in the commitments figure below.

Table 5: Sources of employment land supply

*All allocations with planning permission are counted here

** Includes Land at Bosal Way, which is remaining land from previous Local Plan allocation

The total employment land supply from all sources totals 36.28 ha. This sits within the combined requirement range of 19.7–36.4 ha identified and provides appropriate headroom over the 26.6 ha mid‑point requirement. This ensures that the Plan not only meets anticipated employment land needs but also provides flexibility to accommodate market variation and supports the level of job growth identified.

Amend the title preceding Policy E3 to read:

Employment Development within the Planned Limits of Development

Amend paragraph 7.23 to read:

The policy seeks to provide flexibility for employment uses of land and the needs of enterprise. It sets out the Council’s requirements for applications for a change of use from employment to other uses including housing. The policy will offer a range of employment opportunities across the County within the built-up areas to accommodate the expansion of local businesses and to ensure that there are opportunities for companies to move into the area. This policy should be read alongside Policies E4 and E10, which set out the detailed development management and site specific considerations for employment development proposals.

Insert additional supporting text before paragraph 7.26 to read:

For the purposes of Policy E3, employment development relates to land or premises used for economic activity falling within Class E (commercial, business and service), Class B2 (general industrial) and Class B8 (storage and distribution) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended) the same uses covered by the term ‘employment use’ elsewhere in the Plan.

Amend policy text of criterion 2c to read:

c) the existing location poses insurmountable environmental harm or amenity harm which cannot be satisfactorily resolved. The Council will require evidence that the site has not been made deliberately unviable, that marketing has been actively conducted for a reasonable period of time and that alternative employment uses have been fully explored.

Amend policy text to read:

Policy E9 – Caravans, camping, lodges, log cabins, chalets and similar forms of self-serviced holiday accommodation

In areas outside the Rutland Water Area and the Eyebrook Reservoir Area, Caravans, Camping, Lodges, Log Cabins, Chalets and other similar forms of self-serviced holiday accommodation will only be acceptable where all of the following criteria are met:.......

Amend paragraph 7.76 to read:

There is very limited quantitative ‘need’ for new convenience goods floorspace, with a requirement up to 2041 of approximately 1,000 sqm net additional convenience floorspace over the new Local Plan period. There is only one supermarket in Uppingham; as such, there is scope to improve choice in the town, with identified need being directed towards strengthening convenience shopping provision within Uppingham to reduce leakage of expenditure to larger centres and to support more sustainable patterns of shopping. The Uppingham Neighbourhood Plan responds directly to this identified need through the allocation of land at Uppingham Gate (Policy U-HA3) for a new retail convenience store, providing an opportunity to enhance local provision, retain spend within the town, and reinforce Uppingham’s role as a key service centre.

Amend paragraph 7.88 to read:

Policy E10 will ensure new retail development will beis directed to the Oakham and Uppingham town centre areas, allowing it totheir continued development and strengtheningitstheir roles as the principal comparison- shopping destinations in the County. A variety of town centre uses will be encouraged, including food and drink, leisure, and cultural uses that add to the liveliness, attractiveness, and economic resilience of the centre.