BASE HEADER

Yes

ID sylw: 108155

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: IM Properties Development Ltd (IMP)

Asiant : Turley

The approach laid out in Draft Policy Direction 1 is supported.
This is based on the premise that the South Warwickshire Local Plan (SWLP) will plan for
“at least” the following employment land need in Stratford-on Avon, as documented in
Table 4 of the Preferred Option Paper:
• A residual (net) non-strategic industrial need of 139 hectares between 2021-50.
• A residual (net) office need of 3 hectares between 2021-50.
This in addition to the South Warwickshire wide residual (net) strategic industrial site
need of between 75 and 125 hectares over the period 2021-45. It is noted that the SWLP
will use the upper threshold of the 125 hectares, as recommended by the West Midlands
Strategic Employment Site Study (WMSESS) (2024). This is welcomed.
Figure 8 of the Preferred Options Paper helpfully outlines the evidence used to support
the definition of the employment land need in South Warwickshire. IM Properties
Development Ltd (IMP) consider the scope of evidence relied upon is right with
particular support for the conclusions of the WMSESS and Coventry & Warwickshire
Alignment Paper (2024), which apportions need from the strategic level to the local level.
This approach has been missing in plan-making in Warwickshire for more than a decade,
and its return via the alignment paper is welcomed.
Furthermore, the explanatory text to Table 4 rightly sets out:
“Strategic sites in this context refer to large scale employment sites typically over 25
ha and largely dedicated to units of over 9,300sqm (100,000sqft). Non-strategic (or
local) need refers to industrial (B2/B8 class) uses to meet a local need, generally for
units under 9,300sqm (100,000sqft) but also for units over 9,300sqm (100,000sqft)
where these are located on non-strategic sites (<25 ha)..”
IMP take this opportunity to confirm Stratford 46 - which is subject to a hybrid planning
permission (Ref: 19/01402/OUT) and is allocated under the reference Proposal SUA.2 in
the Stratford-on-Avon Core Strategy, and it is a draft policy in the emerging Stratford-onAvon Site Allocations Plan (SAP) - has the capacity to address both the strategic and local
industrial need.
The above is based on the site area measuring 25 hectares and its spatial layout affording
the ability to deliver a range of unit sizes either below or above 9,300m². This flexibility
should be viewed favourably by Stratford-on-Avon District Council, especially in the
context of the Core Opportunity Area and selection of Major Investment Sites (the Draft
Policy Directions for these are responded to separately).
IMP welcome a discussion with Stratford-on-Avon District Council to explore how
Stratford 46 can better respond to the latest evidence on employment land need,
including that relating to industrial and logistics need.