Local Plan Consultation - Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries

The Federation of Small Businesses would like to thank you for the opportunity to respond to your consultation on Village Housing Options and Settlement Boundaries.

Small businesses are the engine room of the economy, employing more than half of all private sector workers and contributing 50 per cent of UK GDP. Through the Local Plan we would hope you are able to provide opportunities to support the small business community in Warwick District.

Transport: Small businesses depend on their vehicle to operate their business - our research shows that 72 per cent of small firms said their car or van is crucial to their business. We know that more needs to be done to address the problem of congestion and the state of repair of roads in Warwick District, in order to get businesses moving and growing. Any plans for development must include a strategic plan and management of transport needs, working closely with Warwickshire County Council as the highways authority. Any new developments in the surrounding villages must consider how residents and employees will access or move across the district on the road network.

Broadband: High quality broadband services are essential for businesses to increase the UK's productivity and growth. Our research shows that 9 per cent cannot access broadband at all and 22 per cent cannot access current generation broadband. Through the Local Plan, the council should consider how the development of new housing and industrial land would impact on the existing network expansions plans. It is also essential for the districts inward investment offer to ensure all new employment sites are, or can be fully serviced by reliable broadband that is available at acceptable speeds.

Utilities: Small businesses must have access to reliable and readily available energy and water in a similar way to domestic households. Many small businesses lack the expertise to negotiate contracts and are penalised by energy suppliers because of their limited purchasing power, relatively low energy consumption and unpredictability of demand. Through the development of the Local Plan and the allocation of residential and employment land, the Council should consider how it can support businesses to secure reliable utilities at reasonable prices.

Planning: Businesses tell us that the planning system is overly complex and costly and is a barrier for businesses wanting to grow. Our research shows that just over half (53%) of small firms that have applied for planning permission over the past two years said that the rules and process were overly complex and 38 per cent said that the process had higher costs than anticipated. We are therefore concerned that small businesses are put off from investing time and money into expanding because of drawn-out, complicated planning applications. Now that residential and employment land has been allocated and key areas of existing have been identified for investment, the council must ensure it has an 'open for business' planning policy that encourages investment and growth. This can be achieved through a clearer planning system that is easier and more affordable for small firms and by changing the process of planning applications for minor building works to ensure that small firms are encouraged to submit planning applications. The FSB also recommends that the council encourage developers to consider allocating a proportion of development sites for smaller units to support new or growing businesses - similarly to the regulations that exist to support affordable housing.

Community Infrastructure Levy: FSB Members are frequently involved in owning or constructing single dwellings or small developments. Prior to the introduction of CIL, these small developments rarely paid Section 106 developer contributions. We therefore would like you to comply with the National Planning Policy Framework and to avoid imposing requirements that make development unviable. It would also be sensible to set differential CIL rates reflecting real differentials in viability across Warwick District and ensure that where CIL is paid, that there is a link between the development and the infrastructure it funds.

Kind regards,

Linsey Luke - Development Manager
Warwickshire & Coventry Federation of Small Business