The majority of employment within the Borough is within the wholesale/retail distribution and public administration sectors. Almost three quarters of the Borough’s businesses are small enterprises employing 1 – 10 employees. 

There has been considerable growth in distributive and service activities. The reclamation of abandoned and derelict land has been key to new employment development over the last 5 years. Hams Hall, the former power station site which has been redeveloped for employment use with its own railhead facility, is typical of this trend. The former Kingsbury Colliery is now Kingsbury Link industrial area, the former Arley Colliery site embraces a concentration of smaller firms and the former Birch Coppice Colliery is at present being redeveloped. Baddesley Colliery site is being marketed for rail based vehicle storage and distribution. 

The unemployment rate in the Borough has fallen slowly over an extended period. It was 2.2% in March 2001 then 1.7% in March 2002 (UK rate 3.1%). This masks small pockets of deprivation in the area. Low skills and pay are particular issues characteristic of employment in the Borough. 

Tourism is an important part of the economy and in 1995/6 one million visitors came into the Borough. Tourists spent a total of £34 million and this supported approximately 1,400 jobs in the Borough. 7 out of 10 of these jobs were full-time posts.

The Borough is served by the M6 and M42 motorways, which together with the A5 afford excellent communication links in all directions. The completion of the M6 Toll Road has further enhanced accessibility. Around 80% of the UK’s population is within a 4 hour lorry drive. The National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham International Airport abut the south west of the Borough and direct motorway links mean that the International Convention Centre and the National Indoor Arena, in the centre of Birmingham, are only 30 minutes away. 

PPS6 Planning for Town Centres (2005)

• Promotes town centre vitality and viability
• Promotes sustainable transport choices and mixed use development in town centres
• Requires adoption of the Sequential Approach to site selection in town centres
• Identifies typologies for types of centres, types of location and descriptions of types of development

PPS7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas (2004) 

• Local Planning Authorities to be supportive of well-conceived farm diversification for business purposes
  
• Support for sustainable rural tourism as means of contributing to rural economic activity
  
• Economic use promoted as first priority in reuse of rural buildings
  

PPG13: Transport (March 2001)

• Promotion of rural employment to reduce out-commuting
• Encouragement for diversification and investigation of car reliance
• Small-scale business development or expansion not to be rejected

Rural White Paper (November 2000) - The Rural White Paper has direct implications for the Local Plan:

• To support and re-establish basic village services such as village shops, post offices, pubs and petrol filling stations
• The market towns regeneration programme which seeks to build a diverse rural economy that encourages new businesses
• Supporting farm restructuring and diversification
• The promotion of Parish Plans

Planning Tomorrow’s Countryside (2000) The Countryside Agency’s document has two overarching principles:

• That all policies should aim for sustainable development
• Social, economic and environmental objectives need to be met together and any conflicts reconciled

The document puts forward six propositions for the planning system:

• Consider what development is needed for the countryside as well as where it should go
• Integrate policies
• Use positive objectives as the basis for planning; not ‘predict and provide’
• Encourage high quality applications: ‘good enough to approve’ rather than ‘bad enough to refuse’
  
• Give a positive role to communities and community planning
  
• Respect the character of all landscapes, and protect and enhance the best
  

The West Midlands Economic Strategy (2004)

• Objective is to develop a diverse and dynamic economic base with a skilled workforce
• Looks to create conditions for growth by securing improvements to transport, communication and property infrastructure

The Warwickshire Structure Plan (August 2001) - The Structure Plan contains a number of policies that address employment issues.

Structure Plan policies form part of the Development Plan as a whole and therefore need to be taken into consideration in new development alongside the Local Plan policies.

Applicable policies are, in summary, as follows:

• In considering applications support for existing businesses; expansion of the service sector and maximisation of the use of existing industrial land are important (Policy I.1).
• No further industrial land shall be allocated in North Warwickshire because adequate provision has been brought forward. Development on the 279 hectares allocated between 1996 and 2011 has already commenced or is committed (Policy I.2).
• District Councils should make provision for sites for small investors (Policy I.3).
• The ongoing expansion needs of existing businesses should be catered for (Policy I.7).
• Local Plan policies should support new tourist, leisure and recreation development, where the facility would create new jobs, where there is easy access to main transport routes and where there is the opportunity to use alternative transport to the car (Policy I.8).

The four key priorities for the local economy are:

• North Warwickshire people will benefit from the growth in employment development and diversification in the borough.
• Regeneration of the market towns of Atherstone, Polesworth and Coleshill, and the rural areas beyond.
• Tourism will be promoted and developed.
• A review of derelict, polluted and brownfield land will be carried out and appropriate proposals for regenerating these sites developed.

North Warwickshire Economic Strategy 2003 - 2008 and North Warwickshire Economic Action Plan: The Strategy was published in 2003 and is owned by the Economy Group, one of the themed groups in the North Warwickshire Community Partnership (A Local Strategic Partnership). The Action Plan is revised on an annual basis. The Strategy and Action Plan has 4 key themes:

• North Warwickshire people will benefit from the growth in and promotion of investment, employment development and diversification in the Borough.
• The Market Towns of Atherstone, Polesworth and Coleshill and rural areas beyond will be regenerated.
• Tourism will be developed and promoted throughout the Borough.
• The Council will, with others, review derelict, polluted and brownfield land and encourage reclamation and re-use.

A purpose of this policy is to guide employment development (within the limitations set by Core Policy 9) to sustainable locations as outlined in the distribution strategy of Core Policy 2. Reflecting this, employment is provided for Arley at Colliers Way, Baddesley and Grendon at Atherstone and Birch Coppice, Hartshill at Nuneaton and Kingsbury at Kingsbury Link. The policy also seeks to enhance the quality of the portfolio of premises and their environs and encourage small industrial premises. to reflect the recommendations of the Chesterton Report (Industrial and Commercial Building Study - Chesterton, March 2001). 

Any expansion, conversion or redevelopment at sites covered by this policy will be limited to that contained in classes B and D of the GDPO. This is to allow businesses to continue to contribute to the local economy but ensure that there is a cap on the level of over-provision of employment land in the Borough in relation to WASP. 

Land at Birch Coppice, Kingsbury Link and Colliers Way, New Arley are designated Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation. Where development is proposed at these sites reference should therefore be made to policy ENV3. At existing rural industrial estates not specified in this policy, policy ENV7 will apply.

*All references to B1, B2 and B8 uses are explained fully in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 2005.

The 2001 Chesterton Report (Industrial and Commercial Building Study - Chesterton, March 2001). states that there is a lack of good quality small employment units in North Warwickshire. The site has therefore been allocated for small units to improve the portfolio of employment sites available in the Borough.

The restriction to business use along part of the northern boundary is to protect the residents of houses on Holly Lane and Gypsy Lane from noise and disturbance. 

The focus of the policy is the retention of employment sites in the Borough’s Main Towns, the Green Belt Market Town and Local Service Centres. On identified industrial estates policy ECON1 will be applied. In all other locations policies ECON9 and ENV7 will be most relevant. 

The retention of suitable sites for continued employment use should not be perceived as an obstacle to redevelopment and/or the qualitative improvement of such sites. The Council encourages redevelopment and improvement of sites within the constraint of not adding to the supply of employment land which is contrary to WASP policy I.2.

It is not the intention of the policy that all employment sites within the development boundaries of the Main Towns, the Green Belt Market Town and Local Service Centres be retained. There may for example, be cases where the loss of an employment use would not have a harmful impact on the portfolio of sites available in a particular settlement or where the site may be better suited to meet an identified need for community facilities or services. In such cases, proposals will be considered on the basis that the site will be retained in employment use unless clauses (i) and (ii) of the policy are satisfied. In all cases environmental safeguards will be required in accordance with policies ENV11, ENV12, ENV13 and ENV14. 

Managed workshops and starter units are premises from which small businesses can trade and may include central administration and IT facilities and shared security. Individual units should be no greater than 465 sq metres and ideally less than 93 sq metres in size. Planning conditions may be imposed or Obligations sought to ensure that the size and tenure of the units provided under this policy provide a stock of accommodation suitable for new and small business at various stages in their development.

The total amount of floorspace that will be permitted through this policy during the whole Plan period will be restricted to 2000 sq metres in each of the Main Towns and in Coleshill and the Local Service Centres combined. This is to adhere to Core Policy 9 and WASP policy I.2. In line with policy ECON1 free-standing office development will be confined to the town centre areas defined on the Proposals Map.

The Council will adopt a plan led approach to town centre development as outlined in PPS6. It will therefore undertake a retail needs assessment in conjunction with stakeholders and the community. The assessment will include a review of retail need and the development of a strategy to strengthen the town centres. In the meantime the existing ground floor retail floorspace of the core areas of the town centres will be protected so that the town’s primary frontages are retained. 

Above ground floor level in the core areas and outside the core areas, in the areas of secondary frontage, there is greater opportunity for a diversity of uses. As such in these areas of the town centres a mix of uses will be encouraged including residential. Flats over shops in town centres offer a number of benefits. They help to maximise the use of existing buildings and in doing so provide additional housing without the need to build more properties on Greenfield sites. There are also social and economic benefits from an evening presence in the towns. Mixed-use schemes should include at least two of the following uses of the Use Classes Order; A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1, C1, C3, D1 or D2 or a sui generis use normally found in town centres. 

In the Local Service Centres the size of provision should reflect the function of the facilities, which is to serve a small catchment area. Such provision will nevertheless be beneficial as a source of convenience and to those with limited access to the town centres. 

In the countryside the creation of new shops or food and drink premises is not sustainable and therefore will not be permitted. 

The Council wishes to see a mixed-use development on the site that will deliver environmental improvements and revitalise this part of the town. The development should be of the highest architectural standard and be appropriately related in scale and form to the adjoining Conservation Area and Listed Buildings. To physically link the site to the rest of the town centre a pedestrian link from Station Street to Long Street is also expected. In determining any application on the site primary consideration will be given to securing a development of enduring quality rather than responding to short-term expediency. 

Since publication of the Revised Draft Local Plan planning permission has been granted on appeal for a food retail store on part of the site. However, further regeneration of the site will continue to be sought on the back of the investment that has been made.

The Town and Country Planning General Development (Amendment) (No 3) Order 1991 introduced a new system of planning control over agricultural buildings and structures and roads, which would not otherwise be subject to planning control. Under these provisions, an agricultural / forestry determination application and site plan of the proposed development must be supplied to the Borough Council, as Local Planning Authority, who then has 28 days to grant or refuse the application. This policy sets out the criteria the Council will use to assess these applications. 

Projects will be supported where the proposed use will enable the continued operation of the farm. Applicants will need to demonstrate this link when submitting applications. This should be done in a manner appropriate to the scale of the proposal and may range from a simple description of what the proposal involves to the submission of a whole farm plan. This should be discussed with the Council prior to submitting the application. Proposals should also be appropriate to a countryside location both in their size and nature.

Where sites are located in the Green Belt cross-reference should be made to policy ENV2. Where a diversification proposal involves the re-use of an existing rural building reference should also be made to policy ECON9.

The starting point for the consideration of conversion proposals will be whether the existing building is in an appropriate location and condition for re-use. This is to reflect the principles of sustainability that concern accessibility and the prudent use of natural resources. Large modern farm buildings with prefabricated portal framed structures may not satisfy the criteria if not sufficiently substantial. Separate and specific provision is made for buildings worthy of retention and in need of rescue. 

If deemed appropriate for re-use consideration will then need to be given to the uses for which the building might be suitable. This is because some buildings are more suitable than others for particular types of use and because priorities for different types of use may vary according to location and identified needs.

In terms of economic development priority will be given to farm diversification in accordance with policy ECON8. This is to strengthen countryside stewardship and avoid the farm economy being weakened through the disposal of fixed assets. Of second priority is the provision of local services and facilities, where a need has been identified in for example the Community Plan or a Parish Plan, followed thirdly by proposals that offer access to an enjoyment of the countryside. This will include facilities for rural pastimes such as equestrianism and other forms of intrinsically rural leisure and tourism. Of fourth priority are local employment uses which should take the form of small business units. The size restriction imposed supports policy ECON4 and reflects the employment land restraint imposed by WASP. The criteria of the policy focus on local and rural uses and would therefore exclude town centre uses of the type and scale referred to in PPS6, large single employment developments and those whose employment base is anything other than local.

With regards to residential conversions the development of market housing will only be considered if the building is deemed suitable for re-use in accordance with criteria 1-4 and where in addition to points 5-8 it is clearly demonstrated that the building is not suitable for the uses outlined in points 9-11 of the policy. Reflecting this it must be demonstrated that there is no unfulfilled rural exceptions housing need such as that necessary to accommodate a farm or forestry worker or other person in intrinsically rural employment or in the case of a single large building that it cannot meet an identified need in the area for a care home, sheltered retirement unit or another type of social housing. It must also be demonstrated that it is not suitable as affordable housing including housing for key workers in the rural community and that residential use cannot form part of a mixed-use scheme. 

Where permission is granted for the re-use of a building permitted development rights will be removed to avoid external clutter. This will include boundary enclosures.

Important tourism sites in the Borough include Kingsbury Water Park, Hartshill Hayes Country Park, Pooley Fields Heritage Centre and Hartshill Wharf. Some of these are close to the Borough’s extensive and attractive canal network and many are designated for their nature conservation value. 

Community consultation has revealed a very high interest in heritage and local distinctiveness. A key objective of the Borough Council Tourism and Economic Development Strategy 2003-2008 is the promotion of tourism and this embraces the celebration of the mining history of the area. 

This policy protects features on sites with industrial heritage links. Previously little has been left to celebrate the past as sites have been reclaimed. A good example is the winding gear at Daw Mill. This mine is of particular significance because it is the last remaining mine in the West Midlands and the deepest mine in Britain. 

Warwickshire Museum holds details of many sites of industrial heritage, agricultural significance and nature conservation. Any photographic or written record of existing artefacts required by this policy should also be lodged with the County Museum Service. 

It will be important to ensure traffic management and travel safety in these locations and Policy TPT2 should be read in conjunction with this tourism policy. In particular there will need to be more footpath links between tourism sites, canal corridors and the market towns and villages. Cross reference should also be made to policies Core Policy 2, ENV2, ENV3 and ENV16.

Structure Plan Policy I.8 deals with tourist facilities, saying that the expansion of existing facilities should be supported in Local Plans where this would result in the retention or creation of jobs. However, this needs to be balanced against the overall sustainability thrust of the Plan and advice contained in PPS6 which now takes precedence over WASP. 

The scale of hotel/ guesthouse development that will be permitted will be related to the status of the settlement in the settlement hierarchy. As such a hotel or guesthouse of more than 10 bedrooms will be directed to the Main Towns. In the Green Belt Market Town and Local Service centres the number of bedrooms should not exceed 10 and in other settlements with a development boundary the number of bedrooms should not exceed 3. Only where a guesthouse forms part of a farm diversification scheme under policy ECON8 or involves the re-use of an existing rural building under policy ECON9 would a guesthouse be permitted in the countryside. Where such development is permitted the number of bedrooms should not exceed 3.

Reflecting guidance outlined in PPS6 and PPS7 this policy has been written to protect and support the retention of local facilities and services in the Borough’s Local Service Centres and smaller settlements. It also seeks to ensure that the importance of facilities and services to the community are taken into account in assessing proposals that would lead to their loss or change of use. 

In line with Core policies 2 and 9, part 1 of the policy deals with Local Service Centres. These are settlements listed within Category 3 of the Settlement Hierarchy in Appendix 2 of the Plan. The services and facilities, and their various categories referred to in the policy are those listed in the typology at Appendix 3. The policy extends to premises providing services and facilities that contribute to the functioning of a Local Service Centre but which may lie outside the development boundary of the settlement. 

Clause (i) of the policy is formulated to ensure that suitable alternative provision is made for any services and facilities that may be lost. This requirement should be satisfied in discussion with the Council, the local community and other providers of local services before a proposal is put forward. Clauses (ii)-(v) of the policy will then be applied sequentially. Reflecting this, any application for change of use should be accompanied by a written statement demonstrating that each stage in the sequence above that in which the proposal falls has been investigated. The statement should indicate the steps that have been taken and the reasons for rejection. 

Clause (ii) of the policy seeks to ensure that the existing range of services and facilities in a settlement is not diminished. To satisfy the criterion consideration must be given to the existing range of facilities and their distribution within the particular settlement in question. Particular focus should be placed on any existing duplication of provision or over provision. If for example clause (i) has been satisfied a change of use of a shop to an insurance company, taxi office or estate agent may be acceptable whereas a high proportion of vacant shops may be indicative of a need for consideration under clause (iii) of the policy. 

Clause (iii) recognises that the next best alternative to the same type of use is re-use for some other purpose that would contribute to the functioning of the Local Service Centre. If therefore clauses (i) and (ii) have been satisfied a change of use from for instance a public house to a dental practice may be acceptable. Consultation with the local community and potential service providers would be an essential contribution to evidence informing this subject.

Before moving to clause (v), clause (iv) would require consultation with providers of locally affordable housing. At clause (v) consideration of whether there are any particular types of market housing in the settlement that are absent or in short supply and which the property concerned could usefully provide is required. Evidence of consultation with local people (including the Parish Council, local employers and local estate agents) is also required to support a proposal in this respect. 

Part 2 of the policy deals with the local services and facilities that serve the Category 4 settlements of the Settlement Hierarchy listed in Appendix 2. In such locations proposals should accord with policy ECON9 to reflect the development distribution of Core Policy 2. 

Where proposals involve redevelopment or change of use in locations outside a development boundary and in the Green Belt cross-reference should be made to policy ENV2.