Issue - meetings

The Director, Planning, Transport and Economic Development, will provide an update of employment land and premises requirements for the city, and approaches the council and its partners are taking to unlock and bring forward employment land and premises for business development in line with the recently adopted Economic Action Plan.

Following a request from the Scrutiny Commission, the Director Planning, Transport and Economic Development presented   a report on the employment land and premises requirements for the city, and approaches the council and its partners were taking to unlock and bring forward employment land and premises for business development in line with the recently adopted Economic Action Plan.

Andrew informed the meeting that employment land studies were undertaken, from which key issues were identified. A map of the location of employment land in the city or near the county boundary was circulated. The map showed clusters of lower-quality employment land in the city, and no Grade A land in the city, though there was an opportunity for the development of Grade A property on Council land at Dover Street and New Walk Centre sites.

The report also stated that larger scale employment land could only be accommodated on the periphery of the city, but supply was 50 hectares short of requirement for land within the City’s boundaries. The City Mayor added the Council would look at ways of collaborating beyond boundaries to develop sites.

The report also outlined Council workspace development, for example Makers Yard on Rutland Street, which had proved to be very popular. The report outlined other developments in the city and opportunities for grants and funding to the Council for further developments. Andrew said a bid had been made for ERDF grant to develop a Food and Drink Park on Lewisher Road, as part of the Economic Action Plan, which would bring together food and drink manufacturing businesses, though the project was at a formative stage.

Members asked if other non-visible infrastructure, for example broadband, was in place to support Grade A development. Andrew said that 93% of the city was covered by fast broadband. He added that there might be opportunities for home-working that could be explored. Members asked that an update, which looked at issues regarding the supporting infrastructure, be brought to a future Scrutiny Commission meeting.

The Chair said the report had covered supply of Grade A office space, but asked if there was a demand. Andrew responded that up-to-date studies had looked at the employment land, and evidence for demand had been provided as evidence for the bid for European Funding, and would be provided to the Scrutiny Commission for information.

The Chair thanked the officer for the update.

RESOLVED:

1.    that the report be noted.

2.    that information on infrastructure support and demand be brought to a future meeting.