Land review update call

Adur District Council wants to update the Employment Land Review (ELR), which was last carried out by GL Hearn in 2011.

Cllr Pat Beresford, cabinet member for regeneration, will be making the decision and it has been recommended he approve the expenditure from the existing service budget.

GL Hearn specialises in economic and demographic forecasting.

An updated ELR would form part of the evidence base for the emerging Adur Local Plan.

James Appleton, head of planning, regeneration and wellbeing, explained in his report: “An ELR is essential to understand the type and amount of new employment floorspace that should be provided in the district over the next 15 years and to help inform decisions regarding planning applications, and allocations and policies within the emerging Local Plan.

“GL Hearn have already produced an ELR update for Adur District Council in 2011, as well as the recent Coastal Strategic Housing Market Assessment. As a result, they already have a good knowledge of the area.”

Councils are required to assess the need for land or floorspace for economic development, including all types of economic activity, as well as the existing and future supply of land available.

Mr Appleton said the ELR needed updating to ensure the Local Plan was based on the most up-to-date evidence.

“Such an update was also recommended by the Planning Advisory Service when they undertook a health check of Adur’s Draft Local Plan in 2013,” he added.

As GL Hearn was familiar with the district and already had a lot of information on employment land and demand in Adur, using the firm again would save time and money.