Support
New Local Plan
Representation ID: 3676
Received: 02/04/2019
Respondent: Thurrock Borough Council
Due to the significant shortfall of currently identified housing capacity compared to housing need in Southend a thorough review of all employment sites and uses on allocated and unallocated employment land should be undertaken to determine the potential for the less suitable employment sites to be used for other uses such as housing. It is noted the question is framed in terms of poorest quality sites and it is unclear what this refers to. The determination of whether a site is suitable for alternative use including housing should not just be its poor environmental quality or building quality on the employment site but also whether the a site is:
• Poorly located relative to other employment areas;
• Whether they are poorly located relative to the highway network and other access;
• Whether alternative uses would be located close to other infrastructure and services;
• Whether they represent bad neighbour uses close to, or adjoining residential uses.
Due to the significant shortfall of currently identified housing capacity compared to housing need in Southend a thorough review of all employment sites and uses on allocated and unallocated employment land should be undertaken to determine the potential for the less suitable employment sites to be used for other uses such as housing. It is noted the question is framed in terms of poorest quality sites and it is unclear what this refers to. The determination of whether a site is suitable for alternative use including housing should not just be its poor environmental quality or building quality on the employment site but also whether the a site is:
• Poorly located relative to other employment areas;
• Whether they are poorly located relative to the highway network and other access;
• Whether alternative uses would be located close to other infrastructure and services;
• Whether they represent bad neighbour uses close to, or adjoining residential uses.