Video: Employment Land Reviews (ELRs)

ELRs are an essential component in the effective management of land use. They are a tool to assist planning authorities assess the amount, type and location of land needed for 'employment' uses for many years into the future. ELRs are seen as an essential empirical in underpinning planning policy development (Regional Spatial Strategy and Local Development Framework).

The problem is that ELRs have a major limitation as they are currently applied: they generally only consider demand for employment land from 'traditional' sector (Use Class B) employment growth and exclude non-traditional employment.

This leads to real concern that employment land allocations reflect an inaccurate measure of real land needs and causes poor land use management – notably given that non traditional employment sectors are growing significantly. Indeed the recent publication of draft PPS4 encourages wider ELR coverage.

It seems that now is the right time to open the debate on how the ELR should evolve to ensure it reflects an accurate picture. The surveyor has a key role to play in this.

External property consultants are usually commissioned by local planning authorities to undertake the ELR – if not in its entirety then notably to provide the market review and appraisal of sites' market appeal which are key elements of the study. The consultants must be chartered surveyors with knowledge of the local market in its wider regional context – such knowledge cannot usually be located in-house.

Main contributors: Mike Taylor (Director, GVA Grimley), Jim Whelan (GVA Grimley).

This programme

• To see the full version of this programme, go to NBS TV

More clips

• The Manual for Streets
• Local Development Frameworks

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