The employment land use strategy recommendations below are presented in the format of a recommendation and then supporting a justification and rationale. The specific recommendations build upon our conclusions presented above. A summary of the recommendations are set out in Table 8.1.
Please note that this is one of a number of evidence base documents the Council will be considering that will feed into and inform its Local Plan evidence base. These are URS’ independent recommendations and the Council will subsequently consider these before drafting its own Local Plan policies.
8.3.1
B1 Offices
R1 The demand assessment estimates that there is net additional demand for between 10,657m2 and 17,132m2 of B1 floorspace in LB Havering over the Local Plan period to 2031. The most suitable location in the borough to accommodate this forecast demand is Romford Town Centre. This includes space both within and outside of the Romford Office Quarter/Station Quarter (Cluster 18). Other complementary town centre uses could be introduced on underutilised sites within the Romford Office Quarter/Station Quarter, as long as the total quantum of office floor space within Havering as a whole is not reduced or the viability or functionality of the existing stock undermined.
According to feedback from the commercial agent and stakeholder consultation exercise there is also an opportunity to promote flexible and smaller size office workspace units to accommodate the needs of smaller and medium size businesses. This affordable and flexible business space should be promoted within Romford Office Quarter where there is capacity, as well as elsewhere in Romford Town Centre, including above shops and as part of mixed use regeneration schemes.
Justification
The recent economic downturn affected demand for new B1 premises in the short term. This has been exacerbated by the conversion of some office premises to residential uses through the temporary change to the permitted development order. This may give the impression that in the short term demand for offices is declining. However the forecasting exercise in this study sets out a longer-term view. It suggests that up to 2031 there is net additional demand for around 10,500m2 to 17,000m2 of B1 floorspace in the borough. This view of a modest positive demand over the next 17 years was confirmed by property market agents. Although in London the office market is generally a growing sector the LB Havering is a smaller office market and less integrated into the wider London office market due to its distance from Central London. However, Havering stands to benefit from office occupiers seeking better value office accommodation as office rents rise closer to the City centre and land availability reduces as employment land comes under pressure from higher value uses such as residential. Crossrail should also have a modest beneficial effect on the local office market.
Agents confirmed that enquiries from potential office occupiers looking in LB Havering are overwhelmingly focused on the Romford Town Centre office market. The Romford Office Quarter is considered to have positive characteristics including good access to facilities and amenities, good access to public transport and good access to the strategic road network. In addition, all premises were observed at the time of URS’ surveys to have adequate parking (whether as part of their site or in adjacent paid car parks). Premises, although some are now slightly dated, were observed to be in good condition. The environment and public realm surrounding the cluster was also considered to be good.
While there has been higher than average vacancy rates in the Romford Office Quarter/Station Quarter since 2008 (mainly as result of the economic downturn) it is considered by market agents that Crossrail will have a positive impact on demand over the medium to long term and larger floor plate office occupiers will be seeking space there. Consultations reveal that there is also an existing and forecast demand for smaller office units above shops and within mixed use regeneration schemes in Romford Town Centre.
8.3.2
B2 and B8 General Industrial, and Storage and Distribution
R2 To help ensure there is sufficient capacity to meet projected demand for industrial land in LB Havering to 2031 the following existing designated employment land should continue to be protected:
c) All existing Strategic Industrial Land (SIL), which includes the following: • Harold Hill (Cluster 1)
• King George Close (Cluster 2) • Ferry Lane North (Cluster 3a and b) • Beam Reach 5 (Cluster 4)
• Ford (Cluster 5) • CEME (Cluster 6)
• Fairview Estate (Cluster 7)
• Ferry Lane South (Cluster 8a and b) • Beam Reach 6 (Cluster 9)
• Rainham SIL Infill (Cluster 10)
d) The following Secondary Employment Areas (SEAs): • Harold Wood (Cluster 11)
• Hillman Close (Cluster 12)61
• The Seedbed Centre, Romford (Cluster 13) • Lyon Road (Cluster 14)
• Crow Lane Site 2 – Danes Road (Cluster 15) • Crow Lane Site 1 (Cluster 16)
• Crow Lane Site 3 (Cluster 17) Retain the 2.4 ha of the site that is in Royal Mail use. The remaining 7.94 h is recommended for release (see recommendation 4 below)
The Council should consider renaming the Secondary Employment Areas (SEA) as ‘Locally Significant Industrial Sites’ (LSIS) as per the London Plan definition. Justification
Over the Local Plan period to 2031 there is projected to be gross demand for approximately 350 ha of Industrial land (B2 and B8) in LB Havering (see Table 7.9). There is currently approximately 375 hectares of industrial land. In line with the principles of the NPPF this demand should be accommodated at the most appropriate locations for these uses within the borough. The NPPG states that Councils should identify a future supply of land which is suitable, available and achievable for economic development uses over the plan period62 . The vast majority of existing SIL and SEA sites remain the most suitable location for accommodating this industrial and warehousing demand. This corresponds to the principles set out in London Plan Policy 2.17.
61
Also known as Stafford Industrial Estate 62