Allocate land for employment uses on Balsall Common and Knowle

While it is clearly important in the Local Plan to address the issue of providing sufficient land for housing over the plan period, it is apparent that less serious attention has been given to the provision of new land for employment purposes.
The allocation of Site UK2 on land at Damson Parkway in the Policies Map, is to be released from the Green Belt to accommodate employment development, including that required for JLR operational needs or to enable JLR component suppliers, needed to directly support JLR operational needs, to be located close to the plant. That land has also been earmarked for the relocation of the existing public Civic Amenity Recycling site presently sited at Arden Eco Park
Arden Cross is being promoted as providing for housing as well as other uses including such as research and development and advanced manufacturing as part of an innovation district for employment and higher education.
The Council has readily diluted the original business allocation of Blythe Valley Park and other business parks with significant residential development.
While much of that is to be welcomed in the two main areas of residential growth – Knowle and Balsall Common – no provision has been made of land for employment purposes to help to create a balanced community rather than commuter villages where the population has to travel usually by car to employment opportunities elsewhere. In both those communities’ provision should be made in the Local Plan for a modest amount of employment land.
In Balsall Common sites such as
• Lavender Hall Farm site BC6
• Call for Sites site 1 – Springhill, 443 Station Road, Balsall Common
• Call for Sites site 43 – Land adjacent to Old Lodge Farm, Kenilworth Road

In Knowle an area within the Arden Triangle a suitable site should be allocated for employment uses.