Policy Intent:

Government policy is supportive of “brownfield first” and seeks to encourage Local Plans to prioritise the redevelopment of previously used land before considering greenfield sites. However, not all brownfield sites are suitable for change of use to residential. For example, recent redevelopment in the south of the parish (Hadrian Crescent/ Valarian Way) should not lead to creeping change of use to residential towards the A4012 to the north as this would result in a large percentage of employment land, well situated given its proximity to major transport routes, being lost.

The Neighbourhood Plan wish to ensure that in supporting the local economy and community, it is important for the viability of the town to ensure that any loss of existing employment sites in LL7 are compensated for by protecting employment land in the right places for new investment.

This policy seeks to protect established employment locations in Leighton Linslade to protect them from a change of use to non-employment uses and to support their intensification where appropriate.

Three sites are designated in the Local Plan as EMP1 “Small and medium employment sites”

These are:

• Billington Road (off Roundabout)
• Stanbridge Road/Cherrycourt Way/Fraserfields Way
• Chartmoor Road/Billington Road/Grovebury Road/Eden Way.

The Steering Group will need to obtain confirmation from CBC that the status of any of these sites is not proposed to change under the emerging Local Plan. It is noted that Local Plan Policy EMP1 is silent on change of use to residential; by definition the policy expressly supports change of use within B2, B8 and E(g) employment use classes. The Neighbourhood Plan policy could therefore expressly seek to protect these sites from change of use to residential or other non-employment uses.

The policy can also seek to support where these sites have the potential for making better use of the land and premises for infill, redevelopment and refurbishment to create new jobs in modern, flexible business units at higher job densities (i.e. FTE jobs per sq.m. floorspace). This intensification of use will also mitigate the loss of other brownfield sites for residential re-development.