Draft Black Country Plan

Object

Representation ID: 21330

Received: 08/10/2021

Respondent: Nurton Developments Ltd

Agent: Jones Lang LaSalle

JLL considers the overall approach of the draft Black Country Plan to the economy to be sound. A need for employment land has been derived (a minimum of 565 hectares), a supply has been assessed (355 hectares) and a shortfall has been identified (210 hectares). The shortfall cannot be met within the Black Country and is to be exported, as far as possible, to Local Authorities which have a strong existing or potential functional economic relationship with the Black Country.

However, JLL considers that the figures for employment land need have been under-estimated and the assessment of deliverable supply has been over-estimated. Thus, the shortfall has been under-estimated.

In addition, there is a mismatch between the quality and types of site demanded and those being supplied. This is particularly so with larger or strategic sized sites (i.e. 25 hectares).

This scenario will act to hold back the delivery and pace of release of high quality employment land in the Black Country, and its associated Functional Economic Market Area (FEMA), which includes South Staffordshire and Cannock. This, in turn, will affect detrimentally the capacity of the Black Country to recover strongly from the Covid-19 induced recession and to accelerate the growth of the economy, thereafter, in line with the aspirations and ambitions of the Black Country Strategic Economic Plan (SEP).