Policy GESP12: Economic Delivery

The Greater Exeter councils will work together with other delivery bodies to encourage new economic investment and development in the area. Planning will be one of the tools in an integrated delivery strategy to include:

1. KeepingtheExeterandHeartofDevonSharedEconomicStrategyorequivalentdocument underreviewanduptodateasa material consideration in the consideration of planning applications
2. Prioritising and coordinating strategic, site specific and local plan infrastructure investment to start or speed up economic development sites which contribute to the targets in this plan
3. Using planning obligations or other planning controls to ensure that the economic elements of mixed use developments occur in a timely fashion, including cross subsidy from housing and a backstop of land transfer to enable public sector direct delivery
4. Monitoring existing policies and site allocations, and if they are not delivering against GESP’s economic targets contained in draft policies GESP10 and GESP11, the extent to which planning applications for economic development uses support the delivery of the targets will be given significant weight

6.21 Traditionally land use planning has taken a controlling approach to development that has not always encouraged growth and The draft vision for the GESP area suggests a more supportive and flexible approach setting the objective of development management to encourage and support those that want to invest in the area. Draft policy GESP12 proposes that the Greater Exeter councils will act corporately and in partnership to establish the locational and physical requirements of new businesses and guide them accordingly.The GESP proposals and policies will be the key starting point, but a flexible outlook will be needed to ensure continued economic success and meeting unforeseen or evolving economic needs. The councils will monitor key economic indicators in the Greater Exeter area and the extent to which economic progress is falling short of the targets (see draft policies GESP10 and GESP11) will be weighed in the planning balance where planning applications for economic development are being considered. This means that the decision making will be rebalanced in favour of economic progress to the extent that the area is not achieving its potential as set out in the GESP. That does not mean that any job creation proposal will be granted, since there will continue to be other relevant planning factors to consider.

6.22 The policy also supports the continuation of a joint approach to supporting economic development by the councils in the Greater Exeter area, taking corporate action which goes beyond purely land use planning actions.

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