SUFFOLK BUSINESS PARK

VISION AND IMPLEMENTATION DOCUMENT

ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL

January 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1. INTRODUCTION 3

PURPOSE OF REPORT

STRUCTURE AND FORMAT OF DOCUMENT

THE SITE

2. CONTEXT 8

POLICY CONTEXT

EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

KEY SECTORS

EDUCATION PROVIDERS AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT

3. VISION AND OBJECTIVES 16

VISION STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

ACTIONS

4. DELVERY OPPORTUNITIES 26

ENTERPRISE ZONE STATUS

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ORDERS

LONGER TERM DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

5. CONCLUSION 29

APPENDICES

A. Suffolk Business Park Masterplan. June 2010.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 This report seeks to set out the ambition and objectives of St

Edmundsbury Borough Council (“the council”) as part landowner of Suffolk

Business Park.

1.2 This document is not a statutory planning document and should be read in

conjunction with the existing published policies and plans published by the Local

Planning Authority.

STRUCTURE AND FORMAT OF THE DOCUMENT

1.3 This report is divided into five sections including: the introduction; context

section; vision and objectives; delivery opportunities; and the conclusion.

1.4 Chapter two of this report sets out the context for the development of

Suffolk Business Park including the planning policy background; the work of the

local enterprise partnerships; the local employment context; and information

about the key sectors in the area.

1.5 The central part of this report is the vision and objectives for the park and

this is contained in chapter three. An overriding vision for the park is supported

by a series of objectives that have been developed to drive the vision forward.

Chapter four then discusses the delivery opportunities available to Suffolk

Business Park to drive the vision forward.

1.6 Finally Chapter 5 brings all of the information together into a conclusion.

THE SITE

1.7 Suffolk Business Park (SBP) is located on the eastern side of Bury St

Edmunds which is 25 miles to the east of Cambridge and 27 miles to the west of

Ipswich. The employment allocation has direct access to the A14 Trunk road

which links the east coast ports to the midlands and is linked to the south east

via the M11. Stansted and Norwich Airports are both within 50 miles of the site.

1.8 The plan below shows the location of Suffolk Business Park in Bury St

Edmunds in relation to the East of England.

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Figure 1-Bury St Edmunds set within the Eastern Region

1.9 The Suffolk Business Park Masterplan is attached as Appendix One. The

masterplan was adopted in June 2010 and identified:

• 68 hectares of commercial employment land providing space for

approximately 232,257 sq m (2,500,000 sq ft) of various employment

building types

• a relief road to link the A14 to land identified in the local development

framework for housing, a secondary school, community and health

facilities and new affordable homes

• road and pedestrian access to the 70 hectare Rougham Aerodrome

Showground to facilitate the growth of this visitor attraction and

recreational/events facility

• motorist service facilities including petrol filling station and associated

facilities, restaurant and travel hotel

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1.10 The plan at Figure 2 below shows the location of Suffolk Business

Park in relation to the A14 Trunk Road; the Rougham Industrial Estate;

Rougham Showground; and the existing development on the eastern edge

of Bury St Edmunds.

Figure 2-Extract from the Masterplan (adopted 2010) showing the extent of Suffolk

Business Park and approximate alignment of the Eastern Relief Road

1.11 Future major development on Suffolk Business Park is dependent

upon the upgrading of junction 45 of the A14 and the construction of the

Eastern Relief Road (ERR). The plan below shows the approximate

alignment of the ERR and the revised junction with the A14.

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Figure 3-Eastern Relief Road alignment

1.12 Highways England has advised that Junction 45 of the A14 is

significantly sub standard and could not accommodate additional traffic

generation. Likewise Highways England has advised that junctions 43 and

44 of the A14 are at peak time capacity and could not accommodate a

significant increase in traffic generation. Therefore the site cannot be

accessed from the existing road network via Moreton Hall and would have

to be served from an improved junction 45 via an Eastern Relief Road

(ERR). The ERR will link the improved junction 45 back to the existing

road network at Moreton Hall. Therefore, any businesses wishing to locate

on Suffolk Business Park before the ERR is open would need to establish a

neutral impact upon the existing highway network. Once the ERR and

junction improvements are complete, the 68 hectares of employment land

can be accessed. Planning permission for the ERR was granted on the 8th

August 2014.

1.13 There is significant residential growth planned for Bury St Edmunds

to meet the identified demand. The planned growth for Bury St Edmunds

in the period up to 2031 is 6,000 new dwellings with an equivalent

number of jobs. The employment land is required to ensure our

communities continue to be balanced and sustainable. The plan below

shows the location of Suffolk Business Park in relation to Bury St Edmunds

and the strategic residential land allocations around the town. These five

allocations are annotated in blue and green on Figure 4 below and are

labelled North-West; North-East; West; South-east; and Moreton Hall.

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Figure 4-Extract from the Bury St Edmunds Vision 2031 document showing the

residential strategic allocations and Suffolk Business Park Extension

1.14 The construction of the ERR will open up 68 hectares of commercial

land on a main trunk road between the midlands and the East coast ports.

This land will enable the town to grow via commercial companies setting

up in the area and redressing the balance within the town of public/private

employment. Public sector employment accounts for 34% of employment

in Bury St Edmunds.

CHAPTER TWO: CONTEXT

POLICY CONTEXT

2.1 In 2015 the Chancellor George Osborne, announced the Government’s

Productivity Plan – “Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation”.

This document seeks to address the UK’s long-term productivity problem. The

Plan recognises the drivers of productivity as being ‘a dynamic, open enterprising

economy, supported by long-term public and private investment in

infrastructure, skills and science’.

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2.2 This vision document for Suffolk Business Park supports and adds to the

Governments “Long Term Economic Plan for the East of England”, announced in

February 2015. The aim of this plan is to increase the long term growth rate of

the East of England to at least the long term growth rate of the whole UK, adding

more than £12bn in real terms to the East of England economy by 2030. This is

equivalent to nearly £2,000 more per person compared to the East continuing on

its long term average growth path. This plan will also create 250,000 extra jobs

in the East of England by 2020, by backing the new and existing strengths in

industry in the East, business investment and new startups.

2.3 At a local level St Edmundsbury Borough and Bury St Edmunds in

particular, have for some time lacked adequate commercial land, infrastructure,

and the necessary public and private investment to address these shortfalls. It

is only recently that Suffolk Business Park has been successful in attracting the

support and investment from both the public and private sector to bring forward

the extension to Suffolk Business Park which will be fundamental in raising the

productivity, output levels and jobs growth in Bury St Edmunds. This success

has only been achieved through the targeted aims and ambitions of the following

key public and private sector bodies and policies.

2.4 At regional, sub-regional and local level the Policy context for the support

received in driving this growth is guided by the Local Enterprise Partnerships

(LEPs) with their Strategic Economic Plans (SEP), Suffolk County Council (SCC)

with the Suffolk Growth Strategy, and in West Suffolk via the Six Point Plan for

Jobs & Growth, and more specifically in St Edmundsbury (SEBC) through Vision

2031. (St Edmundsbury Borough Council has the benefit of being part of two

LEPs due to its location in Suffolk and also its close association with Cambridge).

2.5 The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (NALEP) SEP sets out an

aspiration to grow 95,000 more jobs; 10,000 new businesses; and 117,000 new

homes by 2026. NALEP has an ambition to transform the economy of Norfolk

and Suffolk and to establish the New Anglia area as a centre of global business

excellence. The New Anglia area has strengths in many of the sectors with the

greatest potential for growth and it plans to capitalise on its global strengths in

areas such as agri-tech and life sciences; energy; and ICT and creative digital; to

accelerate growth in the economy. This is exemplified by the successful

Enterprise Zone bid in 2015 for 14 hectares of land at Suffolk Business Park; this

was approved by the Chancellor in the Autumn Statement.

2.6 The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership

(GCGP) submitted a SEP worth £500 million to the local economy over a six year

period. It stated that as a result of the investment, the Plan would support the

delivery of 70,000 new jobs, and 50,000 new homes leading to a £2.8 billion

uplift in GVA across the LEP area. The GCGP SEP sets out six ambitions as

follows:- to be the UKs exemplar area for digital connectivity; to deliver a

Growth Hub to support business growth; to respond to existing pressure for the

growth and retention of businesses by facilitating the provision of additional

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innovation and incubator space (which includes an action to encourage the

expansion beyond Cambridge of technology businesses); to remove the skills

barriers to continued growth; to establish a transport network fit for an

economically vital high growth area; and to take forward the Alconbury Weald

Enterprise Campus. As an effective LEP the GCGP was also successful in its bid

to deliver a second Enterprise Zone in its area.

2.7 The Suffolk Growth Strategy provides the broad framework showing how

the county, district and borough councils – working together – intend to do

“whatever they can” to enable business to be successful. The simple ambition is

to strengthen the Suffolk economy: to create more, higher value, better-paying

jobs, and more wealth. The strategy states that this will be achieved by building

on the distinctive competitive economic and environmental advantages to ensure

that Suffolk is home to businesses playing a prime role in driving the sustainable

growth of the UK economy. The following ambition was first set out in the

document “Transforming Suffolk: Suffolk’s Community Strategy”:

“By 2028, we want Suffolk to be recognised for its outstanding

environment and quality of life for all; a place where everyone can

realise their potential, benefit from and contribute to Suffolk’s

economic prosperity, and be actively involved in their community.”

2.8 The Suffolk Growth Strategy focusses on several key elements as follows:

Green Economic Growth; Suffolk in the Global Economy (and growth sectors);

broad strategy for growth; Skills; Inward Investment and Enterprise; Principal

Economic Growth Locations (including Suffolk Business Park); Infrastructure

investment required; and finally a focus upon Delivery.

2.9 The West Suffolk Six Point Plan for Jobs and Growth is a document that

drives the growth ambitions for Forest Heath District Council and St

Edmundsbury Borough Council. One of its key areas of focus is ‘ensuring the

right conditions for growth’, thus working to remove the barriers to growth and

ensuring that business can secure the land and premises required.

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2.10 The St Edmundsbury Core Strategy document was Adopted in December

2010. Policy CS9 states that employment land east of Suffolk Business Park,

Bury St Edmunds is allocated to enable the delivery of additional jobs in

sustainable location in the town of Bury St Edmunds. This high level document

identifies Suffolk Business Park as the main site for employment growth for the

town and Borough as a whole to ensure that additional employment is provided

which would support the housing growth planned for the town.

2.11 The Bury St Edmunds Vision 2031 document (Adopted Dec 2014) allocates

the site and sets a defined boundary around the extended Suffolk Business Park.

Policy BV13 is the policy that supports the allocation. The policy sets out that a

masterplan should be in place to inform the development of the site. In addition

it requires the production of travel plans for new and expanding businesses to

reduce the dependency upon the private car. The document also sets out that

the 68 hectare site is allocated for B1 and B8 use classes.

EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

2.12 In 2012, Experian and the BBC identified West Suffolk as ‘one of the best

places in the Country for new businesses’. Today, in 2016, that business

focussed attitude sees new business births in Bury St Edmunds remaining

strong. (Figures from Companies House 2016).

Figure 5: Bury St Edmunds Business Births by year

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2.13 As shown by Figures 6 and 7 below, the employment figures highlight the

key employment sectors and strengths for St Edmundsbury. (As at end of 2nd

Quarter 2015).

Figure 6: Employment sectors by industry

Figure 7: Employment sectors by occupation

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2.14 Figures 8 and9 below show St Edmundsbury has employment levels above

the national, regional, and county average and correspondingly unemployment

levels below the national, regional and county average.

Figure 8: Total Employment for St Edmundsbury

Figure 9: Percentage of 16-64 year olds who are economically inactive

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KEY SECTORS

2.15 The West Suffolk “Six Point Plan for Jobs and Growth” identifies the key

sectors within the West Suffolk area as being Food, Drink and Agriculture; Life

Sciences and Biotechnology; Advanced Manufacturing; Digital and Cultural

Creative Industries; and Financial Services and Tourism.

2.16 West Suffolk and Cambridge have strong concentrations of nationally, and

globally competitive sectors. With our partners we recognise the importance of

building on these sectors to create new jobs and strengthen the economy.

These sectors are of significant value to the economy in terms of gross value

added; high skilled employment; and growth potential providing business and

employment opportunities for all. The importance of these sectors and the

confidence in building upon these strengths has seen the award of two new

Enterprise Zones in St Edmundsbury, one being at Suffolk Business Park.

2.17 At Suffolk Business Park we will seek to grow the following sectors:

Food, drink and agriculture

2.18 Accountable for approximately 2.7% of total employment, over 81,000 jobs

and worth over £2 billion to the Suffolk and Norfolk economy.

2.19 Bury St Edmunds is home to nationally and internationally recognised

businesses such as British Sugar, Direct Table Foods, RC Treatt and Greene

King.

Life sciences and biotechnology (including equine)

2.20 Whilst this sector provides only 1,000 jobs in Norfolk and Suffolk, this

sector is of particular interest to West Suffolk and Bury St Edmunds. Suffolk

Business Park will be a credible alternative to those life science and biotech

companies seeking proximity to Cambridge.

Advanced manufacturing

2.21 With over 24,000 jobs and a worth of more than £1.5 billion to the Norfolk

and Suffolk economy Advanced Manufacturing is a key player in the ‘make-up’ of

Bury St Edmunds, home to companies such as Vitec and Amot (Roper

Industries).

Digital and cultural creative industries

2.22 Accounting for 1.7% of total employment, with over 10,800 jobs in Norfolk

and Suffolk.

2.23 This sector includes marketing, media and communications, advertising,

architecture, crafts, design, designer fashion, video, film and photography,

music and the visual and performing arts, publishing, computer games,

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software, and radio and TV. West Suffolk businesses include Hamlin Brands (Red

Lodge) and Music Sales (Bury St Edmunds).

Financial services

2.24 Accounting for 3.2% of total employment, with over 20,000 jobs and worth

£3.1 billion to the Norfolk and Suffolk economy. This is a significant and thriving

sector with interesting potential connections.

EDUCATION PROVIDERS AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT

West Suffolk College, University Campus Suffolk and the Cambridge Universities:

2.25 West Suffolk College (WSC) is one of the leading further education college’s

in the eastern region (approximately 14,000 students) and has its main campus

based in Bury St Edmunds.

2.26 Reaching into Haverhill, Ipswich, Mildenhall, Stowmarket and Sudbury,

West Suffolk College also incorporates the western arm of the University of

Suffolk (University Campus Suffolk - UCS) which accommodates approximately

5,000 students across its campus network.

2.27 Courses and qualifications through WSC and UCS allow for Full-time,

Parttime, Adult Education, Apprenticeships and training for businesses, as well

as Degree Courses.

2.28 The demand for increased skills training by local businesses has led to the

successful award of £7m from NALEP to help West Suffolk College deliver a new

energy, engineering and manufacturing skills training centre in Bury St

Edmunds. A key aim of which will be to offer local business the opportunity to

seek support for product diversification and knowledge transfer from the local

academic institutions and those in Cambridge, less than 30 minutes from the

park.

MENTA – The Suffolk Enterprise Agency

2.29 In addition to the business courses available through the public and private

providers in the area, support and advice is also directly available from the Bury

St Edmunds based enterprise agency – MENTA.

2.30 MENTA is a not for profit organisation that aims to encourage new

enterprises to start and grow, and existing businesses to improve performance

through one to one advice, workshops and networking opportunities. The

organisation also has a number of small units available for rent in Bury St

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Edmunds and Haverhill. Demand for these units is always high, and as such

there is a requirement, and pressure, for additional move on space in the area.

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CHAPTER THREE: VISION AND OBJECTIVES

VISION STATEMENT

“Suffolk Business Park will be the largest and most successful

business park in the Eastern Region”

3.1 This vision statement is based upon the facts that Suffolk Business Park

is:

• Located at the heart of East Anglia with excellent links via the A14 Trunk

Road to the East Coast ports and the midlands

• An hour and half from London

• Within an hour from three International airports (Stansted, Norwich and

Cambridge)

• Within half an hour of Cambridge, world renowned centre for life sciences

etc.

• Part of historic Bury St Edmunds, a town with a high quality of life

alongside being a centre for tourism and leisure activities

3.2 The aim is to create a successful and sustainable business environment

which will meet the aspirations of new and existing:

• Digital and new media companies;

• Food and agricultural businesses;

• Public administration bodies;

• High value manufacturing clusters with future growth potential; and

Companies relating to the leisure and visitor economy.

INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

3.3 Six objectives have been set out to help ensure that progress is made to

transforming the Park in line with the Vision Statement. These are:

Objective 1 – maximise economic development, regeneration potential

and sustainable growth;

Suffolk Business Park will be a site of regional employment significance,

characterised by high employment and productivity. High value added activity

will be pursued through a targeted sector approach linked to a clear investment

proposition.

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Objective 2 – prioritise opportunities for local businesses (new growth

and existing company expansions);

Bury St Edmunds is home to a number of companies with aspirations to grow

and stay in the local area. Suffolk Business Park brings the opportunity for any

local company to create the ideal operating conditions in a purpose built

building. The promoters of SBP will pursue opportunities to enhance the local

employment and supply chain position, thus bringing social, economic and

environmental sustainability benefits to the community.

Objective 3 – provide links with the local community and the local

education providers;

Entrepreneurship and innovation will be stimulated within a supportive business

environment. Linkages will be forged with local education providers such as

West Suffolk College, and business support organisations such as Menta.

Objective 4 – establish high quality sites and premises set within an

attractive and sustainable, landscaped environment;

Suffolk Business Park will be positioned as a sustainable place to do business.

Central to this aspiration will be the pursuit of green energy as a unique

characteristic of SBPs offer, yielding economic and environmental advantages.

SBP will enhance its infrastructure offer to a high quality and sustainable

standard to ensure the business is attractive to business.

Objective 5 – develop a recognisable and unique brand to support the

effective marketing for the business park;

To maintain high levels of new investment in Suffolk Business Park through

strong branding and marketing which promote the park and West Suffolk as a

leading location for inward investment.

Objective 6 – create a successful management model for the delivery of

the business park.

The partners responsible for the development of Suffolk Business Park will

pursue a collective, commercial approach to managing the park to maximise

income and re-investment potential. The West Suffolk Economic Development

team will work with land owners and SBP promoters to ensure a joined up

approach to the development of the park. The opportunities exist for all the

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partners to work together to ensure that the aims and aspirations set out in this

document come to fruition.

3.4 These six objectives require both a clear spatial framework and the

development of an implementation plan and actions to take forward key areas of

advocacy and public sector led intervention.

3.5 Figure 10 below illustrates the Strategic Framework to guide the

implementation of Suffolk Business Park, establishing the vision, strategic

objectives and the broad actions.

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Figure 10- Vision, Objectives and Key Actions

VISION

By 2020

Suffolk Business Park will be the largest and most successful business park in the

Eastern Region

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

Maximise economic development regeneration potential and sustainable growth

Prioritise opportunities

for local business

Provide links with the local

community and the

local education providers

Establish high quality sites

and premises set in

attractive and sustainable, landscaped

environment

Develop a recognisable and unique

brand to support the

effectiv e marketing for the business

park

Create a successful

management model for the delivery of the business park

ACTIONS

Spatial framework

Zoning Design quality Green routes Gateways Park facilities

Land Assembly

and facilitation

Land Agreements Compul sory

Purchase Orders Enterprise Zone

bid LDOs

Continued involvement

Establishment of a successful management structure

Continued support and involvement of St Edmundsbury Borough Council

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STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

3.6 The following section takes each of the six objectives in turn and details

what, in particular, needs to be addressed in order to realise the objective.

Objective 1 – maximise economic development, regeneration potential

and sustainable growth

3.7 SBP will be a site of regional employment significance, characterised by

high employment and productivity. High value added activity will be pursued

through a targeted sector approach linked to a clear investment proposition.

3.8 Through building upon the key sectors identified, the expansion of SBP will

deliver in the region of 14,000 jobs, in an already successful business area.

Through investing in success the park will seek to build links with the expansion

of Cambridge, attracting those high value companies that seek proximity to

Cambridge to locate in an area that offers a dynamic, qualified workforce,

alongside a strong entrepreneurial attitude and a great quality of life.

3.9 SBP will continue to seek investment to deliver the aspirations of the local

business community. Enterprise Zone status within the park will offer the

opportunity to seek match funding to deliver further initiatives such as, for

example, an innovation/managed workspace centre on the park.

3.10 Support will be available to enable businesses to be nurtured to their full

potential, enhancing sustainable growth and building upon the local approach to

entrepreneurialism.

Objective 2 – prioritise opportunities for local businesses (new growth

and existing company expansions);

3.11 Bury St Edmunds is home to a number of companies with aspirations to

grow and stay in the local area. These options have been limited, or not been

available before, but SBP will offer these companies the opportunity to create

the ideal operating conditions in a purpose built building in the area they want to

trade in, next to the people they want to be next to.

3.12 SBP will help companies pursue opportunities to enhance their local supply

chain position, thus bringing social, economic and environmental sustainability.

It will allow businesses to stay local, to retain their staff, and achieve their

aspirations in Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk, and through the EZ links

develop new partnerships and markets.

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Objective 3 – provide links with the local community and the local

education providers;

3.13 Entrepreneurship and innovation will be stimulated within a supportive

business environment. Linkages will be forged with local education providers

such as West Suffolk College, and business support organisations such as Menta,

to help businesses achieve their aims and ambitions.

3.14 A comprehensive educational offer will be available, from apprenticeships

opportunities to skills qualifications. Activity will focus upon supply chain

development; product diversification; Research and Development; Intellectual

property considerations; and assistance with bringing products to market. The

full range of support and advice will be available.

3.15 SBP will build upon the connections already in place locally between the

education and business advice providers.

3.16 There are a number of organisations that offer business courses and advice

in the area, including West Suffolk College, MENTA, West Suffolk Councils and

the Local Enterprise Partnerships.

Objective 4 – establish high quality sites and premises set within an

attractive and sustainable, landscaped environment;

3.17 SBP will position itself as a sustainable place to do business. Central to this

aspiration will be the pursuit of green energy as a unique characteristic of SBPs

offer, yielding economic and environmental advantages. SBP will provide a

variety of accommodation to meet the diversity of occupier and investor needs,

thereby attracting and retaining employment.

3.18 It is the aspiration that the business park will be a well landscaped, high

quality, attractive environment which will be inviting for business to locate

themselves in. This will be achieved by appropriate landscaping belts, feature

trees and open space. Appropriate landscaping can enhance the setting of an

area significantly and as such it will play an important role in framing this high

quality environment. The Eastern Relief Road and the landscaping planned

along side it has been carefully thought through to ensure the business park has

an appropriate setting and remains adaptable and flexible to the changing

demands of business in the future.

3.19 SBP is in an extremely sustainable location on the eastern edge of Bury St

Edmunds. At the end of the Local Plan period the business park will be within

1.5 miles of over 6000 residential properties. Congestion at peak times in Bury

St Edmunds is already a concern for many residents on some junctions around

the town. It is the intention that existing high quality cycle and walking routes

will be extended into, and created through the business park to ensure people

who wish to travel to the business park have direct and high quality off road

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cycle and walking routes. It is acknowledged that ensuring that people who

travel sustainably to the business park will help manage congestion around the

town. Therefore the council will ensure that businesses have the right balance

between on site car parking provision and cycle and walking facilities such as,

changing rooms, lockers, drying rooms and cycle shelters to ensure that people

have the necessary facilities to commute and travel to the site sustainably and

do not feel that car is the only realistic option available to them. The council will

also work with the Highway Authority to ensure that the appropriate level of bus

infrastructure is provided within the Business Park. Such facilities may be

funded via Section 106 contributions.

Objective 5 – develop a recognisable and unique brand to support the

effective marketing for the business park;

3.20 SBP will be marketed to target the sectors identified as being key to the

strengths of the local area. A suitable brand will be developed to enhance the

image and attractiveness of the park.

3.21 An integrated place marketing campaign will utilise the obvious key

attributes of the park and surrounding area as the backbone for targeted and

sustained marketing activity. The campaign will build upon the existence of

strong, existing networks and the partnership working that already exists

alongside the marketing and support that will be put in place to promote the

Enterprise Zone at Suffolk Business Park.

3.22 Support from the LEPs and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will help achieve

these objectives, reaching not only within the UK, but globally.

Objective 6 – create a successful management model for the delivery of

the business park.

3.23 The partners responsible for the development of SBP will pursue a

collective, commercial approach to managing the park to maximise income and

re-investment potential. The West Suffolk Economic Development team will

work with land owners and SBP promoters to ensure a joined up approach to the

development of the park. The opportunities exist for all the partners to work

together to ensure that the aims and aspirations set out in this document come

to fruition.

ACTIONS

Spatial Framework

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3.24 SBP is allocated for B1 and B8 uses in the Local Plan. These uses are not

in themselves zoned or separated to particular areas of the business park. The

council is aware that there will be employment interest in the business park for

uses that do not necessarily fall into the B1 (light industry and office) and B8

(storage and distribution) use class categories. The council recognises that SBP

is a business park and not a general employment area or industrial estate. As

stated previously, the council is seeking to bring forward a high quality business

park. Historically B2 (General Industrial) uses have not been considered

attractive, high quality uses and as such the council has not specified that such

uses would be appropriate on this business park. However, in recent times,

business have diversified extensively and in many cases, on site operations have

changed and it is now increasingly difficult to classify a business operation to

just one use class order.

3.25 Additionally, B2 uses have traditionally been noisy in nature or created an

odour from on site processes. Sound proofing of buildings, and filters on flues

can manage and mitigate these potentially harmful environmental effects. It is

therefore considered that with appropriate steps it may be possible for the

council to accept that B2 uses could operate successfully on the site without

having a negative impact on other businesses on the park or the environment of

the SBP.

3.26 Gateways to any business park are important in setting the tone for the

Park overall. The adopted Masterplan identifies where the Gateways will go.

These are shown on figure 11 below.

Figure 11- Extract from the Suffolk Business Park Extension (adopted December 2010)

3.27 Additionally the council recognises that the street scene along the Eastern

Relief Road will be vital in terms of setting the tone for the business park.

Figure 12 below shows parts of the park which will be described as “frontage

development”. For the most part, we would expect that buildings front onto the

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Eastern Relief Road or A14 where relevant. However there may be

circumstances where this would not be appropriate. Where it is possible, the

council will be looking for appropriate articulation, landscaping or features to

ensure that the business park is seen as an attractive environment. Such details

will be agreed with the Local Planning Authority.

Figure 12- Suffolk Business Park Vision and Implementation Plan

3.28 The council recognises that it would be appropriate for the right balance of

park facilities to be on the business park that would complement and support the

overarching employment uses within the park to help create a sustainable

employment site.

3.29 As stated previously the permeability of the site will be essential to how

people travel around it, through it, and to it. The business park has the

potential to link into many existing cycle and walking routes in the local area.

Much of the Moreton Hall area has been designed to enable people to travel

sustainably. The business park will need to ensure that it acts as an extension

to the existing high quality cycle and walking network and opens itself up to

linking into the exiting network. The park will create in the region of 14,000

jobs over its lifetime and as such it is an essential element of how the town will

grow sustainably over time. Whilst it is recognised that many people will travel

to the business park by car, it is considered that the park must be an accessible

and bicycle/walking friendly environment to encourage those people who can

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travel to the site sustainable as they live nearby. Figure 12 above identifies

“green corridors” which seek to reinforce the importance of landscaping that will

be needed within the park.

Land Assembly and Facilitation

3.30 The council has land agreements with the two principle landowners of SBP.

This will enable the council to be involved and shape the business park in

partnership moving forward. The council also can play an important facilitation

role through various parts of the organisation. Primarily it is envisaged that this

would happen via the councils Economic Development Team who regularly

receive enquiries relating to available commercial land within the town.

3.31 St Edmundsbury Borough Council passed a resolution to serve a

Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) in early 2015 to ensure that the delivery of

the Eastern Relief Road and thereby unlocking the associated residential and

employment land. CPO’s can bring many benefits such as ensuring there are no

land interests/leases, or ownership issues that would delay development.

3.32 Local Development Orders (LDO) are discussed in greater detail below but

it is considered at this stage that there is merit in deciding if the benefits that a

LDO would bring to the business park are worth a LDO being adopted. The

merits of the LDO are discussed below at paragraph 4.9.

Continued Involvement

3.33 The council will seek to have a continued involvement in the business park

and support its partners to ensure the business park grows at the right rate and

helps foster the right businesses in the West Suffolk area.

3.34 The council will be able to support its partners in a number of ways.

Namely:

• Support and feedback from the Economic Development team

• Support from the Local Planning Authority to give pre application advice

Monitoring role on growth sectors, direct marketing etc.

• Ability to direct general enquires to the business park promoters

• Monthly meetings with the business park partners to understand what

opportunities may have presented themselves.

CHAPTER FOUR: DELIVERY OPPORTUNITIES

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ENTERPRISE ZONE STATUS

4.1 In the 2015 Autumn Statement the Chancellor George Osborne

announced 20 new Enterprise Zones (EZ). One of the successful bids is a multi

site EZ submitted to Government by NALEP. “Space to Innovate” is the generic

name for the ten collective sites which include a 14 hectare site at Suffolk

Business Park (see Figure 13 below).

Businesses located on an Enterprise Zone can access the following benefits:

• Up to 100% business rate discount worth up to £275,000 per business over

a 5 year period; and

• Simplified local authority planning, for example, through Local Development

Orders that grant automatic planning permission for certain development

(such as new industrial buildings or changing how existing buildings are

used) within specified areas.

4.2 “Space to Innovate” has been promoted as being able to create

5,000 new jobs by 2021, rising to 18,500 over the lifetime of the multi

site zone. The EZ comprises a network of connected sites that will seek to

create supply chains and co-operation between businesses that choose to

locate within the EZ.

4.3 Focused on sectors identified in the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan

and the newly published Innovation Strategy, the EZ will put businesses in

direct contact with our innovation centres and universities.

4.4 NALEP’s Innovation Strategy aims to improve business productivity

and competitiveness through linking business with innovation centres,

universities and Catapult centres. Sectors identified include: agri-tech,

food and health; and digital/ICT. These are sectors which New Anglia LEP

has identified as providing a competitive advantage for the area.

4.5 This focus also aligns with the Government’s Long Term Economic

Plan for the East of England, announced by the Prime Minister in early

2015.

4.6 The sites are located across a number of key rural locations and

smaller towns as well as Norwich and Ipswich, which were both identified

as locations for EZs by the Chancellor George Osborne.

4.7 The sites will act as a powerful magnet to attract new businesses,

particularly overseas companies, looking to capitalise on expertise in key

innovation sectors. Linking the sites with innovation centres, universities

and the NALEP Growth Hub, will boost innovation and in turn productivity,

helping support higher skilled jobs.

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4.8 Many of the sites also look to leverage previous public sector

investment in innovation facilities, roads or other infrastructure in order to

maximise that investment to support jobs and productivity improvements.

Figure 13- Area of land that will possibly be an Enterprise Zone at Suffolk Business Park

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ORDERS

4.9 Local Development Orders (LDO) are made by local planning authorities

and give a grant of planning permission to specific types of development within a

defined area. It has been identified that LDO’s have benefits and attractions.

Such benefits could include:

• improved perceptions, giving the message that Councils are positive about

growth opportunities and are “open for business”- to such end, an LDO is

a strong marketing tool;

• providing a positive impact on planning departments and staff - showing

that Planning can be proactive and contribute positively to Council

strategies;

• a front loaded approach which will speed up development; will attract

development; will remove uncertainties for developers; and

• can improve links and partnership working with private land owners and

developers.

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If the council decided to make a Local Development Order on the Suffolk

Business Park there is a formal process that it must go through which is shown

below

LONGER TERM DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNTITIES

4.10 The existing employment allocation at Suffolk Business Park encircles

Rougham Industrial Estate. This industrial estate is a long established collection

of post and pre-war buildings used for various commercial purposes. The estate

itself has a mixture of adopted and un-adopted roads and a mixture of land

ownerships and tenures. The estate provides an important supply of industrial

buildings for a number of small, medium and large companies. The estate

provides the opportunity for future redevelopment either in parcels or on a more

comprehensive basis.

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION

5.1 This Vision and Implementation document sets out the councils

aspirations for Suffolk Business Park. The document highlights appropriate uses

and comments how other uses to those listed in official planning policy might be

considered appropriate.

5.2 In addition the document has a Vision and Implementation plan which

highlights key vistas, landmark building locations along with key cycle and

walking routes.

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5.3 The document also highlights the councils desire to attract business which

could be done through potential Enterprise Zones and Local Development

Orders.

Lastly the documents comments how the council will seek to support its partners

proactively to make the business park a successful and prosperous employment

area to ensure that west Suffolk grows, as planned, in a sustainable manner.

APPENDIX 1: Suffolk Business Park Masterplan June 2010.