Replacement Calderdale UDP : Adopted 25 August 2006 (as amended August 2009)

Replacement Calderdale UDP : Adopted 25 August 2006

• Foreword
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Calderdale in Context
• Strategic and Core Part One Policies
• 3 Guiding Principles and Key Themes
• 4 Employment, The Economy, Tourism and Regeneration
  • Background to Economic Policy
  • Primary Employment Areas
  • Employment Development Outside the Primary Employment Areas
  • The Need for New Employment Land
  • The Allocation of New Employment Sites
  • Mixed Use Allocations
  • Safeguarding Employment Land and Buildings
  • Office Development
    • A2 Office Development
    • B1 Office Development
  • Warehouse Development
  • Tourism Attractions and Facilities
  • Rural Diversification
  • Agricultural, Equestrian and Other Animal Based Uses
  • Regeneration of Derelict and Degraded Land and Buildings
  • The Piece Hall
• 5 Housing
• 6 Retailing and Town Centres
• 7 Open Space, Sport and Recreation Facilities
• 8 The Built and Historic Environment
• 9 Transport
• 10 Infrastructure, Education and Community Facilities
• 11 Natural Environment and the Countryside
• 12 Environmental Protection
• 13 Minerals
• 14 Waste Management
• 15 Monitoring and Review of the Plan
• Annex A Privacy, Daylighting and Amenity Space
• Annex B Trees On or Adjacent to Development Sites
• Appendix 1 National Planning Policy
• Appendix 2 National Minerals Policy
• Appendix 3 Supporting Published Documents
• Appendix 4 Glossary of Terms
• Appendix 5 Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Appendix 6 Policy Topic Index
• Appendix 7 Policy Number Comparison
• Appendix 8 Supplementary Maps

Office Development

4.39 The UDP generally seeks to promote and encourage office development to locate within defined town centres. Such an approach will help to increase the prospect for multi-purpose trips, will maximise the opportunity to use means of transport other than the car and will help sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of town centres. The approach has to be balanced by the need to protect the retail character and function of town centres. The intrusion of office uses into ground floor primary, secondary and tertiary shopping frontages (as defined in the Plan) could disrupt the continuity and variety of shopping activity to the detriment of the vitality in town centres. Therefore the provisions of Policy S 6 ‘Primary Shopping Frontages’, Policy S 7 ‘Secondary Shopping Frontages’ and Policy S 8 ‘Tertiary Mixed-Use Frontage ’ apply. It should be noted that the provisions of Policy S 6 ‘Primary Shopping Frontages’, Policy S 7 ‘Secondary Shopping Frontages’ and Policy S 8 ‘Tertiary Mixed-Use Frontage ’ do not apply to the upper floors of buildings and therefore office development is encouraged on the upper floors of buildings throughout the defined town centres. The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order (1987)(as amended) identifies two different types of office development. These are A2 offices (defined as those offices providing financial and professional services to visiting members of the public) and B1(a) offices (office development that does not fall within use class A2).

A2 Office Development

4.40 Whilst A2 development will be encouraged primarily within town and local centres defined on the Proposals Map, it is recognised that it may not be possible or desirable to focus all A2 office development within such locations. A2 office uses could quite reasonably be sited outside defined town and local centres provided that they are intended to meet the needs of the local community and are appropriate in scale to that community. Where proposals for A2 uses outside the defined town centres are received, criteria within Policy E 6 ‘A2 (Financial and Professional Services) Office Development.’ seek to ensure that proposals are directed to locations that are accessible and/or will help to support existing small groups of shops not defined on the Proposals Map (subject to the requirements of Policy S 9 ‘Non-Retail Uses in Smaller and Local Centres’ Non-Retail Uses in Smaller and Local Centres). Proposals for A2 Office development will be judged against the following Policy:-

B1 Office Development

4.41 PPS6 and RSS recognise that proposals for commercial and public office uses should be encouraged to locate within town centres. Accordingly, proposals for major B1 office development (over 1000 sq m gross floor area) will be primarily encouraged to locate within the town centres of Halifax, Brighouse, Elland, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden. Major B1 office development can also be appropriate on those new employment sites and mixed-use sites that have been specifically identified by the plan as suitable locations for new Class B1(a) Office development.

4.42 Policy E 7 ‘Sequential Approach for Major B1 Office Development’ below sets out a sequential approach that will be applied when assessing the suitability of locations for new Major B1 office development proposals. Smaller B1 office development proposals (below 1000sq m gross floor area) are not considered to be of such significance to justify this assessment. Smaller B1 office development should be considered against Policy E 1 ‘Primary Employment Areas’ and Policy E 2 ‘Employment Development outside the Primary Employment Areas’ of the development plan along with other business development proposals.

4.43 In addition to locational criteria outlined by Policy E 7 ‘Sequential Approach for Major B1 Office Development’ above, there is a need to ensure that major B1 office development proposals are acceptable in all other respects. Policy E 8 ‘Criteria for Assessing Major Office B1 Development’ below, details criteria for assessing other relevant matters for major B1 office development proposals.

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