Portishead Neighbourhood Plan
Policy PPE1: Protecting Portishead’s Valued Employment Sites
Explanatory Note and Amendment

‘POLICY PPE1 – PROTECTING PORTISHEAD’S VALUED EMPLOYMENT SPACE
At ‘Valued Employment Sites’ within Portishead, listed in Figure 13, development proposals that retain, restore or increase employment levels within use classes E(g), B2 or B8, will be supported in principle subject to compliance with other relevant policies within the development plan in relation to development that changes the character or appearance of the proposal land or buildings.’

Understanding of Issues Identified
It is understood the following issues have been raised for consideration by Portishead Town Council.

Policy PPE1 Figure 14: Valued Employment Sites Map
Submission Map Figure 14 does not sufficiently clarify the employment locations that it is intended that Policy PPE1 should seek to protect. It is requested that Figure 14 map is replaced with an updated map.

Response:
Portishead Town Council propose that the enclosed updated Figure 14 map replaces that submitted. This more precisely identifies the local employment locations where the policy should be applied. For clarity, it also identifies strategic employment sites that are applicable to North Somerset Local Plan Policies SA3 and SA4 protection.

Portishead Town Council also propose that North Somerset Local Plan Policies SA3 Mixed Use Allocations and SA4 Employment Allocations are added underneath ‘Local Policy Context’ on page 102.

Amending Policy Reference to Figure 14
It is noted that submitted Policy PPE1 currently refers to Figure 13. This is an error. Portishead Town Council request that this is corrected and amended to Figure 14 within an updated policy.

Ambiguity of Policy Wording
The title and contextual text supporting Policy PPE1 makes clear the primary intent to protect existing and locally valued employment sites and locations in use classes B2, B8 and E(g).
“……..PPE1 aims to reinforce and add to North Somerset Council policies through adding protection for identified valued places of local employment.”

The policy intention is to provide in principle support for the restoration or expansion of the existing employment use on a site.

North Somerset Council has suggested that the policy may be mis-interpreted to understand it provides in principle support for the change of employment use within the three classes on these sites. This is not the intention.

Response:
It is requested that the policy wording is amended to remove any potential ambiguity about its intent.

The following revised wording is suggested (text in bold underlined denotes additional text):
POLICY PPE1 – PROTECTING PORTISHEAD’S VALUED EMPLOYMENT SPACE
At ‘Valued Employment Sites’ within Portishead, listed in Figure 13 14, development proposals that retain, restore or increase the existing employment use levels on sites within use classes E(g), B2 or B8, will be supported in principle subject to compliance with other relevant policies within the development plan in relation to development that changes the character or appearance of the proposal land or buildings.