This is to facilitate and encourage new job creating developments, including the attraction of businesses into Tameside and the modernisation or expansion of existing enterprises.

Facilitating the retention and expansion of employment within a wide area of the Borough is a very important priority for Tameside, given the historical decline in traditional industries, continued under-representation in growth sectors and problems of unemployment, low income and economic disadvantage. The provision of jobs on the sites made available would help to stimulate the local economy whilst also tending to reduce the extent of travel to work, with benefits for traffic congestion, consumption of resources and control of emissions.

The breadth of the range of sites being made available seeks to take advantage of the potential for economic regeneration, including the attraction of high technology development, arising from the proximity of Manchester Airport and from the airport's further development. This, and also the impending completion of the Manchester Outer Ring Road, will afford Tameside greater accessibility as a business location and help to stimulate the local economy. The diversity of the sites being made available is intended to accommodate and attract a variety of industries in an attempt to redress the imbalances within the Borough's employment structure which in turn should offer a wider variety of long term local job opportunities.

The total area of land allocated in the Plan for employment development is around 132 hectares, excluding the "Development Opportunity Areas" where the form of development is not clear at this stage. The figure is 124 hectares if sites restricted to leisure use only, and those with a retail alternative, are not counted. However, only a relatively small part of this aggregate area is available for immediate development, the remainder requiring some type of prior treatment or infrastructure provision. 52% of the total is accounted for by the two very large strategic sites referred to in policy E2 below, leaving around 64 hectares spread across 25 often quite small sites located in various parts of the Borough.

The allocated sites are listed in Appendix 1. Other more qualified sites which could include some land for employment development are also listed, although it should be noted that in most cases the "development opportunity areas" contain existing property.

These will be suitable particularly for businesses coming into Tameside and for employment sectors which are under represented in the area but also for the relocation of expanding local businesses.

Within the context of Policy E1 these two sites will help meet the requirement, at one end of the scale, for a wide range of sites to be allocated for employment development. Indeed, attempts to attract inward investment in general and certain types of employment generating uses in particular are unlikely to be successful without the provision of large, high quality sites of this kind. The availability of land in Tameside is such that sites of this nature cannot be provided entirely on previously developed land. Currently open areas must be considered, especially if the greatest economic advantage is to be taken of the proximity of Manchester Airport and the completion of the M66 Manchester Outer Ring Road motorway.  It is intended that these two sites will particularly accommodate those types of businesses, notably high-technology and service sector industries, that have shown relatively low growth in the Borough.

This is to facilitate a spread of employment opportunities, in terms both of geographical location and site characteristics, and to provide, among other things, for the start up of small firms and the growth of existing local enterprises.

Since the early 1980's many, sometimes extensive, former employment sites in Tameside have been redeveloped for housing or retail purposes. Despite the recent slowdown in these markets generally, pressure to put yet more employment sites to alternative uses remains strong. This is especially true in the case of older factories and mill buildings on free standing sites, where typically as soon as an industrial activity ceases there quickly follows a proposal to redevelop the site for housing. In the absence of this policy it is likely that employment land and premises could within a few years disappear almost entirely from certain parts of the Borough, which would thus become dormitory areas from which commuting for work would be unavoidable.

Where sites zoned or allocated as such are put forward for non- employment generating development, their release as an exception to this policy will be considered in the light of each of the following factors;

(a) The prospects for the site meeting any part of the foreseeable demand for employment use or development.

(b) The size and physical characteristics of the site.

(c) The proximity, nature and sensitivity of adjoining land uses.

(d) The existing or potential access to the site.

(e) The effects of traffic generated by the site on the highway network in the vicinity.

(f) The environmental quality of the site and its surroundings.

Where retention of redundant mills is desirable for architectural, historical or townscape reasons, and continued use for employment is shown to be unviable, special consideration will be given to the re-use of such buildings for non employment generating uses.

Where it can be shown that land allocated or zoned for employment use is not required to meet immediate levels of demand, proposals for airport related car parking schemes may be permitted on such land for a temporary period.

The demand for long stay car parking for holiday makers and business travellers using Manchester Airport now extends to Tameside. However, whilst the overall development of the Airport is supported because of its wider economic benefits to the region and to Tameside, the marginal employment benefit and low amenity value of off-airport parking means that it cannot be accepted as a permanent use of land which could otherwise attract job creating development.

This will be achieved, wherever appropriate and practical, by measures, such as derelict land reclamation, local access improvements and land assembly, that will overcome the constraints which may be holding back the take up of vacant land and the efficient use or re-use of previously developed sites.

There are urban sites which will undoubtedly prove more feasible or attractive for employment generating development if certain remedial or enabling work can be undertaken. Whilst the Council's ability to carry out such measures will obviously be constrained to some extent by financial restrictions, derelict land grant remains a major source of assistance.

This will include measures, such as derelict land reclamation and environmental improvement, which will improve appearance and encourage development and investment.

Where employment sites are located adjacent to residential areas, only uses which are not expected to adversely affect the amenity of those areas will normally be appropriate.

In many cases these firms, especially the larger ones, are located in well established or purpose designed or adapted premises which should serve their needs for some time to come. However, there may sometimes be instances where land use related constraints could inhibit the consolidation or expansion of existing firms, perhaps due to the introduction of new production methods, mergers with other operations or growth in a particular market. The Council would wish to avoid firms relocating out of the Borough in such circumstances and would therefore, wherever possible, support or undertake the removal of the constraint thereby strengthening the employment base in Tameside. Cases in which a conflict could arise with other policies in the Plan would require particularly careful consideration.

These requirements will also apply to retail, commercial, leisure and community service uses.

Where the development lies within the boundary of a town centre as defined on the Proposals Map, or within or immediately adjoining the existing grouping of commercial uses in a local shopping centre or parade, as listed in Appendix 4, the provisions of policy S19 will apply.

(a) Sufficient parking should be provided on the site or on nearby land to meet the demands which are expected to be generated by employees and visitors at the busiest times. The parking standards guiding this requirement are outlined in the accompanying justification. In considering change of use proposals, regard will be had to the parking requirement generated by the previous use.

(b) Sufficient manoeuvring and standing space should be provided within the site to accommodate the maximum number and size of vehicles likely to serve the development at any one time. All vehicles entering and leaving the site should be able to do so in forward gear.

(c) Provision should be made within the site for cycle parking and storage.

(d) The development should be accessible to disabled people, in accordance with current standards.

(e) The height of any new building should generally be in scale with adjoining or nearby buildings, and the height and position should not lead to unacceptable overlooking or overshadowing.

(f) The design and materials of new buildings should complement that of existing adjoining buildings. In Conservation Areas and in the Tame Valley, particular attention should be paid to design and materials and to the avoidance of bright colours and shiny metallic or plastic finishes for walls and roofs.

(g) Any open storage areas should be screened from view from public areas such as roads, railways, footpaths and open space, and from nearby dwellings, by the use of landscaping and/or screen fencing. Materials should not be stored higher than the height of the screen.

(h) Careful consideration should be given to the need for and appearance of any fencing which is to be provided as part of the development, and to its possible effect on vehicle sight lines.  Chain link or white concrete post and panel fences are in general not considered acceptable along road frontages.

(i) Existing landscape and nature conservation features on the site should be surveyed before design work commences, so that important features can be retained.

(j) Landscaping should be used where appropriate, to help screen or soften the appearance of new development when viewed from the highway, adjoining open space or dwellings. Sensitive landscape design and fencing is particularly important adjoining major road routes, the trans-Pennine rail route, and canals. Planting should also be used to break up large areas of car park or open yard.

(k) Plant and machinery should, where possible, be enclosed by buildings, sited unobtrusively behind buildings, or screened by fencing or landscaping. Where for operational reasons this is not possible, care should be taken through siting, design and the use of unobtrusive materials, to minimise the visual impact.

(l) Any noise, vibration, smoke, dust and fumes created by the development should not lead to a significant reduction in the standard of amenity in adjoining areas, particularly if there are residents nearby. Conditions may be imposed in order to prevent nuisance.

It is important to appreciate that whilst employment development will normally be welcomed for the economic benefits it should bring, the environmental and traffic effects of any particular scheme are reasonable planning concerns which if not dealt with satisfactorily at the application stage could adversely affect the surrounding area for many years. In the great majority of cases it should be quite possible to meet the detailed requirements through measures within the site, but for larger schemes highway improvements beyond the site can sometimes be necessary.

These criteria apply to developments for Use Classes B1 (business), B2 (general industry) and B8 (storage and distribution). They also apply to Use Classes A1 (shops), A2 (financial and professional services), A3 (food and drink), C1 (hotels), D1 (non-residential institutions) and D2 (assembly and leisure) and to "sui generis" commercial uses. When such commercial and community service developments are free-standing, outside of town and local centres, many of the detail considerations which affect their acceptability are the same as for employment uses, especially in respect of car parking.

Within town or local centres the focus of detail considerations may be different, because of the availability of public car parking and reasonable public transport access and the closer proximity of other buildings, among other things. Whilst retail, commercial, leisure and community services uses may be typically more likely to be developed within town or local centres, certain employment uses such as offices could also be developed in these locations.

Policy S19 will therefore apply to all the uses listed above within the boundaries of Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Denton, Droylsden, Stalybridge, Mossley and Dukinfield as defined on the Proposals Map, plus the local centres as defined in the third paragraph of this policy E14. However, it should be noted that policy S19 subsection (a) refers back to the schedule of parking standards below, as the starting point in respect of major new developments.

These criteria are described in more detail in supplementary planning guidance published by the Council, in particular Development Control Guidance Note No. 1 "Employment and Leisure Uses".

Parking Standards

Industry (Use Classes B1, B2) - 1 space per 65 sq. metres of gross floor space.

Warehouses (Use Class B8) - 1 space per 232 sq. metres of gross floor space.

Offices (Use Classes A2, B1) - 1 space per 28 sq. metres of gross floor space.

Shops (Use Class A1) - 1 space per 19 sq. metres of gross floor space, plus 1 space per 93 sq. metres for staff.

Foodstores (Use Class A1) - 1 space per 9.5 sq. metres of gross floor space, plus 1 space per 93 sq. metres for staff.

Restaurants (Use Class A3) - 1 space per 4.6 sq. metres of dining room, plus 1 space per 84 sq. metres for staff.

Pubs (Use Class A3) - 1 space per 2.3 sq. metres of public drinking area, plus 1 space per 84 sq. metres for staff.

Hotels (Use Class C1) - 1 space per bedroom, plus 1 space per 3 employees at the busiest time.

Theatres and cinemas (Use Class D2 + s.g.) - 1 space per 10 seats.

Halls (Use Classes D1, D2) - 1 space per 4.6 sq. metres of public floor space, plus 1 space per 2.5 employees at the busiest time.

Sports centres (Use Class D2) - 1 space per 2 persons staffing and using the premises at the busiest time.

Clinics and surgeries (Use Class D1) - 2 spaces per consulting room, plus 1 space per G.P. and member of medical staff at the busiest time, plus 1 space per 2.3 other staff at the busiest time.