Need

In December 2003, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) appointed Regeneris Consulting (with Land Use Consultants and Transport for Leisure) to undertake the Lake District Economic Futures study. This study sought to identify the key issues for the economic future of the National Park and the wider Lake District area, and provide detailed recommendations for policy change to successfully address the challenges that the area will face in the next 20 years. It sets a strategic long-term vision that achieves a sustainable balance between economic prosperity, social well-being, tourism and the countryside. On the matter of securing a prosperous economy the issue of the requirement for the provision of new employment land allocation was progressed via the Lake District National Park Employment Sites & Premises Study: Final Report and Executive Summary for the LDNPA (Atkins: December 2007) and the LDNP Employment Sites Programme - November 2008 (Capita Symonds).

 

The public benefit in satisfying the identified need is expressed in the LDNPA Business Plan 2010-2013 where it is stated “We will know we are succeeding in contributing to a Prosperous Economy when: There is planning approval for at least one new Business Park, for new and developing small businesses, within the National Park by 2012”

 

The evidence base for the immediacy of the need for new employment land provision is severely suppressed by prospective candidate occupiers not wishing to create disruption or dispute with existing scarce landlords, or to over raise the expectation of dependent employees, that there may be a resolution within the locality.

Some of the keenly interested parties in prospective occupancy at Ratherheath have been able to reconcile this situation and wish to be overtly identified with needing to relocate: