Economic Benefits Assessment for Land at Woodside Drive, Almondsbury

Hardisty Jones was commissioned to deliver an economic benefits assessment for the delivery of an employment development on Land at Woodside Drive which would include office, industrial, storage and warehousing uses across three buildings.

South Gloucestershire Council had asked for a definition of the functional economic market area (FEMA) that the site is within, a quantification of the economic and employment benefits of this development, and why there are very special circumstances to allow the development on this Green Belt site.

The first part of our assessment identified the FEMA that the scheme is located within. We followed the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) approach to defining FEMAs and identified South Gloucestershire as the most suitable definition of the local impact area for the purposes of calculating the economic benefits of the development.

The second part of our assessment calculated the gross direct and net additional impacts from the construction phase and operation phase of the proposed development. We built a bespoke model, which looked at the employment, wages, and gross value added that would be supported assuming an even distribution of employment Use Class activities.

The final part of our assessment demonstrated the very special circumstances of the proposed development which was informed by a review of national and local policy needs. A need for additional employment sites for office, R&D, and industrial uses throughout South Gloucestershire to meet the area’s social and economic growth potential was recognised in policy. The proposed development (where the site is currently within the Green Belt) would contribute to meeting these objectives.

If you would like to talk to us about how we can support your efforts to make the case for and assess the economic impacts for a development, please get in touch using the project lead contact details provided below.