Employment Land Campaign

At Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, our central Employment Land Campaign aims to address a critical issue affecting businesses of all sizes and sectors across our region: the shortage of adequate and affordable employment space.

Our comprehensive eight-page report outlines the challenges faced by local companies and the urgent need for action to support growth and job creation.

The Current Landscape: Demand vs. Availability 

Our research highlights a significant gap between the demand for employment land and its availability. This means many businesses struggle to find suitable space, hindering their expansion plans and impacting the local economy. The report also identifies a concerning trend of inward investors opting for regions with better provision, signalling a risk of missed opportunities for Coventry and Warwickshire. 

Taking Action: Advocacy for More Employment Land 

After developing a full report, our Chief Executive, Corin Crane, has been leading a campaign to raise awareness and promote advocacy for more employment land. We are actively engaging with local councils and MPs to drive change and influence policy and planning decisions that will benefit businesses, residents, and the entire community. 

We are pleased to share several updates on our Employment Land Campaign: 

• Inclusion in the West Midlands Business Commission: Employment Land was included in the West Midlands Business Commission following our lobbying efforts. Both Mayoral Candidates have acknowledged the need for more employment space and the relaxation of planning laws. 
• Response to Planning Policy Consultation: The Chamber submitted a formal response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities regarding their consultation on strengthening planning policy for Brownfield Development. 
• Budget Submission Success: In the recent budget, a significant win was achieved with the government matching industry-led funding of £3 million for planning capacity and resourcing in the next Spending Review period. 
• Sponsorship and Funding: We have secured £5,500 in sponsorship to date and continue to approach other clients to build more capacity, particularly to support research efforts. 
• Upcoming Employment Land Opportunities Summit: Invest in Coventry & Warwickshire has expressed interest in supporting an Employment Land Opportunities summit, to be held following UKREiiF 2024.  

National Response: The Government and British Chambers of Commerce 

Among Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's commitments in his recent spring budget was a new measure of investment for planning capacity and resourcing. Whitehall has pledged to match industry-led funding up to £3 million to better equip local planning departments.  

This move has been championed by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which has long blamed the lack of commercial space up and down the country on 'a slow planning system.' 

"Current planning policy is acting as a barrier to growth," says the BCC. "There should be a clearer role for the Planning Inspectorate to scrutinise the employment land component of all local plans, with dedicated employment land expertise. There should also be increase resources for local planning authorities." 

Recognising what is a frustrating constraint right across the country, this year the BCC announced plans for a new five-year industry-led programme to increase skills and capacity in Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). The programme will pay for at least 100 undergraduate and masters' level qualifications for people entering the planning industry and for those already working in LPAs who need to develop skills for more senior planning roles. 

Employment Land campaign sponsors:

For more information on the report, or to get involved in the Chamber's campaign, contact Sean Rose, Head of Policy & Representation, on [email protected] or call 024 7665 4321

Click below to read the full report.