Policy information sourced from the Bexley Local Plan

SP3: Employment growth, innovation and enterprise

  1. Bexley will continue to play a key role in contributing to London’s economic growth and prosperity. The Council will support the economic growth of at least 10,800 (net) new jobs over the plan period, of which approximately 1,900 to 2,700 of these will be located within Bexley’s designated industrial locations. The Council will assist in developing a strong and sustainable local economy by embedding circular economy principles, so as to contribute to the resilience of London and the regeneration of the Thames Gateway. The Council will work with partners to secure investment that supports the local economy.
  2. The Council will promote sustained economic development and employment growth by supporting development proposals that broaden the mix of business uses and diversify the local employment offer, particularly in bringing higher quality and more knowledge based jobs to the borough, both within town centres such as Bexleyheath, and designated industrial locations, and through the designation of Sidcup as a Creative Enterprise Zone. Proposals for economic development should, where possible:
    • intensify land-uses to optimise the use of land, particularly on those sites identified in Table 5, in order to provide the additional 147,200m2 to 195,400m2 of industrial floor space needed for the new jobs identified in part 1 of this policy;
    • increase employment densities;
    • provide higher employment densities in well-connected locations;
    • enable businesses to share facilities and equipment where practical, for example goods lifts, loading bays and ancillary facilities;
    • make smaller units available as part of larger developments to support small and medium businesses;
    • improve the quality of employment areas and town centres, including the public realm, to make them more suitable and attractive locations for modern businesses; and,
    • apply circular economy design principles for building approaches.
  3. Designated Strategic Industrial Locations (SIL) and Locally Significant Industrial Sites (LSIS) will be protected for industrial type activities and related functions, including ancillary facilities, specific to their designation in the hierarchy, as set out in Policy DP7 Appropriate uses within designated industrial areas. These designations are defined on the Policies Map.
  4. The Council aims to ensure that residents of all abilities are provided with opportunities to access training and a variety of local jobs and enable local businesses to draw upon a wide range of skilled workers and employment premises. Key to this will be a better integrated and enhanced public transport network connecting Bexley’s housing and employment locations. The Council will achieve these aims by:
    • reducing residents’ need to travel long distances by supporting the creation of a diverse local economy that offers a wide range of well-connected local job opportunities, particularly in Bexley’s designated industrial locations, town centres, neighbourhood centres and other places of employment including education and healthcare;
    • improving the local skills base, especially by ensuring that education and training facilities, are available to residents, and by supporting the development of place and making initiatives in the borough;
    • encouraging businesses and developers, through planning obligations, to use locally sourced labour and where viable, to provide apprenticeships and on-the-job training for residents seeking to improve their skills;
    • supporting the provision of workplace crèches at or near places of training and employment; and,
    • facilitating growth of the visitor economy and creative industries to support local business, particularly by promoting the borough’s historic, cultural, recreational and environmental assets.

For more information please see the Bexley Local Plan