Policy information sourced from Dacorum Local Plan 2004 Alteration
34 Other Land with Established Employment Generating Uses
Established employment generating uses not included within the minimum supply of employment land (Policy 29) or identified for conversion to housing (Policy 33), and which cause environmental problems in terms of noise, smell, pollution, safety or traffic generation, will be encouraged to relocate. Where appropriate, firms will be offered help in their search for new sites. The conversion of premises vacated by firms to an alternative employment generating use will be accepted, provided the new use will not cause any environmental problems.
Where an established employment generating use does not cause environmental problems, new small-scale employment development and redevelopment will be permitted on the following basis:
- In the towns, large villages, selected small villages and the Rural Area:
- there must be no undesirable impact on adjoining property and on the surrounding area; and
- the site must not be extended, unless significant planning advantages, such as the rationalisation of the site layout and adjoining land uses or refurbishment of listed buildings, would result.
- In the Green Belt there must be very special circumstances: normally new development/redevelopment will be refused permission.
Established employment generating sites in the Green Belt or the Rural Area which do not cause environmental problems and provide local employment opportunities will be protected from change to nonemployment generating uses unless satisfactory replacement opportunities are provided.
Otherwise alternative non-employment development of a site will be accepted if the proposal accords with the development strategy (Policies 2-8) and Urban Structure (Policy 9) where appropriate.
For the purposes of this policy the term established means that there is an existing lawful use.
For more information please see the Local Plan