5.9

Policy 6). Douglas will remain the main employment and services centre for the Island (Spatial Policy 1) and that its continued regeneration will create further employment opportunities (Paragraph 5.9). There should be continued concentration of industrial development in existing industrial areas, which are close to major transportation links such as in Douglas and Braddan (paragraph 9.2.2).

The Strategic Plan states, as for housing, that outside Douglas, that choice of location for employment will be concentrated in Service Centres (Onchan - Spatial Policy 2), the Service Villages of Union Mills and Laxey where appropriate (Spatial Policy 3) and there should be limited employment opportunities in Villages of Baldrine, Crosby, Glen Vine, Newtown and Strang (Spatial Policy 4).

Area Plan objectives for the provision of Employment Land

1. To maintain and improve the viability, vitality and diversity of the economy by providing sufficient opportunities for investment in the manufacturing, research and development, storage and distribution and office sectors.
2. To direct development towards existing settlements in order to make best use of infrastructure, maximise opportunities for public transport, promote the reuse of brownfield land and to reduce the impact on the countryside.
3. To ensure that development is well designed and avoids any unacceptable environmental impacts.
4. To safeguard and provide for the needs of existing and new location-dependent businesses, including resisting non-industrial land uses - which will prejudice the availability of land for future industrial requirements - in identified industrial areas.
5. To maintain and enhance the viability and vitality of town centres by restricting retail development in out-of-town locations.

Area Plan desired outcomes

1. To allocate sufficient land to ensure a continuous supply of sites for employment development up to and beyond 2026 allowing for a phased release of sites.
2. To make provision for additional investment opportunities by identifying land for a Technology Park.
3. To make provision for general industrial land in the East.
4. To identify areas for further work - where wider issues which cannot be addressed by planning alone should be addressed - to help facilitate sites being brought forward/occupied.

Site availability in established industrial areas in the East (prior to additional sites being identified in the Area Plan)

There are a number of existing (established) industrial estates and business parks which include smaller vacant plots and areas. These were originally identified and recorded in the Site Identification Report (during the Preliminary Publicity Stage) as 'Site Assessment Framework (SAF) Category 1 Sites'. This label meant that given their size, nature and surrounding land use there was no real policy decision that needed to be made as part of the plan process and it was appropriate simply to colour wash these areas on the maps to reflect the wider land use. A purple 'hatch' or colour wash represents industrial land. Sites identified as SAF Category 1 and under 0.35 hectares are not specifically shown on the Proposals Map and Inset Maps.

The ELR suggested that the demand appeared to be for smaller employment sites (under 0.25 ha) with some limited demand for larger sites (up to 0.75 ha). It was noted that the development of smaller sites can prove difficult as the shape and size of such sites can reduce flexibility for users. Furthermore, although there was recognised demand for smaller units, development often took the form of a single larger unit which incorporated a number of smaller units.

In terms of the early assumptions when it came to identifying land employment land needs, where there were sites under 0.35 hectares that could be developed, it was assumed that 100% of the site area would be used. However, as challenges were recognised in finding suitable users, 100% of the available capacity was discounted in meeting the demand.

Some employment sites that were identified as 'SAF Category 2 Sites', which needed to be assessed in more detail, were also colour-washed as industrial. Nevertheless, the discounted capacity of these sites did count towards meeting the demand identified in the ELR in the original Draft Plan.

Sites with potential capacity (colour-washed to reflect the background industrial land zoning)

Area	Site No.22 used in Draft Plan	Size (ha)	Contribution to land supply (ha) identified in Draft Plan
Middle River & White Hoe	DE006	0.29	0
	DE008	0.16	0
Kirby Farm	BE018	1	0.8
Isle of Man Business Park	BE014	0.34	0
Union Mills Industrial Estate (Derelict Building)	BE023	0.38	0.3
Hills Meadow	DE011	0.04	0
TOTAL		2.21	1.1

22 Site Numbers not shown on Maps

Two sites were identified as having potential for redevelopment in the longer term - Ellerslie Depot at Crosby (ME002g) and the Vehicle Test Centre at Ballafletcher (BE020g). As these si