A shortage of land for commercial development particularly around Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay is hindering the South West economy, a property expert says.
Tim Western, director - business space at JLL, said the amount of land that could be used for job-creating projects is at the lowest level it has been in 25 years and is calling on local authorities to earmark sites for commercial development.
He said the problem is region-wide but acute in locations such as Plymouth, Exeter, Torbay and Teignbridge and said: “It’s hindering economic growth.”
Mr Western, based at JLL’s Exeter office, said: “More businesses are looking for modern business space, with sustainability credentials. There is a lot of housing going up but unfortunately employment land is the poor relation and has not had the same emphasis put on it.”
Mr Western said that in the 2000s the region saw a lot of public sector investment from the likes of quangos English Partnerships, the South West Regional Development Agency and Priority Sites, which used Government funding to make land development-ready. He said: “The public sector used to bring forward a lot of land and service it.”
Mr Western said that much of the land that has been available is now spoken for, mentioning key projects which are already under way at Exeter Logistics Park, Exeter Skypark, and Sherford, on the edge of Plymouth.
And he said the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point, a public/private sector partnership, was created in 2008 and is now coming to fruition. But he asked: “What’s the next pipeline?”
But there is a hunger for land as firms in sectors such as manufacturing, warehousing and logistics grow across the region, particularly after the pandemic lockdowns accelerated online business for many firms.
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And he said it is mainly the growth of South West companies, rather than an influx of firms from outside the region, that is behind the hunger for new sites.
Mr Western said companies are expanding and need more room for growing staff numbers, or have filled their warehousing, creating a demand for third-party serviced warehousing “in the right location”.
“It’s positive,” he said. “It is indigenous businesses that are creating the demand. So we need more land allocated as commercial land by local authorities. They need to bring forward more sites. There needs to be a real focus on providing employment land.”
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He said ideal sites would be close to transport arteries, such as the M5, A38 and Cornwall’s A30 corridor.
“There is demand in Cornwall,” he said. “For instance around Cornwall Services, that is a growth area for distribution networks.”
Mr Western is calling on local authorities - particularly the councils in Plymouth, South Hams, and those around Exeter - to work together and develop a strategy.
“There needs to be more priority to counter the amount of new housing being built,” he said. “All those people will need to work somewhere. And commercial occupiers are not interested in where they pay business rates, they just want space, and we don’t want them to relocate away from their customer base.”