Use planning to protect local jobs

Thursday, February 19, 2009

WITH unemployment rising there are urgent calls for the planning system to protect local jobs.

A new report by the All Party Urban Development Group wants planners to use legally-binding section 106 agreements with developers to ensure that jobs stay in the area.

Unemployment in the South West currently stands at 4.3% and many believe the national figure could surge past three million this year.

The new "local" approach would enable skills and earnings to be reinvested in communities as the projects are built and then used afterwards. Hiring local people for construction work and developing people's skills would also reduce the skills gap and build up employment opportunities from within towns.

The group believes that councils, health trusts and other public sector agencies should lead by example and promote the use of local labour on their own property developments.
Click here!

And local planners should assess a planning application's potential to spark employment and ensure the jobs come about through their negotiations with the developer.

Construction has fallen off dramatically over the last year, with the Local Government Association predicting that one in five construction workers could be redundant by 2011. The cross-party group believes that this approach of protecting jobs through contracts agreed before building work starts would have many long term benefits such as removing the need to hire from abroad.

Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said: "Making use of the opportunities afforded by new development will be particularly vital during the challenging economic climate that councils face.

"Firms may be cutting back in the short term, but by engaging more closely with developers, councils can help ensure we have a better skilled workforce in the future."

Steve Pitcher, North Devon Council's executive director for regeneration and development, said: "The council currently follows strict government and EU guidelines for procurement.

"This requires the council to choose contractors based on price and quality of work — the contractor who can provide best value for money for the taxpayer.

"Very often the chosen contractor is a local firm. For example the new toilets in Barnstaple cattle market car park are being built by Pearce."

Torridge Council leader James Morrish said: "Section 106 agreements do not specify local contractors must be employed. However, as a council we actively encourage both our staff and local businesses through our Procurement Strategy, Sustainable Procurement Guide and Sustainability Strategy to make every effort to buy from local suppliers, although this is tempered by reference to the principles of a free market.

"We also promote free access to www.devontenders.gov.uk through local advertisements and notices within our offices.

"Devontenders.co.uk is used increasingly by authorities in Devon and by Devon and Cornwall Police.

"We actively encourage local suppliers to register free and use the eTendering solution for contracts both large and small.

"Our Corporate Procurement Strategy and Sustainable Procurement Guide are currently subject to annual review and it is our intention to take this opportunity to reinforce the existing clauses relating to 'buy local'.

"All catering at Caddsdown Business Support Centre is produced and provided locally and Torridge fully supports the Journal's Keep it Local campaign.

"In these credit crunch times as well, we are trying to pay our sub-contractors as early as possible, with a target set at 10 days, rather than the 'traditional' 30."