A further appeal for potential employment sites has been issued by Hertsmere Borough Council as part of its Local Plan.

Landowners and other key stakeholders will be receiving letters or emails this week from HBC's planning team inviting them to submit for consideration any further sites they know of with potential for development for employment uses.

Councillor Harvey Cohen, portfolio holder for planning at HBC, said: “The importance of Hertsmere's new Local Plan is greater now than it has ever been, as it will help support the borough's economic recovery following the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our plan will help us ensure that the local economy grows and develops in a way that is sustainable, achievable and desirable for everyone - so it's vital we get it right.

“We must therefore take the time now to scrutinise as many potential employment sites as possible, before any final decisions are made.

“Not all sites will be suitable, and we will need to ensure that the infrastructure is in place where any significant growth occurs. However, we are keen to hear from anyone who knows of or owns a potential employment site, so we can at least assess its suitability for development.”

The letters have been issued after officers became informally aware of several new potential employment sites in the borough, which have not been submitted previously as part of Hertsmere’s new Local Plan. The council hopes the latest call for sites will help elicit information on these and other potential opportunities for economic development.

More than 100 sites have previously been submitted for housing and employment uses after a call for sites was issued in previous years including 2017.

To be eligible for consideration, sites should have the potential to accommodate 500m² of floorspace or 0.25ha available for development in the form of offices, industrial, storage, distribution and a number of other employment generating activities.

Respondents are asked to complete a questionnaire and return it with a map showing the site boundary and other supporting information to the council on or before March 18. Further details are available on the council’s website hertsmere.gov.uk/callforsites.