An evidence-based study to support the preparation of the new local plan

London Borough of Hounslow Employment Land Review

The London Borough of Hounslow, which includes part of Heathrow, boasts a healthy employment environment with strong demand for office, warehouse and industrial space. Unfortunately, land available for employment use is in short supply. This poses a risk to job opportunities and economic growth in the borough.

Our Hounslow employment land review found that with strong and rising demand for logistics and distribution space associated with growth at Heathrow, more land is urgently needed in Hounslow for employment uses. We identified some opportunities to intensify and expand a handful of existing employment sites in the borough, but there isn’t enough space to address the bulk of the forecasted jobs growth. New site allocations are needed.

The focus of the need—and therefore the land requirement—is in the western part of the borough. The challenge? This area has large green belt areas. We concluded that the borough needed to “grasp the nettle” and remove some carefully targeted land from the green belt to accommodate enough sites to meet the economic need.

The local council is now progressing two planning documents that will allocate land to meet the need for employment space.