Stockport's existing employment areas have a vital role to play in the borough's future economic success. The identified locations on the Policies Map are intended to secure the revival, modernisation and development of a diversity of industrial, commercial, warehousing/distributions, service and support activities. It will be important to ensure that their economic function is not unnecessarily lost because of pressure for sites to be redeveloped for other uses.

Enhancing the quality of our existing land and premises is important to help improve the borough's competitiveness, with our evidence finding that only 3% of industrial space is of high quality. Without intervention, the overall stock quality is likely to continue deteriorating following recent trends and will adversely impact the ability of the borough to attract and retain high-economic value businesses. The borough has a qualitative deficiency of employment land and so it is critical that the existing high-quality Employment Areas that are in strategic locations are retained and upgraded where possible.

The development of sites and premises for industry and warehousing (including logistics), and other sui generis employment-generating uses will be permitted within allocated Employment Areas, as shown on the Policies Map.

New offices will only be permitted provided that the sequential test in policy CEN 4 is satisfied.

Proposals for data centres will be supported in Employment Areas where they contribute to the borough's economic growth and digital infrastructure needs. Development must demonstrate that energy demand, carbon emissions, cooling requirements, water usage, and impacts on electricity network capacity have been appropriately addressed. Proposals should maximise energy efficiency and incorporate measures to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, including meeting the requirements of relevant policies in the ‘Our climate resilient Stockport chapter’ of this plan.

The release of vacant land or premises within allocated Employment Areas to alternative uses will be permitted where:

they would not have any significant impact on the extent to which the area can continue to function as an Employment Area and its continued maintenance and potential for enhancement, with consideration given to job creation, the availability of land for