2.9 The economy will need to be responsive to wider economic influences and the possibility that there will be an upturn within the structure plan period. A promotional stance is required.

2.10 Aberdeen and towns in Aberdeenshire will be the focus for the majority of employment land proposals. Sites in other settlements in Aberdeenshire can make an important contribution to the rural economy and the viability of local communities and help reduce the need to travel. Local plans should identify sites in settlements in rural areas where there are opportunities to satisfy demand. Smaller employment proposals elsewhere are generally able to identify their own sites, more appropriate to their scale and requirements.

2.11 A strong office sector has been a feature of Aberdeen’s economy over the past 30 years and whilst there has been a reduction in new completion levels compared to the spectacular growth achieved between 1975 and 1985, demand remains for new modern office space. Provision for office development has also been a feature of towns in Aberdeenshire and should continue. This will help spread job opportunities across the North East and reduce commuting from Aberdeenshire to the city. Local plans shall decide the best locations for office development having regard to a sequential site selection process, as set down in NPPG 8 "Town Centres and Retailing". In preparing policies, particular attention should be paid to issues such as car parking, infrastructure, public transport, pedestrian access and environmental matters.

2.12 Business parks and other special employment uses requiring high quality or high profile locations may only be suited to greenfield locations. This is because there is a limited supply of suitable brownfield sites along transport routes or near to settlement gateway sites. Research carried out in 1997 and 1998 into demand and scope for high quality business park provision to serve Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire confirmed the need for such provision. This gives support to the requirement, previously identified in the Grampian Structure Plan, which stated that two business parks, one to the north west and one to the south of the city should be identified in local plans. It is still considered appropriate that local plans continue to identify specific sites for business park use, having regard to the availability of land within the existing urban fabric, environmental constraints and the proximity of transport links. The Finalised Aberdeen City Local Plan identifies land for business park use at Dyce Drive, to the north west of Aberdeen and planning permission has now been granted for this proposal. A potential site for a business park to the south of Aberdeen has recently been identified within the Portlethen corridor, and will be proposed in the finalised Aberdeenshire Local Plan.

2.13 Technology Parks such as the Offshore and Science and Technology Parks at Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, are recognised as important economic components of the structure plan strategy. However because of user-constraints they cannot be considered to be marketable land in the context of general business and industrial land. The critical mass achieved by the two Parks at Bridge of Don is a strength on which it would be prudent to capitalise. To provide access to these facilities for the area’s workforce, proposals to extend existing technology parks and provide new technology parks are encouraged.

2.14 National planning policy guidance requires structure plans to identify a general location for a minimum of one general industrial site of between 10 and 30 hectares for a single user. This requirement is in the interest of attracting inward investment and reinforcing the North East as a competitive business location. Such sites require good access to the road and rail network and airports. Scottish Enterprise Grampian has indicated that the prospects of a single user of the scale identified in NPPG 2 setting up in the North East are remote. It is considered therefore that it would be inappropriate to identify a specific site at the current time but the requirement should be kept under review as part of the annual monitoring arrangements set down in Policy 1. Zoned industrial sites of a suitable size could potentially be made available within Aberdeen to address an urgent need for a single user and Policy 3 would allow consideration of proposals on unallocated sites. National planning policy guidance also requires that the structure plan safeguards in the national interest sites for large petrochemical development at St Fergus North and North Collielaw, by Peterhead.

2.15 The structure plan industrial and business land allowances propose that high quality sites, falling within a maximum and minimum range, be available at key locations at any one time. The locations identified in Policy 2 have been chosen as the most appropriate for meeting the criteria outlined above and include Aberdeen, Westhill, Portlethen and rural centres in Aberdeenshire. Huntly has also been included as it is located on a public transport corridor, with both road and rail access. The figures set down for each location take into account existing industrial and business land allocations and the likely contribution that these existing sites could make to help ensure the maintenance of a marketable supply of industrial and business land throughout the structure plan period. They also allow for any "area" shortfall that requires to be addressed. The size of sites to be provided will be a matter for local plans, taking full consideration of demand, that will vary depending on location.

2.16 The Scottish Executive gives a high priority to achieving economic inclusion, where everybody can take part in and contribute to economic development and share the benefits of employment and wealth creation. The structure plan supports the strengthening of the links between economic growth and inclusion, particularly for disadvantaged areas. This requires to be taken account of in the identification of new employment land allocations.