Affordable Workspace Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

Affordable Workspace provides opportunities to grow and retain local businesses and jobs, attract new sectors, incubate start-ups, and is therefore vital to Brent’s economic strength and diversity. Whilst demand for Affordable Workspace has significantly increased, supply has failed to keep up; with the number of small businesses in the borough substantially increased since 2010 but the supply of suitable premises for its use diminishing.

In September 2020 Cabinet approved the Affordable Workspace Strategy and Action Plan (AWS) which includes new routes and initiatives to increase affordable workspace across the borough. One action is to develop an Affordable Workspace Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to provide clarity and detailed guidance to planning applicants and developers on the implementation of Local Plan policies to secure and deliver affordable workspace in new development.

The draft Affordable Workspace SPD provides detailed guidance to optimise Affordable Workspace in new developments, inform the assessment of planning applications, and will be a material consideration for future planning decisions.