5.18 As set out in the Vision, Strategic Objectives and Settlement Strategy, Yeovil will continue to be the prime economic driver in South Somerset, as well as parts of surrounding districts. The Local Plan proposes for around 4,508 jobs being created in Yeovil over the plan period, of which it is likely that 2,975 jobs will be within the ’B’ use classes. An additional 16 ha of ‘B’ use employment land is required in Yeovil, 11 ha of which should be delivered as part of the Sustainable Urban Extension in order to provide one job per household to meet the aspirations for a sustainable extension with 4 ha to be built beyond the Plan period.

5.19 The Local Plan seeks to build upon the strengths of Yeovil’s economy, by encouraging new businesses that support aerospace and other high tech industries. Policy YV5 delivers an aspect of this through the designation of an ‘airfield flight safety zone’ that supports the continued use of the airfield for testing aircraft, and therefore supporting this key element of the town’s economy. The strategic employment provision in Yeovil at Lufton and Bunford Lane continue to be regarded as strategically important and supported. The allocation at Bunford Lane in particular will provide a high quality business park that will support the objective to encourage high tech industries.

5.20 Yeovil does need to ensure diversification within the high tech sector to avoid its heavy and historic dependence on the defence industry, and so that it is more robust to future economic changes. A supply of employment land will be critical to maintaining the needs of a changing sector and the inevitable drift from traditional engineering to smaller, high-tech, IT driven development.

5.21 One issue that the Local Plan will seek to tackle in Yeovil is the expansion of office space outside the town centre – over the last 20 years much of the office based employment growth has occurred outside of the town centre, and between 2006-11 only 10% of the office development in Yeovil has occurred in the town centre.[1] Therefore, new office development will be directed to Yeovil town centre, as set out in Policy EP2.