Wallington Neighbourhood Plan 2022 - 2031 Submission Version June 2023

8 Rural economy

Policy W10: Rural enterprise

Purpose

8.1. This policy recognises the existing and potential contribution of home-based and small-to-medium sized businesses to Wallington and seeks to encourage opportunities for them. This includes supporting the provision of start-up business units in appropriate areas. This would provide a greater incentive and opportunity for local people to work locally. Homeworking too has become more common-place for many since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Justification

8.2. There are few employment opportunities within the neighbourhood area, which means that local residents either have to seek work elsewhere or work from home. Engagement undertaken to inform the neighbourhood plan found that there was support for small-scale development of small, flexible units, which could make use of redundant buildings. The most obvious source of these is disused farm buildings, of which there are several in the area. The WNP seeks to support rural businesses recognises the need for flexibility in the use of existing buildings, where this can be achieved sympathetically to the character of the area and without adding pressures to the minor road network.

There is a scattering of farms in Wallington

8.3. Homeworking is also becoming a more realistic option for many, following the changes to working patterns accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Opportunities for homeworking could make the village a more viable option for those seeking to move to the area, in turn supporting the 'life-cycle' of Wallington. The village has had fast fibre broadband since 2020 and it is adequate for homeworking and small scale artisan businesses.