Employment Article 4 Directions - Making Consultation 2026

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Representation ID: 17220

Received: 18/08/2026

Respondent: Chester Business Park Management Company Ltd

Agent: Garner Town Planning Ltd

I note from the Council’s consultation exercise that the intention is to introduce the Article 4 Direction to exercise planning control over changes of use from Class E (commercial, business and service) of Schedule 2 to the Use Classes Order (as
amended) to a use falling within Class C3 (dwellinghouses), with the intention being to bring the Direction into effect from 10 August 2027.
I can confirm that my client is fully supportive of this move by the Local Planning Authority as it will add further controls to go alongside the existing Section 52 and Section 106 legal agreements that are already in force and cover much of the Business
Park area, in order retain the overall attractive nature of the high-quality office park.
By way of background, Chester Business Park opened in 1983 with the aim of establishing itself as a high-quality office location, covering an extensive area of around 70 hectares and appealing to large-scale global occupiers. The Management
Company was formed in May 1991 with the express intention of ensuring that the Business Park retained its appeal to major businesses.
The result of the legal agreements and a careful approach to planning policies is an attractive low density parkland development of 1.2 million square feet of offices.
Over the years it has attracted a wide range of office users and investors which currently include Bank of America, HSBC Bank, Marks and Spencer, Lloyds Banking Group, Standard Life, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GB Group, Regus Group, Watkin Jones
and Close Brothers. These companies and former owners have invested literally hundreds of millions of pounds sterling developing the Park to its current position.