Adastral Park Vision - Martlesham `Made for Innovation`
Transcription
Adastral Park Vision - Martlesham `Made for Innovation`
Adastral Park Vision The regeneration of Adastral Park and development of surrounding land Update: April 2009 Adastral Park has been home to innovation and technology since BT relocated its main research centre from Dollis Hill in London to Martlesham Heath in 1969. At that time, a new and exciting facility was developed to provide the very best place for engineers, scientists and researchers to pioneer ground-breaking communications technologies. BT is now seeking to secure the long-term future of Adastral Park with a visionary masterplan for a truly 21st Century sustainable development. Following three phases of public consultation, BT submitted an outline planning application to Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) in September 2008. Detailed discussions were then held with SCDC and other consultees. The plans were subsequently amended and a revised outline planning application submitted in April 2009. A decision is expected by autumn. Visualisation of Adastral Park indicative master plan proposals looking east from the A12 Our vision for a truly 21st Century community Since it opened in 1969, Adastral Park has been a centre for innovation, research and development for BT. Supporting over 4,000 jobs and bringing more than £800 million into the local economy each year, BT is now seeking to secure its future for the next 40 years and beyond. To maintain its position as a leading development centre for innovation and technology on a global stage, BT’s vision is to create a pioneering, sustainable and integrated community that is fitting for the 21st Century. Developing our land will create a unique opportunity to provide a new living and working environment with jobs and homes side-by-side, and to support a regenerated research and development facility in Martlesham. BT, working with a team of master planners, landscape architects, engineers, ecologists and transport specialists has developed proposals for the regeneration of Adastral Park and surrounding land. The resulting outline planning application submitted to Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) followed more than 18 months of extensive consultation with, and feedback from, stakeholder groups including local residents and parish councils alongside a sequence of showcase events held in communities close to Adastral Park in Spring 2008. Visualisation of Adastral Park indicative master plan proposals looking north east from the A12 Woodbridge A12 Martlesham Kesgrave Ipswich Martlesham Heath Ri ve r D eb en A12 Adastral Park and adjacent site A14 A1 4 River Orwe ll Felixstowe River Stour Harwich The strategic location of Adastral Park and the adjacent site The Main Proposals Adastral Park covers nearly 100 acres, and BT owns a further 250 acres of surrounding land, the indicative proposals for which include: • An on-site energy centre to provide renewable heat and power, reducing our dependency on the National Grid and providing options for renewable energy 2 BT’s proposals will deliver a fully-regenerated Adastral Park, able to maintain its position as one of the world’s foremost centres for technology and innovation in the decades to come. It will also help to meet the District’s need for new homes in the most sustainable way – by placing jobs and homes side by side and through intelligent masterplanning which encourages more sustainable lifestyle choices. 3 • A hotel to cater for business visitors and tourists • An expansion of the University presence at Adastral Park to help counter the ‘brain drain’ caused by young people leaving Suffolk to study and then to work 4 • Comprehensive new infrastructure and services to serve the new residential community, including appropriate education provision, a health centre, sports and leisure facilities, community hall, and local scale shops and restaurants 1 • Public spaces and a central park with the potential for an open air amphitheatre for public performances 3 3 • Upgrades to existing employment floorspace and the creation of up to 60,000 square metres of new employment floorspace 4 • A residential community of up to 2,000 new homes on surrounding land 2 Evolution of the proposals The following outlines revisions to the application following detailed discussions with SCDC and other consultees between September 2008 and April 2009. These improvements were included in the revised application, submitted in April 2009. • Significant development of the existing transport infrastructure, including improved access to the A12 and public transport provision • The creation of some 2,000 new jobs at Adastral Park 2 1 R elocating large areas of green open space and playing fields to the eastern edge of the site closest to the village of Waldringfield. 5 2 S ignificantly increasing the planting along the boundary of the site, including new native trees and shrubs. The depth of all perimeter planting has now been increased to at least 20 metres, and in some cases up to 30 metres. 3 I ncreasing the number and depth of ‘Green Corridors’ across the scheme, providing a comprehensive network of landscaped links through the site. 4 I mprovements to the routes of the internal access roads to enhance the setting of the proposed new residential areas and to simplify internal circulation. 5 A lternative links to the Foxhall Roundabout through improvements to the former Felixstowe – Woodbridge route located to the south west of the site. The Indicative Masterplan for Adastral Park and the Surrounding Land Community and Environment As a responsible UK business and an ongoing stakeholder in the future growth of Suffolk, BT is committed to a sustainable development that meets the diverse needs of the whole community, to ensure BT can remain at Adastral Park, and to contribute to a thriving East of England economy. Our commitment to the environment and climate change are also key drivers in the creation of our masterplan. The proposals submitted will provide a high quality of life within an environment that is safe and inclusive, well-planned, built and run, and offer quality of opportunity and good services for all, whilst being sensitive to the environment. The ‘green features’ of the development will improve the landscape surrounding Adastral Park, which over the past century has been utilised as an RAF airfield and more recently for industrial sand and gravel extraction. The plans for a large park at the centre of the new residential community – following the precedent set at Martlesham Heath – will be the centrepiece of a network of public open spaces incorporating areas of heathland. The preservation of heritage sites and the expansion of woodland areas will provide the right environment for the local habitats to flourish. The proposals also make efficient use of energy and maximise the amount of energy that is generated and used on-site to minimise the carbon footprint of the new living and working community. About the Adastral Park Vision The provision of new homes Creating new homes and jobs side-by-side makes good planning sense: at Adastral Park there is a unique opportunity to create a truly integrated living and working community, and a genuinely sustainable development to help meet the local need for new homes. In addition, building a new residential community on BT’s land is an essential part of BT’s regeneration of Adastral Park, enabling BT to upgrade ageing facilities and make the changes necessary for it to maintain its position as a world-leading centre of technology and innovation in the decades to come. Significant investment in local roads BT’s proposals for the regeneration of Adastral Park and surrounding land will involve significant investment in the local transport infrastructure and minimise any increases in traffic. New access will be created linking the site to the A12, and significant investment is planned for the A12 itself to ease current and future congestion. BT’s proposals also include plans for a network of bus stops linking all parts of the site, and BT will work with local public transport companies to discuss the provision of bus services linking Adastral Park and the new residential community to other destinations in the area. Placing jobs and homes side-by-side will also have an impact, with less need to travel by car. Ensuring local services can cope BT’s proposals will provide extensive new infrastructure to serve the regenerated Adastral Park and new residential community, and seek to avoid placing increased pressure on existing services. Local roads and public transport infrastructure will be improved; health and educational facilities will be provided, or funding will be provided to help these services adapt to the change; and the masterplan for the new community integrates plans for new public open spaces, community, sports and leisure facilities, and shops. A commitment to the environment BT’s proposals will not only conserve areas of heathland close to the site and enhance areas of local woodland, heathland habitats will be the theme for a vibrant network of green open spaces focused on a large central park at the heart of the new community. Benefiting the local community BT’s proposals will involve big changes to the local area, but will bring with it significant new benefits – some 2,000 new jobs will be created and new homes will be provided to help meet the growing need in the District. The A12 lies adjacent to the site and it is close to existing towns and suburban areas including Woodbridge, Kesgrave and Martlesham Heath. Landscape and the use of land levels within the site will minimise the visual impact of new development and the range of recreation facilities will encourage more use of this land and less use of surrounding, sensitive areas. BT and Suffolk Coastal District Council BT will support Suffolk Coastal District Council by providing any additional information it may need to determine the outline planning application. The land surrounding Adastral Park has been identified as the preferred option for housing growth as part of the Local Development Framework process. BT believes its outline planning application demonstrates why this is the right option for the future community growth in the Suffolk Coastal area. The planning application Contact details BT submitted an outline planning application to SCDC in September 2008. Detailed discussions were then held with SCDC and other consultees. The plans were subsequently amended further and a revised outline planning application submitted in April 2009. A decision is expected by autumn. BT welcomes contact from those interested in the regeneration of Adastral Park. If you have a query please email [email protected] The planning application is accompanied by a comprehensive set of supporting documents. These include: • The Planning Statement which sets out the planning policy arguments for the development proposals • The Design and Access Statement which describes the development in more detail • A full Environmental Statement that examines all impacts of development and shows how they are to be dealt with • A Transport Assessment and Travel Plan which explore how access to the site can be made and traffic impacts minimised • A Sustainability Statement and Energy and Carbon Statement which look at the long term legacy of these development proposals • An Employment Statement which covers the role of the proposals in the local and regional economy. However, now that proposals have been submitted to the council, any views and feedback you may have on the proposals must be submitted in writing to SCDC. If you wish to submit your views, write to the Head of Planning at: Suffolk Coastal District Council Melton Hill Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1AU Alternatively, you are welcome to visit www.adastralvision.com for more information on the future vision for Adastral Park. Once the planning application has been registered and validated by SCDC, the planning documents will be available to view at the council offices. The documents will also be made available on BT’s website for the development: www.adastralvision.com Kesgrave Martlesham Heath A12 Adastral Park Aggregates Quarry The Adastral Park Planning Application Boundary