Pioneer Park, Leicester
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PIONEER PARK, Draft, June 2018 LEICESTER INTRODUCTORY BRIEF August 2018 PIONEER PARK - DEVELOPMENT BRIEF 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Pioneer Park Pioneer Park is identified within the Mayor’s Economic Action strategic objectives for Pioneer Park. Plan - 2016-2020 as a priority project for Leicester. It is the objective of City Council to see Pioneer Park developed The two sites are located on Exploration Drive, which with a mixture of new workspaces for sale and lease that connects Abbey Lane (A6) to the National Space Centre. can accommodate innovative knowledge-based technology The sites are approximately 1.2 miles from Leicester businesses. city centre. The sites are separated from each other by Exploration Drive. The Site A is situated immediately to the The Pioneer Park is covered by a strategic masterplan which north of the successful Dock 1 building and covers an area sets out how the area covered by this Brief, and adjoining of approximately 1.008 acres. Site B is located to the west locations, might be developed to create a coherent specialist of Dock 1 and covers an area of approximately 2.93 acres. business cluster. In addition Leicester is committed to taking Both sites are roughly level with good access, frontage and forward; work space development, accessibility and public visibility. realm projects which fall within the Pioneer Park area. The Council is now seeking a developer with the skills and These include the Dock 1 building, which was partially ERDF experience necessary to bring forward the development of the funded, opened in autumn 2013 and now accommodates two sites. a range of successful and growing knowledge based businesses. Dock 1 provides business support and acts as a Buildings on both Site A and Site B will need to include units hub encouraging the interaction between businesses which with loading dock access in order to appeal to occupiers helps to develop the benefits of the cluster. that might need to accommodate some light industrial functions. Both site developments will need to be designed in accordance with Leicester City Council planning policy and be compliant to existing standards. 1.2 Opportunity It is anticipated that future Site A building will share telephony and management services with Dock 1 and that there may be Leicester City Council now wish to bring forward two scope for a physical connection between the two buildings. sites located on Exploration Drive for new B1 (business) Site B can accommodate multiple buildings each containing office space with a specific emphasis on the provision a number of operationally independent units (ie each with its of B1 (b) (research and development of products and own secure access). processes). Development on these sites must be suited to the accommodation requirements of new, growing and established knowledge based businesses. The space provided should be compatible with and supportive of space currently available within the Dock 1 building as well as wider 2 1.0 1.3 Purpose of the Brief The Brief aims to explain the opportunity provided by Site A and B by providing details of physical and policy context as well as by setting out Leicester’s aspirations. The Council recognise that the aspirations set out within this brief must be informed by the commercial requirements of the development and occupier markets and therefore could be subject to justified change. STOKE-ON- TRENT NOTTINGHAM DERBY Pioneer Park M1 M6 LEICESTER WOLVERHAMPTON M6 M1 COVENTRY BIRMINGHAM M5 REGIONAL MAP N 0 10 25km 3 PIONEER PARK - DEVELOPMENT BRIEF 2.0 SITE & CONTEXT The National Space Centre and the Abbey Pumping Station 2.1 Regional Context both provide navigational land marks within this area of the city and combine together to provide a visitor attraction Pioneer Park is located approximately 1.2 miles (2.5 km) north of national importance. Partially as a consequence of the of Leicester city centre. Leicester Railway Station, located success of the combined attraction car parking within the on the edge of the city centre, provides regular services to; wider Pioneer Park area is at a premium. Leicester City London (1hour and 15 minutes), Birmingham (50 minutes), Council is currently taking forward proposals which will East Midland Parkway – for East Midlands Airport (30 minutes) increase parking capacity within the area. Both sites should and other UK destinations. aim to be self-serving with parking on site where possible. Abbey Lane (A6) situated to the west of Pioneer Park The two sites together with Dock 1 are located to the south heads north out of the city towards Loughborough which is of the National Space Centre and are all accessed from around 10 miles (16 km) away. The M1 motorway is located Exploration Drive. The three storey Dock 1 building, now approximately 4 miles to the west of the site. delivered and fully let, is situated on the eastern side of Exploration Drive with the residential properties on Discovery Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham and Derby are all within Road to the south and with Site A and the National Space an hour’s drive of Pioneer Park. Centre to the north. The larger Site B is located to the west of Dock 1 on the northern side of Exploration Drive, close to its junction with 2.2 Local Context Abbey Lane and directly opposite the Asda superstore and car park. The two sites covered by this Brief are both accessed from The River Soar is located to the east of Pioneer Park beyond Exploration Drive which links the Abbey Lane (A6) to the which an extensive area of residential led regeneration is National Space Centre together with its associated car parks currently underway at Wolsey Island. Footpaths and cycle- and Corporation Road beyond. ways along the western back of the Soar connect Pioneer Park to the city centre to the south and eventually reach Immediately to north of the National Space Centre is the open countryside to the north. A pedestrian bridge crosses Abbey Pumping Station which houses a museum of science the Soar to connect Pioneer Park to the Wolsey Island and technology. regeneration area to the east. 4 2.0 Proposed Space Park r a o S r e iv Abbey Pumping Station R Corporation Rd e n a L d e R v i ey r d b r D b o f A n g o i n t i l l a r a o l W Wallingford Road public p National Space Centrex E realm enhancement Site A Wolsey Chimney Potential Car Park Expansion enz M ies Rd Asda Exploration Drive DOCK e n a L y e Site B b b A r D Cl r ioneer e P k r a P r a o S r e Wolsey Island v i R Regeneration Area N Blackbird Rd Abbey Park Rd 250m 150 0 CONTEXT MAP 5 PIONEER PARK - DEVELOPMENT BRIEF 2.0 SITE & CONTEXT 2.3 Site A Description The site optional additional area covered by the Dock 1 car park is approximately 0.51 acres. Overview Ownership The site is prominently situated between the Dock 1 building The site is wholly owned by Leicester City Council. and the National Space Centre. This is a highly visible and Flood Risk prestigious location at the heart of Pioneer Park. The Site A falls within Flood Zone 1 (ie an area least likely to The northern section of the site is cleared, level and secured flood). with boundary fencing and contains a number of mature trees along its northern, eastern and north-western boundaries. The southern section of the site is currently occupied for the Dock 1 surface car park and service yard. Development History e v i r d A full planning permission was granted, subject to conditions, n o d i for a scheme comprising of B1 ‘move-on’ office and t R d r production space for Site A in December 2016 (Application ora l o p No. 20161461). gf Ex in l l a Technical assessments associated with the above applications W can be accessed via the Leicester City Council Planning Portal. Site Area The core site covers an area of 1.008 acres. There is the opportunity to extend the site boundary to incorporate the SITE A PLAN Dock 1 car park. Any development proposals for Site A will N need to ensure dedicated Dock 1 car parking capacity is 0 50m protected as well as providing additional parking for Site A. Site A Site A (Optional Extension) Site B r e a v o i S E r xplora D r tio e n d v rive on i ti Dock 1 R ra lo Exp 6 2.0 2.4 Site B Description Ownership The site is wholly owned by Leicester City Council. Overview Flood Risk e v The site helps to define the gateway to Pioneer Park. This i The Site B falls within Flood Zone 1 (ie an area least likely is highly visible site with a long south facing frontage facing to flood). A Level 1 Flood Risk Assessment (Riverscape Exploration Drive. The site is cleared, level and secured with dr Environmental Consultants, February 2018) commissioned boundary fencing. The western site boundary includes a by Leicester City Council concludes that the Site B is ‘less Rd indent which accommodates the access road and turning vulnerable’ in flood risk terms. A small section of the site may on head for the adjacent site. i d be at risk of surface water flooding which can be mitigated t r The Exploration Drive boundary of the site is currently lined by localised infilling.