Alconbury Weald five years on: the next steps
It is now some five years since we began the transformation of the former airfield.
In 2013, the first investment was made to This information is presented across the remove the old entrance and to replace following panels and includes: this with a new gateway and service access. As part of this, we worked closely Our first homes with you to plant new trees along the Delivering a new community. boundary to the site, so beginning our commitment to introduce half a million Making the connections trees to Alconbury Weald. Meeting our transport commitments.
The Country Park A legacy for landscape and communities.
Responding to circumstances Potential for additional homes.
Since then, work has moved on apace to take our ambitious plans and make then a reality. New homes, jobs, open spaces and facilities including our first primary school have been built and a new community is growing at Alconbury Weald. However, this is just the start of the journey. There are big plans for the rest of the site and we wanted to take this opportunity to share with you what we have achieved here, but also to look ahead to the next five years.
Homes – delivering a new community
Responding to circumstances
Key Phase 1 extension
The County Park (indicative location)
Making the connections Phase 1: Our first homes and delivering a new community
Our commitment has always been to Alconbury Enterprise Campus: providing build new homes alongside creating jobs, jobs and skills facilities and open space in a balanced, As part of our commitment to the sustainable way. Developing a new Government designated Enterprise Zone at community at Alconbury Weald from Alconbury Weald, alongside the provision day one. for new jobs, we have also introduced the jobs and skills brokerage – EDGE – which What have we built? holds regular events, drop-ins and support Since work started we have now delivered: to help people find work on site and across 173 new homes. the local area.
The Incubator and Incubator 2.
The Club with gym and café.
Swynford Stores – the community shop. Supporting a new community We recognise that creating a new community Enterprise Campus buildings for IKO, is about much more than just bricks and MMUK and John Adams Toys. mortar. We have been supporting new residents through a programme of events, Ermine Street Church Academy. in partnership with other groups, local clubs and organisations, all co-ordinated iMET skills centre. by our Community Development team.
New open spaces including the Cricket We have also worked with partners to Park, Skate Park and play facilities. create the new Skills Centre –iMET – which offers high level technical skills for Over 600 new jobs in the Enterprise manufacturing, engineering and digital Zone and many more through industries and recently secured funding construction. for a construction training hub, which will be rolled out in early 2019. → sharperskills.co.uk | imet.co.uk
IKO
OFFICE ZONE MID-TECH CAMPUS BESPOKE BUILDINGS MMUK
Watch Office Refurbishment to Community Room and Groundwork East HQ started September 2018 and completing March 2019 John Adams Leisure
iMET
The Club Café, Gym and Housing Next phase Events Hall Cricket pitch Playable from Crest Nicholson of housing Spring 2019
The Incubator
The Boulevard Incubator 2
Housing Hopkins Homes Housing Housing Civic Living Redrow Homes
Housing Morris Homes
Swynford Stores Ke Phse Community Park One Housing Jemima House Hopkins Homes Day Nursery
Ermine Street Church Academy Phase 1: the next steps
What’s next? Key Phase 1 extension ● Extended Key Phase Transport Plans are already in place for the next The next stage for development includes Assessment – to ensure that the traffic buildings within the first phase of bringing forward the infrastructure, setting generated by the additional development: and associated facilities which will enable development is properly dealt with. ongoing delivery of new homes in this part 1 Conversion of the listed Watch Office. ● Extended Key Phase Delivery Plan and of the site. Affordable Housing Plan – providing 2 Cambridgeshire County Council Critically, we are extending Key details on how the additional headquarters and offices. Phase 1 to allow for the early development will be brought forward 3 New homes – Crest Nicholson and delivery of a secondary school campus on and the number and types of affordable Hopkins Homes. site. It is anticipated that this will be brought homes to be provided. forward within the next five years. 4 Cricket Pavilion/community building. The process has a lot of technical As the broad design and approach to this information which we need to work through next stage is similar to that work already with the local authorities, but we welcome 2 undertaken, this will be taken forward your thoughts and ideas on the proposed 1 through an extension of Key Phase 1 in layout and approach. 3 accordance with the conditions of the 4 Outline Planning Consent for Alconbury Weald. 3 The planning approach will therefore include submitting a range of updated documents to Huntingdonshire District Council – for agreement with them and Cambridgeshire County Council – including: ● Extended Key Phase Definition – setting out the amount of further development. ● Extended Key Phase Design Code – to provide detailed design guidance for the additional development including the secondary school campus.
Current Key Phase 1 Key Phase extension
Sports pitches 879 new homes and facilities Retail – 1-2 units 1,100 new homes Retail – 1-2 units
80,000 sq m Landscaping and 5,500 sq m of Primary school Early years employment tree planting employment
Community Access (a new Parks and open Parks and open facilities secondary road) spaces Secondary school spaces
Key Phase 1 extension Making the connections: meeting our transport commitments
We recognise that the impact of traffic Investing in roads and improvements Sustainable travel is one of the biggest issues that we need Whilst not technically required for the At the same time as our investments in to address. As part of our commitments first Phase of Development, one of the roads and footpaths, our approach to under the Outline Planning Permission commitments we made to local communities travel is to reduce reliance on the car we have already made a number of was to try and bring forward the ‘Southern wherever possible. investments and more are planned. Access’ connection with the A141 as early We are taking this forward through as possible. In particular we are pleased to be able to support and incentives for business and bring forward: Detailed planning applications have now residents to: been submitted for this route which will ● Environmental improvement works to ● Car share. connect the southern end of the airfield Ermine Street agreed with the Stukeleys runway with a new roundabout junction ● Cycle more, with vouchers and support to reduce the speed and amount of with the A141 and works are proposed to and cycle hire hubs, vouchers and traffic using Ermine Street as a cut commence in 2019. support. through; Through agreement with Cambridgeshire ● Use the bus: with increased services ● A pair of new bus stops will be provided County Council, we will make use of the being rolled out during 2019, and ‘free along Ermine Street opposite the new existing runway on a temporary basis to month’ vouchers for new residents. Swynford Road access following the ensure that there is a complete connection completion of the environmental ● Reduce car trips by travel planning with between the extended Key Phase 1 in the improvement works; new residents and businesses. north of the site and the A141 within ● A new junction onto the A141 and Alconbury Weald. This will be replaced by ● Take part in regular surveys to monitor southern access to enable early permanent road, bus and cycle and reduce car trips as part of our delivery of an alternative route through connections within the next five years. Transport Strategy. the site avoiding the Stukeleys. As part of the expansion of Key Phase 1, we will also be working with the County Council Highways team to agree improvements, which we will fund, to existing roads and junctions, in particular: ● Junction improvements at Rusts Lane, and Hartford roundabout.
1 2 3
↑ 1 Potential Busway B diversion Indicative routes for a local bus service
2
3 The Country Park: a landscape legacy
As part of the approach to green The Country Park in numbers infrastructure at Alconbury Weald, we are committed to: What might it include? 1 Ensure green ‘wedges’ between the site ● New woodlands: 22 hectares. and the existing communities to ensure ● Meadow grasslands: 31 hectares. separate identities and rural aspect. ● Community sports facilities: 5.41 hectares. 2 Look at ways we can involve local ● Orchards: 2.81 hectares. communities in helping us design key ● Allotments: 0.98 hectares. parts of public open space. ● Footpaths: 5,800 linear metres. 3 Undertake sustainable long term ● Total Park area: circa 63 hectares. management of open spaces. Retained ● Woodland: (Prestley Wood). 4 Give long term protection to major A Country Park for the Stukeleys and 1.79 hectares. parks and open space, including the local area ● Hedgerow: 3,400 linear metres. a permanent green shield for the We have begun work on what a new ● Retained ridge and furrow: Stukeleys. Country Park would look like, and want 6.93 hectares. your input to develop the plans. We intend to submit a Planning Application for the Park in early 2019. The Country Park will be protected as open space in perpetuity and managed for the benefit of local people. We will do this by: ● An s106 Legal Agreement to secure and deliver the Country Park. ● Restrictive Covenants to ensure that the land cannot be used for anything other than a Country Park. ● Funding the delivery of the Park and working with partners agreed with the Parish Council to ensure its ongoing maintenance and uses. The Country Park: a landscape legacy
What would you like to see? These images show some of the components we have been thinking about for the Park and discussed with the Parish Council. Let us know what you would like to see…
Country Park components — Woodland Country Park components — Grasslands
Woodland play Wild woodlands Working woodlands Amenity grass in a Species rich meadow Mown areas for Multi-functional play aimed With a biodiversity/ Coppice and harvest parkland setting grassland recreational use at both adults and children wildlife focus
Active woodlands Harvest woodlands Community woodlands Meadow grassland with Formal recreation Biodiversity focus A variety of distance loops For foraging fruits, nuts High quality environments mown paths routes for walking and cycling and berries and quality of life
Country Park components — Productive The Park would be managed on a day-to- day basis by a charity partner, such as the Land Trust or Wildlife Trust, with facilities and events an important part of ensuring it remains busy and has a sustainable income to invest back into maintenance. What sort of facilities, events and activities, Allotments Orchards Working woodlands would you like to see going on in the Park? Stukeley’s Community Within meadow grassland Utilising woodlands to Allotments generate income for Park
New community Orchards Meadow grassland Multi-generational play Toilet/café facilities Fitness trails allotments Fruit production and Cut and bale grassland to community events generate income for Park
Country Park components — Events
Sports facilities Car parking facilities Picnic areas, seating, BBQ areas
Great Stukeley The Country Park railway cutting (SSSI)
Alconbury Weald
Green End
Great Stukeley Stukeley Park Responding to changed circumstances: potential for additional homes
What has changed? A comprehensive, site-wide response The 2014 Outline Planning Permission Urban&Civic are considering how best to for Alconbury Weald gives consent for respond to these changes including the 5,000 homes, 3 million sq ft of Enterprise potential for additional homes in a way Zone, and all the associated facilities that will not undermine the vision for and amenities. Since that time, a number Alconbury Weald or our pledges made of changes have occurred: to our neighbours. We want your views to help shape the plans coming forward. ● Huntingdonshire Draft Local Plan As part of that we commit to: The latest Huntingdonshire District Council Local Plan sets the direction ● The provision of a ‘Green Buffer’ to the and scale of growth in the district to Stukeleys. 2036. The target for homes to be ● Maintain the original vision, strategy delivered across Huntingdonshire and character of Alconbury Weald, over that period is some 20,000. The including standards of design, 5,000 homes already agreed for community development, open space Alconbury Weald are included in that and quality. figure. The Plan further identifies that the site has the potential to ● Properly consider the impacts and additional needs of any further homes accommodate significant numbers ● Education provision to ensure appropriate additional of additional homes, approximately Land was originally set aside at facilities such as schools, sports and 1,500 to meet future housing needs. Alconbury Weald for post-16 education play space and transport infrastructure ● Feasibility for an outer A141 purposes. This is no longer required is delivered. A study has now been commissioned following the delivery of the iMET to consider the feasibility of an outer facility, investments in the Huntingdon ● Ensure we make the best use of the A141 for Huntingdon and the route has Campus by Cambridge Regional College infrastructure coming forward, to the potential to run through Alconbury and the Secondary School coming minimise impacts locally, working with Weald. forward with a Sixth Form Centre. local communities. How might additional homes be provided?
Potential scenarios
Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Limited intensification of key locations Intensification and homes in land no Intensification, use of former education with some higher density homes. longer required for education. land and some development in Grange Farm alongside the Country Park. ● Maintaining overall character and sense ● Make use of the development area set of place. aside for post-16 education. ● Properly connected to new road and public transport via the southern ● Focus at the Hub and Interchange. ● Properly connected to new road and access. public transport via the southern access. ● Additional homes in the Enterprise Zone. ● Bringing forward the Country Park to Up to 700 additional homes (approx). Up to 200 additional homes (approx). ensure that commitments of separation are delivered and as a shared resource for new and existing residents. This would ensure additional homes still feel connected to Alconbury Weald and have access to services and facilities. Up to 1,500 additional homes (approx).
Your questions, answered Questions Answers There is already permission for 5,000 We are already bringing forward a new southern link road through Grange Farm homes at Alconbury Weald, why are you and the Country Park. In order to make sure these fit with future growth, it is vital that looking at this now? we consider this now and ensure it is seen as part of an overall approach to the site. We also want to ensure we influence the potential routing of an outer A141, to ensure an approach which delivers benefits for both the Stukeleys and Alconbury Weald.
How will you assess the impacts of the Any homes beyond the permitted 5,000 at Alconbury Weald will require planning additional homes? permission and all impacts including traffic will have to be fully assessed and consulted upon.
What types of homes might be proposed Our emerging thinking is that Grange Farm with the Country Park might provide a at Grange Farm? setting for relatively low density family homes in a countryside setting.
What additional services will be An additional 1,500 homes would require a new primary school as well as additional delivered? investments to facilities already approved at Alconbury Weald, including the secondary school, library and health facility.
How will any additional homes relate to Urban&Civic are considering any new homes as part of the overall approach to Alconbury Weald? Alconbury Weald. The same standards of design, community development, open space and quality will apply. What happens next?
2018
● All applications submitted before the end of the year for the new southern access. 2019
WINTER ● Submission of application for Cricket Pavilion/community building. ● Ermine Street improvements completed. ● Submission of an application for Key Phase 1 Extension. ↓ SPRING ● Further public consultation exhibitions. ● Works to new A141 roundabout commence. ● Submission of applications for additional homes and requisite amendments to the existing Alconbury Weald. ● Submission of an application for the Country Park. ● Commencement of construction in parcels 5 and 6 – Crest Nicholson and Hopkins Homes. ● Submission of an application for new Cambridgeshire County Council headquarters. ↓ SUMMER ● Former Watch Tower converted including community room and library. ● Work commences on the Cricket Pavilion/community building. ↓ AUTUMN ● Legal agreements for Country Park completed. ● Cricket Pavilion/community building completed.