SmartParc Spondon Public consultation October 2020

PlanningSmartParc application for the redevelopment of the Celanese site, Spondon, What is SmartParc?

SmartParc is committed to redevelop the former Celanese site in Spondon, Derby to provide world-class cutting-edge food production facilities based around a new campus style parc. It will not only produce food through centrally shared facilities and services but will create a highly sustainable and least cost production base, engineered to address the issues facing the future of food production and distribution.

The food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector contributing £28.2bn to the economy annually and employing 430,000 people. The industry is critical to the national economy and its security representing some 20% of the UK’s manufacturing sector. The industry needs to develop in terms of its efficiency, sustainability and contribution to climate change.

SmartParc will create an environment where food businesses can work together to cluster knowledge and investment which has been successfully accomplished in other sectors of the economy. This will:

• Embrace technology and leading-edge engineering to create a very efficient production facility. • Benefit from central energy facilities and from renewable sources. • Reduce the environmental impact on waste, leveraging new SmartParc opportunities and collaborative relationships. • Produce food in proximity to the local community which will get to the consumer more quickly and efficiently than is currently the case. • Facilitate a food business innovation base through new business start-up facilities. • Embrace new production methods such as vertical farming.

The proposals as a whole are expected to generate up to 5,000 new jobs in the Derby area with over 2.25 million ft2. (209,000m2) of new floorspace being built.

SmartParc Location

The location of the site in Derby has been specifically chosen because of the proximity of a local workforce and economy that has links with the manufacturing and technology business sector. It is anticipated that up to 5,000 jobs will be generated on the SmartParc site which will be a significant benefit to the local economy – particularly given the impact of Covid19. Local workforce

Major city accessibility for locally manufactured food in Derby, and Leicester The Celanese site – evolution from heavy industry to cutting edge food production, distribution and related facilities

SmartParc The Celanese site – evolution from heavy industry to cutting edge food production, distribution and related facilities

The former Celanese site had a long history of heavy industry and chemical related production on the Spondon site going back as far as the 1920’s. At its peak there were over 180 buildings on site. These had a footprint of development of over 140,000m2 and a total floorspace of approximately 225,000m2. The site at its peak employed a region of 20,000 people. The impact of its operation within the Derby area and particularly Spondon was significant.

Whilst most of the buildings on site have now been demolished, the site remains allocated in the Derby Local Plan Part 2 for regeneration and redevelopment for employment purposes in Policy AC13.

The principle of the redevelopment of a large brownfield site is in accordance, therefore, with the City Council’s Local Plan. As will be seen from the masterplan the scale of the SmartParc development has a similar amount of built footprint to that which was previously on the Celanese site and less floorspace. The proposed masterplan Site Parameters Plan The proposals

The masterplan sets out the intentions for the redevelopment of the Celanese site for SmartParc. The key elements of the proposals are:

• New food production units throughout the site to be occupied by companies who manufacture or process food products. • A central distribution centre which will be used to consolidate and transport food products throughout the country. • A ‘multi-function’ building intended to provide for staff amenities; management of the parc and small start-up business floorspace. • A technology centre – intended for research and development and for the holding of courses in food technology and related matters in co- operation with local tertiary education providers, eg. Derby College and University of Derby. • Dedicated energy centres throughout the Parc. • Main access into and out of the Parc being from the existing roads to the north crossing the railway line via Holmes Lane and Station Road. An assessment is being carried out of the effect of traffic flows caused by the operation of the level crossing. A second access into the site from the south is also being considered • Provision for cyclists and green travel. • Potential provision (in association with Wildlife Trust) of facilities on the adjacent local nature reserve. • Retention of the existing Celanese works that produce, inter alia, packaging that could be used as part of the food production and distribution process. • New landscaping on the edge and throughout the SmartParc site.

The overall development as a whole will provide:

• Circa 104,440m2 of food production facilities in 15 units. • A distribution centre of 26,000m2. • A technology centre of circa 5,290m2. • Other industrial units of 1,340m2. • A multi-function unit of 1,260m2. • Related energy centres; a waste centre compound and security cabin.

The parameters plan shows how the site could be developed in zones. It also proposes that the maximum height of buildings – which would only apply to a small number that would be used for food distribution purposes would be up to 30m. The typical height of the majority of the employment buildings shown on the masterplan (for food production) would be around 15/16m. Issues being considered as part of the planning application

The SmartParc professional team has been in discussion with and other key organisations who will consider technical matters related to the application. This includes the Environment Agency and Highways .

The key issues which are being assessed and will be of interest to residents are as follows:

• Flood risk and drainage matters – to ensure that the redevelopment of the site will not have adverse effects on the overall flood risk strategy for Derby and the River Derwent. • The de-contamination process – to ensure the appropriate restoration/de-contamination works are done to ensure the SmartParc operation (including the employees) can work from the site in a safe manner. • Highways and transportation – to ensure that the traffic impact of the development is acceptable – bearing in mind the previous scale of usage on the Celanese site. The opportunities for green travel maximising the use of walking, cycling, bus and rail travel to and from the site will be maximised. • Biodiversity – to improve the site’s contribution to biodiversity as a whole and to consider specific enhancements to the local nature reserve. • Energy efficiency – to set a high standard for energy efficiency and the green credentials of the SmartParc scheme by measures such as optimised design and operation, visualisation of data, recycling of energy streams and low carbon generation technologies such as PV to name but a few. • The economic benefits of the development (see next slide). • The benefits from the sustainable development of the site (see next slide).

As mentioned above, the site is allocated for redevelopment in Policy AC13 of the Derby Local Plan with employment redevelopment being the preferred future use of the site. The economic benefits of the SmartParc scheme

The higher level benefits of the proposed development include:

• Providing the largest manufacturing sector in the country the opportunity to invest in the future with a lower operational cost base in a dedicated facility in Derby. • Bringing inward investment into the UK and to Derby with a platform for exporting. • Creating a link between education, training and business to provide wide-ranging careers in securing the food supply chain.

At a local level, the economic benefits of the proposed development are significant. The large scale of the proposals is a statement of commitment and confidence in Derby. The proposed development will have economic impacts upon the City and the wider area. The most significant benefits of the scheme (presented as gross figures) are summarised below and in the adjacent infographics:

• The generation of circa 5,111 new jobs in the area that will generate Gross Value Added of circa £293.5m per annum. • A project with a construction value of £150m, itself generating approximately £86.7m of value added into the economy. • Benefits to the economy by expenditure of people working on the new employment park of circa £32.4m per annum. • A contribution of approximately £3.7m per annum in business rates. The benefits of sustainable development of the SmartParc scheme

• Uses cutting edge technology and engineering to create the most efficient production facilities in each food category and sector. • Benefits from central energy facilities. Optimising, balancing and reusing energy throughout the parc. • Energy to be derived from renewable sources where possible, exploring PV, wind and hydro to name a few. • Leveraging low carbon technologies both in construction and operation as the parc strives to ultimately deliver a carbon neutral environment, fit for the future of food manufacturing. • Reduces the environmental impact of waste from producing food through new SmartParc collaborative relationships – targeting a 5% food waste reduction and general waste reduction 10% year on year. • Embraces new production methods including vertical farming. • Reducing – through defining new routes to markets and direct consumer supply chains the amount of delivery miles for food products and converting to sustainable transport alternatives. • Reducing the environmental impact of packaging through the supply chain. • Ensuring people get to work efficiently by creating a sustainable, accessible travel plan to and from key urban areas. • Create a working environment that benefits the users physical and mental health. • Collaborating with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on the adjacent local nature reserve. Timetable

SmartParc’s intention is to (subject to the receipt of planning permission) immediately start to re-develop the Celanese site in Spring 2021. In order to do that it is intending to submit a planning application to Derby City Council in November 2020.

Discussions are currently ongoing with a number of the key organisations who have expressed a view on the application including the City Council; the County Council; the Environment Agency; Highways England; Derbyshire Wildlife Trust; the Local Enterprise Partnership and Network Rail.

As the proposals are being finalised it would be very helpful to receive any views from local residents identifying any issues that are considered to be relevant as part of the application process.

We are hoping Derby City Council will grant planning permission for the development early in 2021 and that the first buildings that will make up SmartParc will be completed later that year. Your views

SmartParc would be pleased to hear any views you have about the emerging proposals and any issues you would like considered as part of the application process.

Once the application is lodged with Derby City Council there will be the opportunity for anybody to comment direct to the City Council. SmartParc will be monitoring the responses received in relation to this consultation exercise and when the application is ultimately lodged.

In order to express your opinion or comment further please could you leave any comments on the form within this website.

The website consultation will remain live until the application is lodged. Every comment will be read and taken into account in the finalisation of the application.