Heyford Park.

Client

Dorchester
Living

Size

500 Hectares

Local Authority

Various

Sectors

Residential

Key Project Information

Complex redevelopment of a 500-hectare former Cold War military airbase
Mixed-use development consisting of housing, employment and community facilities, education, and creative industries uses
Designated Conservation Area with a number of Scheduled Monuments & Listed Buildings
Site used for filming including Annihilation, Muppets Most Wanted, Angel Has Fallen and other TV series
Scheme was an RTPI Finalist in Excellence in Planning For Homes (large schemes)
Our expert teams have been involved in the site for over 15 years providing a multidisciplinary service at all stages of the planning process

I recently visited Heyford Park – it’s a good illustration of the strides we are making. It really feels like a community. From the moment you stroll past the new local school, Around the well-designed streets … in a beautiful setting, Underpinned by well-planned transport links, so it really feels like it is set-up to thrive for the future. We should take great pride in our design heritage and feel inspired by it

Dominic Raab – Design Quality Conference

We have provided the full spectrum of planning advice, ranging from strategic option appraisal and promotion through the Development Plan of both brownfield and greenfield settlement extensions, through to the submission and negotiation of complex outline and hybrid planning applications.

This includes leading a major public inquiry at the outset of the project, through to more detailed advice and applications during the implementation phases of the development, including specific bespoke planning applications, change of uses for commercial tenants, reserved matter applications and submission and negotiation of a variety of planning conditions and obligation discharges and S106 Deeds of Variation.

Our environmental team provided ongoing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) advice and project management relating to multiple planning applications within Heyford Park, culminating in Environmental Statement preparation for the Comprehensive Masterplan. This has included Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and photomontage preparation by our in-house landscape planning and 3D Visualisation teams. We developed a Green Infrastructure Strategy (GIS) to deliver attractive, accessible and connected places that promotes sustainable travel movements and healthy active lifestyles where biodiversity also thrives.

Our heritage experts provided both strategic and detailed advice in relation to the historic environment at Heyford Park. This has included securing detailed Scheduled Monument Consent for repairs to the various Scheduled Monuments across the site, consent to use the Scheduled Monuments as sets for tv and film productions, including Muppets Most Wanted, Annihilation and Angel has Fallen, and also to provide a long-term future and use for the Listed Buildings across the Flying Field. They have negotiated with both Historic England, the Local Authority and other key stakeholders and prepared detailed assessments to support and secure consent for complex outline and hybrid planning applications for the redevelopment of the site, and the creation of a new community within the site. The team has also prepared detailed strategies to guide development across the Conservation Area including detailed design advice.

The project is currently at Phase 2 where we have been retained as the lead consultant successfully securing planning permission for the conversion of existing military structures as well as a comprehensive masterplan, which was recommended for approval by council officers and included planning permission for up to:

823 new market homed in a range of styles and sizes
352 affordable homes
60 close-care homes
New shops and retail floor space
New medical centre
Primary school and nursery provision
New community use building

The plans also include a new commercial park and employment buildings focussed on encouraging the creative industries, with new buildings and change of use of existing buildings and for filming on areas of the former Flying Field.

In addition, there are proposals for new sports facilities, new heritage visitor facilities including a 30m observation tower and zip wire, and the creation of a public park, with a site-wide landscaped network of cycle routes and footpaths that delivers new tree planting and biodiversity areas.

Phase 2 Economic Benefits

518 direct construction roles supported each year during the build phase
Provision of homes will increase annual household expenditure by £38.6m pa-
Designated Conservation Area with a number of Scheduled Monuments & Listed Buildings
Supporting delivery of new employment comprising 1,450 FTE jobs directly supported on site, worth £800m to the economic output contribution over a 10-year period
Provision of 60 close care units, resulting in £12.7m worth of health savings over a 10 year period from reduced GP visits, hospital admissions and care home costs
An estimated £245m construction investment over the 9-year build programme
1,619 economically active and employed residents living in the new homes