The new owners of Alderley Park have revealed their plans for the 400 acres of parkland which was home to AstraZeneca's research and development facility, employing up to 10,000 people at its peak.
Bruntwood and Manchester Science Partnerships held a public exhibition on Wednesday, 21st October, as part of a community consultation on plans for the future development of Alderley Park.
The masterplan explained how they intend to develop Alderley Park into a world-class, centre of excellence for life sciences, as well as providing enhanced recreational, sports and leisure facilities and new homes for the area.
The vision for Alderley Park is described as 'Total Place' which combines employment opportunities with new housing as well as publicly accessible facilities, new sports and leisure opportunities and community access to over 170 acres of previously private parkland.
Most of Alderley Parks R&D assets are based around Mereside, therefore the owners are proposing to rationalise the existing complex for use by multiple businesses, create opportunities for the redevelopment of older buildings and the provision of up to 7000 highly skilled jobs.
Proposals for Mereside include around 45,000 sq m of new employment space, a new main street and event space, new and enhanced main entrance, a refurbished CBL building, new green spaces and the potential for future development which could include a multi-storey car park.
South Campus has been identified as an area for mixed use to help support the development of the Life Science Park. To cover the costs of dividing up and re-purposing buildings, replacing building stock, refurbishment and ongoing overheads they are proposing to build 275 homes on this part of the site. The level of affordable housing to be provided is still being considered, there may be options for on and off-site provision, including potential key worker housing.
The new residential development would include a mixture of house types with homes clustered around courtyards, within the existing walled gardens.
Other proposals for the South Campus include complimentary amenities such as a farm shop, restaurant, hotel and sports facilities and community facilities such as a creche, nursery and a pub.
Recreational uses for the site could include new walking, running and cycle routes and informal outdoor spaces such as outdoor gyms, trim trails and fitness stations.
Some of the existing sports facilities will need to relocated so new facilities will be provided which will be publicly accessible to the wider community. These include a full sized football pitch and three tennis courts as well as a replacement indoor sports hall, dance studios, courts, changing facilities, a fitness studio, spin studio, cafe and 2000 m2 spa. Along with a new parking area.
The full sized cricket pitch will be retained with a new artificial wicket square, new cricket cages and general training spaces. A junior pitch will also be provided and the existing clubhouse and pavilion with be retained with a new parking area and a large grassed recreational area.
A spokesperson fro Bruntwood/MSP said "We believe our proposals will help secure the future of Alderley Park as a world-class Life Science facility. In doing so, we believe that this can provide a number of significant benefits for local residents and the area."
Access to Alderley Park would remain from Congleton Road.
You can view the proposals and comment online at www.alderleyparkconsultation.co.uk.
Bruntwood and Manchester Science Partnerships will then consider all the feedback and incorporate it into their proposals where possible.
An outline planning application will be prepared for Alderley Park and submitted to Cheshire East Council in the coming weeks.
Comments
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Alderley Park is a beautiful and prime site for encouraging a regeneration of this site for more inward employment usage.
Your problem is partly solved here CEC. What is your problem? Why do you wish to destroy ever more Green Belt? Is it to satisfy your developer friends greed for green belt development?
When AZ announced it was leaving Alderley Park, Residents of Wilmslow immediately suggested to the CEC leadership that homes could be built on part of the park. No way, that is for employment use only we were informed. So CEC, just do what you said it was for, or, as it so often happens with this council, one must never take any of them at face & word value.
If I was a cynic, I would say there is always a hidden agenda with this council.
Perhaps he could explain why his original stance was "no housing" (despite housing being in the Business Plan) and now it is 275 houses (in what is surely Phase 1?).
Perhaps he could also let us know why CEC bought that other piece of land across the A34, which was for the filed Dobbie's evnture- what plans does our Council have for that Green Belt prime agricultural land? Perhaps, after his recent visit to Communist China, a mini Nuclear Power Station?
Hidden agendas indeed.
It just doesn't make any sense in destroying Green Belt with other employment sites when you have the benefit of Alderley Park.
CEC is always telling how the borough is such a wonderful place to work, as Cllr Jones would say "Cheshire East is open for business".
You'v sold the dream to yourselves; show how good you really are - now go out and get the business.
Also, as CE owns shares in the above mentioned company, It has a vested interest, if there is a planning application is submitted