2017. First Phase of £100m Regeneration of Wolverton Works Begins
St. Modwen to start construction on new Lidl store in Wolverton.
St. Modwen, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, will commence the first phase of its £100m regeneration of Wolverton Works in early July, with the construction of a new Lidl store on Stratford Road. The new store, to be built on vacant land to the east of the site, is due to open in Spring 2018 and will create up to 40 new jobs.
Gary Morris, Senior Development Manager for St. Modwen’s Northern Home Counties Regional Office comments: “Having received planning permission for the new Lidl store last year, we are pleased and excited to be entering the delivery stage for this first phase of our major regeneration proposals for Wolverton Works. We believe that Lidl’s strong brand offering quality and value will add to the choice of retailing available to the Wolverton community.”
Lidl UK’s Regional Head of Property, Jeremy Lee, commented: “There’s been much anticipation for this new Lidl store and it’s great that St. Modwen is now in a position to break the ground and start the build. We are extremely grateful for all the support that we have received so far, and look forward to offering our fresh, quality, great value products to Wolverton residents in the not too distant future.”
Planning
In respect of the regeneration of the whole of Wolverton Works, Milton Keynes Council’s planning committee voted to grant outline planning consent in November 2016, subject to completion of legal agreements. Once these agreements are completed and the consent issued, the next stage will be the preparation of further planning applications to determine the exact designs of the new buildings. No buildings can be demolished until plans for replacement buildings have been presented, consulted upon and approved.
The Lidl store is being delivered under a separate, detailed planning consent which was granted in September 2016.
Phasing
The development will be delivered in phases to allow Knorr-Bremse, the current operator of the Works site, to continue to operate seamlessly without any interruption to their business activities. In broad terms, following completion of the first phase (Lidl store), phase two will see the delivery of new premises for Knorr-Bremse with the third and final phase being the construction of new homes, the community/ heritage centre and public spaces.
Key features of the regeneration plans
· Jobs: Provision of new business space for Knorr-Bremse RailServices Ltd, protected for future rail-related employment use only
· Supporting small businesses: New business space providing premises for small/ medium size businesses and start-ups
· Homes for all: Up to 375 new homes - a mix for all ages, family sizes, needs and pockets
· Funding for social infrastructure: contribution of c.£4m towards vital services of which £3m is allocated to education
· Heritage value: Opening up what is currently a closed site, existing buildings’ facade retention and heritage features incorporated throughout public spaces
· New community space: The potential to create a railway heritage centre – St. Modwen is discussing opportunities with Milton Keynes Museum
· New open spaces: Provision of a new public square and multiple landscaped spaces equivalent, in total, to the size of two football pitches
· Architectural identity: Use of a ‘Design Guide’ to ensure new buildings reflect the Conservation Area with pitched roofs, use of brick, terraced housing and other key features
· Ecology: Enhanced nature conservation and biodiversity where there is currently concrete across the site
· War memorial: Publicly accessible space allocated for a memorial
· Grand Union Canal: New public footpath running parallel to the canal