Devon County Council's Executive has approved the concept of a corporate joint venture for the development of Skypark.
The 37.72 hectare site near Exeter Airport, which is owned by the County Council, is seen as a key employment site within the Exeter and East Devon new growth point.
The scheme on the brownfield site will potentially be a major contributor to the growth of the local economy, which could create up to 7,000 jobs in environmental technologies, ICT, food and drink, marine and manufacturing industries.
The Executive has already rejected a straight sale of the land. A corporate joint venture is seen as the best way to maximise the economic potential of Skypark, and would allow the County Council to have continued influence and involvement in its development.
Councillor Humphrey Temperley, Executive Member for Strategic Planning and Regional Affairs, said: "It's worth noting how important this is to the Exeter economy. We're making a great deal of progress working with Exeter City Council and East Devon District Council to gradually put the pieces together to make the growth point work, and Junction 29 is close to resolution so that we will own the land to provide highway access.
"It needs to be the highest quality business park in the area to reflect our aspirations at the leading edge of sustainability and not following the pack. We're not only trying to achieve good environmental standards of today but also very good environmental standards of tomorrow."
The County Council's objectives for the site are to provide a vibrant business community that has a distinct identity but is sensitive to its surroundings and conserves and enhances the natural landscape.
The scheme will also aim to be innovative in terms of sustainability, while balancing social, economic and environmental aims, generating 20% of energy on site and achieving 25% lower CO2 emissions than required by current building regulations.
(CD)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
29/11/2024
Helmsley Group secured planning permission for the final part of its Coney Street Riverside masterplan which will bring much needed residential space to the city and realise a 50-year ambition to reconnect York to its riverfront. With work expected to start in the summer of 2025, this approval ...
29/11/2024
Network Space Developments (NSD) has received planning approval from Manchester City Council for a major redevelopment project at its Welcomb Street site in Openshaw, Manchester. The four-acre site, acquired by NSD in 2022, will be transformed into an extension of the adjacent City Works Business ...
29/11/2024
Work has commenced on a new lighting scheme designed to create brighter streets in Digbeth, close to HS2's Birmingham Curzon Street station. The Birmingham City Council project – funded in part through a £210,140 investment from HS2's Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) – will see the ...
29/11/2024
Building work has commenced on 14 new modern one-bedroom apartments at Ludwick Green in Welwyn Garden City. The apartments are being developed as part of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's (WHBC) Affordable Housing Programme, and its commitment to building new social and affordable homes. Ludwick ...
29/11/2024
River Capital has invested £500,000 in Liverpool-based M&E engineering consultancy, Steven A Hunt & Associates Ltd. The funding was structured to facilitate a management buyout (MBO) by the senior management team of Neil Baines, Anne King, Dave Kelly and Dominic Sibbring from founder Steven Hunt, ...
29/11/2024
Henley Restoration and Remedials has been chosen to carry out extensive external and structural repairs on the Grade II-listed Phoenix Mill, the oldest building in the Rutland Mills complex. Originally a grain store, Phoenix Mill later became a corn mill in the 19th century before transitioning ...
29/11/2024
Dorset County Council's North East Technology Park (NETPark) has been allocated over £11 million towards its expansion. The North East Combined Authority's Cabinet has approved £11.3m of funding for the Sedgefield site from its £160m flagship North East Investment Zone (NEIZ), which aims to drive ...
29/11/2024
Laing O'Rourke, in collaboration with Barnsley College and T3 Training & Development, have opened the UK's first dedicated modern methods of construction (MMC) training facility. The first of its kind training centre represents a groundbreaking step in addressing the UK's construction skills ...
29/11/2024
Aqua Direct are keen to share their support for the Urgent Funding campaign from St Giles Hospice. With a national hospice funding crisis, they need your support more than ever ...
29/11/2024
As we approach the end of 2024, we have been reflecting on what an action-packed year it has been. We have worked with some fantastic clients and sites across the country. We started from our base in Essex over ten years ago, and the demand for trackway has certainly been at its highest ...