Unlocking growth: the Cambridge Milton Keynes Oxford ARC Posted on: November 20th, 2018 The proposed new infrastructure links between Oxford and Cambridge is set to drive phenomenal growth in a once in a lifetime infrastructure scheme. We hear from one of our partners for the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Development Conference – WSP – on their future vision for the corridor. OUR VISION FOR THE ARC Re-imagining transport-led growth The Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc is in desperate need of new homes with some of the highest housing prices in the country and no slow down for demand on the horizon. We need more homes but it’s not enough to provide homes in isolation without supporting infrastructure to connect people to the jobs they want. We need to take a holistic view of the corridor and provide the right kind of homes, supported by the right kind of social and economic infrastructure. We can re-imagine how housing is delivered by leading with new innovate schemes and producing the delivery models necessary to meet the scale of projected needs for housing and economic growth. Key to this vision is a global brand for the Arc and increasing the pace of delivery for nationally significant infrastructure, such as East-West Rail and the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. Our vision of the Arc is one of thriving and sustainable communities supported by smarter infrastructure which can meet local and strategic needs. We can create new business connections, create vibrant communities, drive future mobility and pave the way for sustainability. The four cornerstones of our vision are: Integrating mobility and utility corridors. Provide interconnectivity with national infrastructure and enhance the national transport network. New technology. Lead in the development and integrated of next generation technologies and urban systems design that cater for future mobility and consider connected and autonomous vehicles. Future ready. Work with Local Authorities and developers to design and plan for current and future social and environmental trends. New city and urbanism models. Creating connected developments that promote economic growth with jobs and homes in the right place that deliver quality developments that address ageing population, integrating society and loneliness issues. WHY WSP? WSP has a proven delivery track record on a wide variety of projects, working as a trusted advisor spanning the entire delivery cycle. We have a risk reduction led approach which integrates key services (e.g. planning and engineering) to speed up the consent and delivery processes. Our key services include: Planning, Securing Funding and Consents Land Services Transport and Development Strategy Feasibility Studies Design from concept to construction Environmental Services Stakeholder Engagement Future Ready and Sustainability Natural capital and biodiversity net gain We have extensive experience working in the corridor with local representation throughout. We know the stakeholders and are familiar with the corridor’s infrastructure, environment and the specific challenges it faces to ensure continued economic growth. WSP is committed to ensuring all development is Future Ready. New development needs to be suitable for current generations but still embracing the needs of generations yet to come, all while improving efficiencies and sustainability in design. OUR EXPERIENCE Oxford to Cambridge Expressway. We prepared an ‘Oxford to Cambridge Expressway Strategic Study’ for Highways England on behalf of the DfT for the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS). We demonstrated the case for creating an Oxford to Cambridge Expressway, which would create a high-quality strategic east-west link between Oxford and Cambridge, via Bedford and Milton Keynes. We undertook innovative techniques to demonstrate wider economic benefits of different options. The assessment of the wider economic benefits provides an understanding of how an expressway can act as an enabler for the ambitious growth plans to 2050 and beyond. England’s Economic Heartland. We developed a common and robust evidence base across the entire geography to support the case for this emerging sub-national transport body. WSPs bespoke ProjectView tool provides a common web based platform for viewing current data and analyse future trends in growth, economy and transport. We have developed a strategic transport strategy that examines future trends for travel and considers different themes that could impact on mobility. We have joined up local authorities, analysed growth and been successful in securing buy-in from DfT. South West Milton Keynes. WSP is advising a Taylor Wimpey led consortium to provide full multidisciplinary services for planning South West Milton Keynes for circa 3,000 new homes and associated social infrastructure. Given the highway constraints along the A421 corridor we have taken an innovative approach to developing a comprehensive transport strategy to effect a high modal shift through the introduction of “fast track” public transport services to link the development area to Milton Keynes and the promotion for the introduction of a potential new halt on East West rail. Waterbeach New Town. We are working for RLW Estates on this comprehensive development proposal north of Cambridge where 4,500 dwellings and associated facilities are proposed together with a relocated Station. We are responsible for the transport and highways supporting an application for the entire development and a detailed application covering the relocated station proposal. At the core of all the work is the emphasis on sustainable transport as part of a Future Ready approach to this development. Northstowe. We have been involved on the Northstowe new town since the late 1990s as one of the first new settlements in the Arc for 10,000 homes. We were instrumental in securing planning approvals and tackling challenging flood risk, drainage, transport, utilities and ecology aspects for the site to come forward in advance of the A14 main works. Our team also developed early busway proposals to support the scale of growth and ensure sustainable connectivity between homes and jobs. RAF Cardington. WSP has advised on the regeneration of RAF Cardington at Shortstown since 2002 and are currently retained by Gallagher Developments. The proposals involve the creation of some 2,000 new homes associated with a new business community located within the two grade 2 listed airship sheds that were built in the early 1900s to house the R101 airship. WSP has provided full planning advisory and multidisciplinary services to secure outline planning permission to provide added value by negotiating extended development areas to maximise land receipts and their attractiveness to national and regional house builders taking account of local market conditions. Tempsford. We are promoting the site through the Central Bedfordshire Local Plan process and develop proposals for the site for around 10,000 homes and beyond, in line with the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) recommendations for strategic growth locations. We are undertaking multi-disciplinary work and key to this has been our collaborative approach coordinating proposals with East-West Rail and the Expressway. East Milton Keynes (east of M1). In partnership with Milton Keynes and Berkeley Strategic we produced a case for a Housing Infrastructure Funding bid (HIF) to the HCA / DCLG for strategic infrastructure needed to deliver 5,000 new homes. This has provided infrastructure funding to help them unlock this strategic site in partnership with the planning authority. WHAT WE BRING TO YOUR PROJECT At WSP we are committed to bringing our expertise and experience to all projects that we work on. We understand the challenges of delivering growth within the Arc and how best to overcome them. We have contributed to the Arc’s future infrastructure and will bring all the lessons learnt in these schemes as well as numerous development projects to everything that we work on. Our value: Major Infrastructure. Our Infrastructure Planning experience on the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway and A1 East of England RIS2 studies as well as East-West Rail Central Section TWAO means that we have well established key stakeholder contacts and relationships. We understand the nature of the need for infrastructure to assist in delivering homes and jobs to leave a lasting legacy. We can help provide clarity and certainty for your project. Delivery of detailed planning permission. Our integrated development planning and masterplanning approach will deliver an outline planning permission which can easily be taken forward to the next stage of the process. Our initial strategies and designs will take into account detailed design issues including environmental impacts and opportunities to ensure detailed planning permission and reserve matters can be easily delivered. Planning and policy certainty. Through our work for England’s Economic Heartland and the Arc’s various Local Authorities we have become fully familiar with the location and needs of planned growth. We can help developers speed up their decision making process and facilitate stakeholder discussions and agreements. Creating smart sustainable communities. New and improved major transport corridors (local and strategic) are needed to help deliver new sustainable communities or extend existing settlements but this can be burdensome on development. Application of our Future Ready approach will allow us to make better use of land and therefore increase development densities by paving the way in smart and efficient infrastructure design and delivery. By planning for future trends in technologies and societal needs from day one, we can reduce traditional infrastructure requirements and speed up the planning process to maximise benefits from the natural environment. Securing funding and reducing costs. Our Masterplanning capabilities linked to future ready strategies means we can identify gaps or shortfalls and use funding pots more effectively. Applying our knowledge of funding streams means that we can inform site selection and due diligence to reduce infrastructure costs and improve legacy benefits for local communities. We have a strong track record of securing funding within the region through a range of funding streams, such as DfT Majors, HIF, NPIF. Addressing environmental and economic risks. At WSP we integrate project risks, including market conditions, into all stages of our work but particularly in early development and transport strategies as well as advising on climate and ecological risks related to the key global mega-trends. By looking jointly at the big picture and local context we can help to ensure that homes and jobs are delivered in the right places and at the right times. Private and Public Sector interface. We apply collaborative behaviours with all parties to accelerate infrastructure delivery and planning permissions e.g. engaging with the housing infrastructure fund for new infrastructure to unlock housing where it is needed most. Constraints. Each site offers its own set of challenges and difficulties. Our integration of masterplaning, engineering, environmental services and land referencing allows us to deliver large scale infrastructure and housing projects and tackle these constraints head on. Our PinPoint land referencing, registry and stakeholder management tool allows us to address site specific constrains early in the project life cycle, develop a site strategy, offer due diligence advice and ultimately reduce development costs. Efficient land use. By integrating our multi-disciplinary offer (planning, environment, land referencing, engineering etc.) with early site selection, masterplanning and Future Ready approach, we can coordinate growth to deliver high quality development providing social and environmental benefits. LOCAL PRESENCE We have decades of local experience across multiple offices in the Arc with national support we can call upon. Our workforce is skilled and dedicated with intricate local knowledge of working and living in this exciting opportunity area. We are eager to meet the development challenges it presents and help shape the communities we sit within. For more information please contact: Nigel Downes, Director – Nigel.Downes@wsp.com Adrian Hames, Director – Adrian.Hames@wsp.com To register for the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Development Conference visit the website by clicking here.
