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Private sector invited to help create one of England’s largest Urban Extensions

 

29/09/04

English Partnerships is inviting private development partners to help realise the vision for an exemplary project at Lawley in Telford which will form one of the largest and most exciting development projects being planned in England today.

 

The urban extension at Lawley in Telford will be a national example of best practice in sustainable growth and a model for the design of other urban extensions across the country. It makes the best use of a brownfield site, 65% of which was formerly used for opencast and shaft coal mining and provides 20% of the town’s housing requirement over the next ten years to meet housing shortfalls in the West Midlands.

 

Peter Murray, Area Director for Homes and Communities Agency, commented "We are looking forward to bringing a private sector partner on board to accelerate the delivery of well-built, well-designed homes in which communities will be proud to live and work. Lawley is a landmark project that will be both attractive to the private sector and assist in achieving the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister shares our goal of making this a national exemplar for design coding."

 

English Partnerships is the landowner of the 70ha site and has appointed Jones Lang LaSalle to assist in the appointment of a private sector partner to build out this mixed-use scheme, which will be anchored by some 3,300 new homes. They will be seeking the highest quality of sustainable development from their partner organisation who will be taking the lead role in developing the project and the infrastructure required.

 

An outline planning application for Lawley is currently lodged with the Borough of Telford and Wrekin for consideration with a decision expected in early October 2004. If the Borough is minded to approve the application it will be passed on to the Government Office of the West Midlands prior to a final decision which is likely to be made in late November 2004.

English Partnerships intend to appoint a private sector partner in early Spring 2005 via a public procurement process in line with OJEU procedures. A development prospectus will be available from October 2004 at which point expressions of interest will be invited from prospective partners.

 

Simon Bedford, National Director for Mixed Use and Regeneration at Jones Lang LaSalle, said "We are very excited about the opportunity being put to the market in Lawley and look forward to working with Homes and Communities Agency on this key scheme."