A state of the art leisure complex at the heart of a David Lock Associates’ master plan has been recognised at this year’s BREEAM Awards.

DLA were commissioned by Milton Keynes Council, the Homes & Communities Agency and DCLG to deliver (from outline planning permission, reserved matters, through to snagging the final building) a new improved leisure facility which opened at the beginning of the year. As well as the new centre, which incorporates a 25m competition swimming pool, plus numerous other sporting facilities, 300 new homes and a multi-storey car park are to be built on the site in Bletchley as part of the ‘Building a Better Bletchley’ project.

BREEAM is the environmental assessment method used for buildings and the awards recognise the top rated buildings in the UK.  In order to win an award, BREEAM state that “each building must have excelled in every environmental category… (e.g. from energy to ecology) - and therefore winners represent a holistic approach to delivering environmental sustainability.”

Associate Director at David Lock Associates Robert Purton, who attended the award ceremony at Earls Court, said: “This was a challenging project in a number of different ways and it is great to be part of a team that has secured such a positive catalyst for the regeneration of an area that has been over looked as an investment opportunity for high quality contemporary solutions for 40 years.”

Paul Sanders from Milton Keynes Council added: “This has been a very fruitful project, many years in the planning, and we were pleased to be able to open the doors of the new look leisure centre at the start of the year with a facility that clearly has its eyes on limiting its environmental footprint. The support and advice that DLA have provided has been both invaluable and essential.”

Full planning permission has been granted for the re-use of the historic Temple Works in Leeds. David Lock Associates submitted an application on behalf of the owner’s agent SJS Property Management to change the use of the building into a multi-purpose performance, exhibition and events venue – and has now been given the go-ahead. Leeds City Council has also granted permission for the adjoining 1953 warehouse to be demolished once structural strengthening has been carried out.

Built circa 1840, Temple Works is a Grade 1 listed former flax mill that resembles the Temple of Horus at Edfu in Egypt and is infamous for having a flat roof where sheep reputedly grazed. The planning permission means the public will be able to enter and appreciate this magnificent building for the first time in its long history.

David Lock Associates proposals for the comprehensive redevelopment of Lafarge Cement's Northfleet Works site in north Kent moved a step closer following the demolition of Bevans Chimney.  The chimney dating from the 1950s and weighing around 1400 tonnes was taken down using explosive charges in a text book operation that created a dramatic spectacle. Two further chimney stacks remain and are to be demolished later this spring.

The Lordshill estate in Southampton was constructed in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s following the principles of the Radburn layout with courtyard parking and housing fronting parks and shared open spaces. At its centre is a district shopping centre and community facilities. But, whilst the local community is strong, the estate has declined. The community facilities are poor and dated and the closure of several local schools has created uncertainty, and new investment and renewal is frustrated by an outdated road system and unpleasant grade separated underpasses.  To tackle these issues Southampton City Council has appointed David Lock Associates to produce a master plan.  The 6-month commission will include a community engagement and explore a variety of alternatives. 

David Lock Associates has been appointed by the HCA to prepare a Master Plan for North Morpeth.

The land at St George’s Hospital has been identified as one of six growth points within the South East Northumberland Growth Area; which aims to increase and accelerate housing delivery, improve quality and design of developments, widen housing choice and provide greener housing.

Work on the project has just begun, the first stage being a stakeholder workshop to explore constraints and opportunities in the area; for example, the proposed Northern By-pass, the greenbelt, and existing settlements.

The results of the workshop will help inform three development options – which will be presented by DLA to the wider public in spring. The preferred option will then be identified and offered to the Council and the community by the HCA.

With a budget of £21 million (including S106 contributions, MK Tariff funding and CDLG funding, plus match funding from various sporting bodies), the redevelopment of Bletchley Leisure Centre has come to fruition with its official opening scheduled for 9 January. The new building is part of a Master Plan by local firm David Lock Associates who were appointed by Milton Keynes Council, the Homes & Communities Agency and DCLG to deliver a new improved leisure facility. The plan will also see 300 new homes and a multi-storey car park built on the site in South Milton Keynes, work on which will begin after the demolition of the old Leisure Centre.

The new Leisure Centre itself has a 25m pool, thermal suite, sauna, steam room, spectator viewing area, sports hall, multi-use hall, gym, aerobic room, spinning studio, 4 squash courts with viewing facilities, indoor bowls, function suite and a café.  In order to effectively integrate the new development into the town, the main road serving the site has been completely remodelled to create a more pleasant environment and improve pedestrian links.

David Lock Associates has been appointed by Bedford Borough Council to produce a master plan and detailed landscape infrastructure plan for the Marston Vale Innovation Park near Bedford.

Covering 8.5 ha, the employment site adjoins the upgraded A421 to the south west of the town and is situated to the east of Wootton village.

The master plan and landscape details will be submitted as reserved matters applications pursuant to an emerging planning permission.

Landscape details are being executed by The Landscape Partnership, Lambert Smith Hampton is advising on property matters and Peter Brett Associates are advising on the integration of energy generation into the master planning process.

Milton Keynes has been named as one of 12 cities to host the 2018 World cup – if England win their bid.

The Football Association has listed the MK Dons Stadium alongside the likes of Old Trafford and Wembley.

David Lock Associates were delighted to be invited by the MK 2018 Bid Team to assist them in their campaign, coming up with the concept and Master Plan for the FanFest sites at Campbell Park and the MK Bowl. FanFest sites are now an important part of the World Cup experience as it enables people, who don’t have a ticket for the football matches, to enjoy the World Cup on large screens, and to be able to enjoy a range of activities in a festival-type atmosphere outside of the stadium.

Outline planning applications have been submitted to Peterborough City Council for Great Haddon, the planned urban extension for south Peterborough.  The applications, submitted by David Lock Associates on behalf of the Great Haddon Consortium (O&H Properties, Marlborough Oasis Ltd and David Wilson Homes), are for 5,350 new homes and 65 ha of employment land on the south-western edge of the city.

Great Haddon is designed to help meet the housing and employment land needs of the city to 2021 and beyond, providing new homes for around 12,000 people and the potential to generate over 10,000 new jobs. 

The development potential of the site, between Hampton and the A1 (M), has been recognised in a number of strategic studies for the city as an appropriate location for growth, and this is reflected in its allocation in the emerging Core Strategy as one of two urban extensions for the city. 

In addition to new homes and employment land, the new community will include schools, shops, workplaces, open space, community facilities and local services all set within an extensive landscape framework which reflects the character and setting of the surrounding area. 

The desire for sustainable living has underpinned the concept and design of Great Haddon, with a Sustainability Statement setting out practical ways in which this can be achieved in new development.

David Lock Associates (DLA) has been appointed by LSP Worcester Alliance to prepare a Master Plan Vision for Worcester City Centre. The project will consider how the City Centre can fulfil its potential to support the expansion of Worcester, whilst helping to realise the City’s ambition of becoming a “first rank university and cathedral city”. The project will commence with a benchmarking exercise examining the achievements of comparable cities, before progressing to a broad consultation and master planning exercise. DLA’s team includes Shared Intelligence and Integrated Transport Planning.

David Lock Associates (DLA) has secured outline planning permission on behalf of O&H Properties (O&H) for the residential development of 2.2 hectares of land at Elstow, near Bedford after almost 9 years of negotiations with Bedford Borough Council.

The site, known as West Wixams, is over 4 hectares in size and is partly within Central Bedfordshire and partly within Bedford Borough.  O&H Properties secured planning permission on the Central Bedfordshire part of the site in February 2008 following an appeal. The proposal adjoins Village 4 of The Wixams, a new community of 4,500 homes to the south of Bedford.

Outline consent was granted after completion of an s106 agreement which secures contributions to community infrastructure and a co-ordinated approach to the provision of affordable housing across the administratively split site so as to ease delivery.

The consent has triggered work by DLA and O&H on the discharge of conditions to raise the site out of the 1:200 year flood plain and prepare the site for development in 2010, as O&H report significant developer interest in the site.

Ms Pippa Cheetham, Planning Manager of O&H Properties, said:

"This is great news - at last - as we have worked extremely hard to secure these two consents over many years. We can now put our efforts into preparing the site with the aim of bringing it to the market in the New Year. This underlines our long-term commitment to development of the Marston Vale and the West Wixams scheme and will compliment our other development sites at Stewartby, Marston Moretaine and The Wixams Expansion Areas."

“The Two Towns Trail” also won an award for which DLA prepared the Master Plan. Linking towns Warragul and Drouin by a fully sealed 7.5 kilometre, three metre wide concrete path, each end of the trail leads into a community park and the central business districts. The trail facilitates healthy places for people to live, work and visit and encourages walking and cycling as an activity and active form of transport.

The panel will provide the Council with design and consultancy services over the next 2 years, working alongside existing council teams in the Neighbourhoods and Development, Environment and Leisure Directorates. DLA will be specifically looking to assist Sheffield City Council in developing and reviewing existing Urban Design Frameworks at a more local, neighbourhood level.

As one of England’s largest cities with a population of over 525,000, the City Council’s programme for urban renewal is extensive; over £75m has already been committed from the Housing Market Renewal Programme with another £47m earmarked for the period 2008/11. Part of the “Transform South Yorkshire” project, its aim is to tackle the problem of failing housing markets by creating new, vibrant sustainable places to live.

Reading Borough Council has resolved to grant outline planning permission for the redevelopment of Station Hill, Reading. The proposals will transform the site into a vibrant new quarter made up of offices, apartments and ground floor retail, interspersed with bars, restaurants and food outlets, a cultural / leisure facility, 10 pin bowling alley and major new public spaces. The development features a cluster of tall buildings around a Central Piazza and multi-level connections to adjacent proposals for a new station entrance and public transport interchange. David Lock Associates as part of a large professional team including architects Scott Brownrigg, prepared, submitted and negotiated the planning application on behalf of Sackville Developments (Reading) Ltd.

Please click here to see the full press release.

On Friday the 16th of October DLA in association with Banyule City Council and others received an award and a commendation at the Planning Institute of Australia (Victorian Division) Planning Excellence Awards. The Heidelberg Structure Plan received the Urban Design Award and the Urban Planning Achievement Commendation as part of the Heidelberg Project completed for the City of Banyule.

Award for Urban Design for the Heidelberg Structure Plan as part of the Heidelberg Project

The Heidelberg Project is ambitious in its scale and complexity, encompassing a comprehensive suite of initiatives to strengthen, intensify and integrate a major activity centre and the adjoining biomedical specialised activity centre, which together encompass 215 hectares.

The centrepiece Heidelberg Structure Plan informs about 20 subsidiary outputs, ranging from three-dimensional modelling, built form guidance and strategies for releasing the potential of opportunity sites, to implementation actions including public realm initiatives and statutory planning mechanisms.

The judges noted that as an entry in the Urban Design category the project has integrated and sustained an urban design perspective through its many component outputs, responding to local conditions (such as utilising its distinctive topography to absorb intensified development forms) and providing a framework for reconciling and unifying the sometimes disparate elements of this activity centre.

The judges were particularly impressed with Council’s recognition of the scale and importance of this project through commitment of resources and time proportionate to the scale of the task. This is complemented by a robust engagement process, strong internal leadership and recognition that design quality is an essential prerequisite for acceptance and success.

This has resulted in an exemplary approach to enhancing Heidelberg’s sustainability through intensified development form, enhanced employment opportunities and improved amenity and connectivity.

Commendation for Urban Planning Achievement for the Heidelberg Structure Plan as part of the Heidelberg Project

An interconnected series of projects, undertaken over five years, the Heidelberg Project, is a sound strategic planning framework for planning, governing and managing Heidelberg. The project not only includes the Heidelberg Structure Plan but detailed and specialised planning studies and other well thought out community implementation programs.

The project demonstrates a high level of integrated strategic planning combined with a strong focus on innovation, policy creation, planning scheme and on the ground implementation, place making and ensuring ongoing attraction of investment.

David Lock Associates proposals for 5,500 new homes on the eastern side of Kettering have been given the Green light by Kettering Borough Council planning committee. The Council has decided it is minded to approve the proposals for the East Kettering Sustainable Urban Extension which is a major plank in meeting the Borough’s requirements for 13,100 new homes by 2021, and the largest single housing development in the North Northamptonshire Growth Area.

The proposals for Alledge Brook Limited, a joint venture of Bee Bee Developments and Buccleuch Property, will see new homes, business space, district centre, 4 primary schools and a secondary school developed on land between the A14 and the historic Boughton Estate, home of the Duke of Buccleuch. The proposals are served by a new Junction 10a on the A14, and a new link road - the Weekley Warkton Avenue, connecting to the A43 in the north. The plans will be built out over 15 years and planning permission is expected before Christmas.

As part of a commitment to working and living sustainably we held a Farmer’s Market Day where fresh Veggies, Fruit, home-made Jams and Cakes all grown and made by employees were available to purchase.

A wine tasting event was also held in the evening; proceeds from both events going to local charity Food Bank, who DLA were introduced to through their work with the Milton Keynes Community Foundation. DLA are also collecting supplies throughout the year to go to Food Bank. Based in Oldbrook, Milton Keynes, they distribute parcels of food to those in need; national statistics highlighted on their website show that some wards of Milton Keynes are within 10% of the most deprived areas in England.

http://www.mkfoodbank.org.uk

A planning application for the first stage of development has been given the go ahead.

David Lock Associates are working with developer Places for People to create a new community of over 2,500 homes, with shops, offices and parks at Brooklands in the Eastern Expansion Area.

Following successful negotiations of infrastructure permissions a resolution has been passed by Milton Keynes Partnership, who is responsible for growth, development and investment in the city, to approve the first application for 214 homes at the northern end of the site – between the A5130 Newport Road and Brooklands Meadows.

Construction has already started on the creation of the project's green spaces and infrastructure with housing construction anticipated to commence early next year.

David Lock Associates has secured outline planning permission for 730 new homes and supporting shops and employment on land north of Stewartby in the Marston Vale, Bedfordshire. Working on behalf of O&H Properties, David Lock Associates has successfully negotiated jointly with Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire to secure outline planning permissions accompanied by a s106 agreement. Work will now begin on technical studies required to discharge conditions, and construction will start following the planned completion of the A421 improvements.

The site, next to the approved Berryfields Major Development Area, and close to the recently opened Aylesbury Vale Parkway Station, is on the A41 Primary Public Transport Corridor (PPTC) into the town centre. It already has a long history of settlement, having witnessed a small Roman town and a medieval village, the church of which still stands and which it’s proposed will become the heart of the community once again.

The considerable expansion of the town also proposes 30,000 sqm of employment floorspace, a primary school, retail floorspace, a care home, a community recycling facility, a doctor’s surgery, a gym, and 1300 sqm of multi-functional community space, as well as a railway station for use by planned East-West Rail services.

Also, significantly, more than 90 hectares of the 176 hectare site would be multi-functional, publicly accessible Green Infrastructure, accommodating allotments, community orchards and interpretation facilities, as well as extensive meadowland; and meeting Aylesbury Vale District Council’s highly challenging requirement for at least 50% of land in the strategic development areas around Aylesbury to be Green Infrastructure.

CABE’s Design Review Panel has considered the proposals, which have been master planned by Robert Adam Architects in association with Turley Associates and involving the landscape architect Duncan Thomas; and said “we applaud the client’s passion and commitment to create a sustainable and vibrant community. The depth of the analysis and the clarity of thought apparent in the comprehensive presentation to the panel are impressive and the resulting scheme has many merits. We welcome the contextual approach, the rich offer of public spaces and the successful integration of existing natural features”.

Milton Keynes’ annual Dragon Boat Race has taken place with a fine display from David Lock Associates.  60 Companies took part in the event at Willen Lake, which was watched by thousands of spectators. The races, based on an ancient Chinese tradition, took place along a 250 metre course.

A team of 15 employees from DLA and DLA Architects donned suitable attire before taking their place in the water. And despite the blistering heat, DLA put up a sterling performance to come third in the mixed-crew category after three races, including coming only half a boat’s length down against this years overall winner.

Planning permission was granted in Northern Ireland today for Lafarge Cement UK's redevelopment of the company’s redundant Works and Quarry at Magheramorne on the shore of Larne Lough, 22 miles north of Belfast.
Northern Ireland Environment Minister Sammy Wilson approved plans submitted by Lafarge in May 2006 which will see the bulk of the 153 hectare site transformed into a major recreational and leisure attraction with a World Cycling Centre as the central feature. The Centre aims to be one of the best venues in Europe for downhill mountain biking and is expected to play host to televised World Cup events.

An All-Ireland Scuba Diving Centre, taking advantage of a large lake in the quarry, also features amongst the recreational and leisure elements, as does a short heritage railway line and historic railway visitor centre for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. The plans also include many opportunities for bird watching and enjoying the outlook over the lough.

On 15 hectares of the site, on land where the cement works buildings once operated, a new 450-dwelling harbour village is to be created. Buildings here will be at the forefront of eco-friendly design. Lafarge is to forego all profit it would ordinarily receive from obtaining residential land values on this part of the site in order to help subsidise additional costs associated with the ultra-green development as well as to help with the establishment of the recreational and leisure uses which would not otherwise be viable operations.

Lafarge Cement UK land and planning director, David Simms explains: “For the best part of a hundred years, the cement works at Magheramorne was a major employer in the area and a fundamental part of the day-to-day life of the local community. This project is a big ‘thank you’ to the local community. It is not about making money, it is about leaving a legacy from which the next generation can benefit, at the same time as creating an exemplar of how we can all live our lives in a more environmentally-conscious way.

“In 2000, Lafarge was the first industrial company to become a WWF Conservation Partner. Now we are working with WWF to establish the harbour village at Magheramorne as one of the very first One Planet Initiative Communities in which residents aim to use only their fair share of the earth’s resources.”

Also included in the future plans for the site is land for the establishment of international film and television studios. Over the past five years, both the old works area and the quarry have been used for a variety of productions including the BBC’s thriller Messiah.

Lafarge Cement UK’s rating and regeneration manager, Lloyd McInally, who has project managed the plans for Magheramorne, is very positive about the significant benefits that will result from proposals: “The site – equivalent in size to 220 football pitches – is the largest ‘previously-used’ or ‘brownfield’ site awaiting redevelopment in Northern Ireland and represents a unique opportunity to transform the fortunes of the local and regional economy. It is expected that 400 jobs will be created once the development is complete and many millions of pounds spent on the site and locally by visitors to the various attractions.

“The local Belfast-Larne railway line will also receive a boost with many more people using Magheramorne Station which is to be integrated within the new development.

“The potential of the Magheramorne site will come as a real surprise to many people in Northern Ireland. Maybe some people will remember the Works from back in the 1980s when cement production and quarrying was in full swing, but the fact is that for a site of its size it is visibly well hidden. But I now expect awareness of Magheramorne to increase enormously and for it to become a ‘must visit’ location on the Antrim Coast.”

Town Planning and Urban Design consultancy, David Lock Associates, have acted as lead consultants and master planners on the project since work began in 2002 on formulating a new future for the site. Jim Urwin, director of the company, says: “There are many aspects of the Magheramorne site which have made it a very special project. There is the sheer size of it and the drama of the quarry faces. There is the challenge of working next to Larne Lough (which is a Special Protection Area because of its birdlife), and of finding uses for the site that will bring real benefits to the area and which can be made to work alongside one another.

“Then there is the amazing support we have had from the people in the local community who have worked with us on our plans almost since the outset. Never before have I known members of the public to come forward and ask to man our exhibitions when we first told them of our intention to hold a series of public consultation events.”

Also special is the planning case put forward in support of the proposal. The Belfast office of Turley Associates has provided local town planning services and managed the planning application and environmental assessment processes. Turley Director, Dr. Michael Gordon, says: “There is no statutory plan which foresaw the closure of the cement works and what might be put in its place. Given that the site is not defined as being within an urban area, the onus has been on the applicant to illustrate exceptional circumstances ‘in the public interest’ to justify the residential element within the overall proposal. It is these special circumstances which the Minister has acknowledged today in giving the go-ahead for the project.”

On the future timetable for the project, Lloyd McInally says: “Now that we have the confidence of having obtained an outline planning permission, we will be continuing our discussions more intensely with the many organisations we have established contact with during the last few years. Then we will move towards the submission of detailed plans for approval by the authorities. I would like to think that some development work could start on the site as early as next year.”

--------- ENDS --------

Notes to Editors
1. A Notice of Approval has today been issued by the Minister for the Environment. It is now for his officers in the Northern Ireland Planning Service to finalise the conditions to be attached to the planning permission prior to formal issue of the approval. This should take place shortly.
2. Cement production ceased at Magheramorne in 1990. Silos continued to be used for the storage of imported cement until 2001 when the Works officially closed, although for a further year some of the buildings were let to the third parties for non-cement purposes. There is no planning requirement for the site to be restored in any way.
3. Larne Lough is a Special Protection Area (SPA), designated under European Directive EEC-79-409, commonly known as the Birds Directive. It is internationally important for breeding terns and wintering light-bellied brent geese. Larne Lough is also an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), a national site designation, for saltmarsh habitats and other wintering waterbirds. The proposals for the Magheramorne site include mitigation measures to ensure that the wildlife features are protected and enhanced, including buffer zones around the lough shore and areas set aside as nature reserves.
4. Images of the site and plans of the proposals are contained in a separate media pack (with own index of contents) available at the site announcement Friday 26 June 2009 10.15am. Also included in the pack is a computer-generated fly-through film of the proposed development.
5. More details on the site and the proposal can be found at www.magworks.info. For further information on WWF’s One Planet Initiative please go to www.wwf.org.uk and enter ‘One Planet Initiative’ into the search box.

For further information, please contact:
Lafarge Cement UK - Michele Wheatley – 07881 731658
David Lock Associates - Jim Urwin, director - 01908 666276
Turley Associates (Belfast) - Thomas Bell / Dr Michael Gordon – 028 90897400

Click here to view enlarged version of the image on the right

Plans are underway to transform one of the Midland’s largest Brownfield sites in South Derbyshire into a residential area with over 2,200 new homes.

David Lock Associates has submitted a planning application, on behalf of Roger Bullivant Ltd and E.ON UK plc, for a sustainable mixed-use scheme at Drakelow Park to meet local housing, employment and recreational needs. As well as the new homes, the proposals include plans for new employment uses, local centres, new infrastructure and the re-use of listed buildings. David Lock Associates also prepared the master plan for the site and has been advising on its development since 2004.

Drakelow Park sits on land that was once part of the former coal-fired power station which lies within South Derbyshire and the East Midlands, but immediately adjoins Burton upon Trent in the West Midlands.

Milton Keynes has played host to the opening of the British Cycling Tour Series for 2009. As part of the series, the country’s top cycling teams raced along a 1.33km circuit of beautiful tree-lined boulevards in the city centre.

To coincide with the event, David Lock Associates held their first DLA Bike to work Day of the year. 18 eager employees donned suitable attire to cycle into the office, where a hearty breakfast awaited them!

Numerous cycling events for the Series took place throughout the day, centering around Midsummer Boulevard; DLA employees were invited to participate further in the activities, by cycling down to ‘The Hub’ at lunchtime to view some of the proceedings.

The cycle to work day forms part of DLA’s Travel Plan which aims to encourage employees to cycle into the office on a more regular basis, adopting more environmentally friendly ways to get into work and helped by a discounted cycle purchase scheme.

David Lock Associates became a corporate member of the society following a presentation at our offices in 2007 and have supported them ever since.

This year’s event “Mapping at Work” takes place at Harben House in Newport Pagnell, from the 17th – 20th June. Representatives from various fields at DLA will attend the 3 day Symposium which will include presentations and workshops, and, for the first time, an afternoon of expert tuition delivered by two of the Society’s Special Interest Groups; the Design Group and the GIS Group.  Please click here for more information.

Keen to practice what we preach in our consultancy, the initiative is an important part of DLA’s Sustainability Policy. The aim of the Plan is to reduce single occupancy car journeys by staff, maximising walking, cycling and the use of public transport instead.

Car Sharing is also being encouraged with DLA promising to subsidise staff who join the MK Car Share Scheme – there is also a bus discount with the MK Car Share Card (costing just 65 pence to travel anywhere in Milton Keynes).

Personal travel planning is being offered to all David Lock employees on a one to one basis, with help to research the most viable green routes into work.

Alongside these benefits are the social and health rewards that the Travel Plan will hopefully reap. Other incentives include cheap loans to purchase a bike to travel to work, cycle mileage for business trips, and regular prize draws for green travellers!

David Lock Associates have a long tradition of supporting the Arts in Milton Keynes, and Milton Keynes based artists in particular. One local artist, the late Bill Billings, has long been associated with Milton Keynes and we are pleased to announce that Bill’s work is due to be exhibited as part of an Arts Open Weekend in the city.

“Bill Billings – A Retrospective” is being staged by local artist group AIM. With free entry, the exhibition will be on display at the AIM Gallery at 759 Midsummer Boulevard from 6th May – 6th June.

DLA have agreed to loan two of their own paintings by Bill for the show and they are also sponsoring a Workshop for young people which is to be run by Ryan Billings on the 16th and 17th May. Further Details can be obtained from wcousins@davidlock.com or aimatthegallery@aol.co.uk

The land covers a 3.5 mile stretch of the south bank of the Thames between Dartford and Gravesham within the Kent Thameside area – a total of approximately 710 ha (1,750 acres).

The study – which is expected to be completed in July – will be used in the development of the Dartford and Gravesham Core Strategies, which will provide a framework for the regeneration of these key opportunity areas.

In total, more than £30 million is expected to be invested in the area’s waterfront to facilitate mixed-use development, infrastructure improvements and new areas of open space. In addition to Northfleet and Swanscombe, areas set for improvement include Gravesend town centre, the River Darent, Dartford Marsh, Greenhithe and the Thames & Medway Canal, along with new water frontages created through the introduction of sustainable urban drainage systems.

Chairman of the Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership, KCC Cabinet Member Kevin Lynes, said:
“Kent Thameside is the largest regeneration area in Europe and the river is the vital element which holds it together. We want to make the most of the area's riverside location. This framework will be a good starting point for the plans to give the riverside a new look and attract investment.”

Jim Urwin, Project Director at David Lock Associates said:
“This is an important area within Kent Thameside where a new vision needs to be forged and we are delighted that the Regeneration Partnership has taken the lead in addressing this issue with Dartford and Gravesham Borough Councils.”

www.kent-thameside.co.uk

ENDS
For further information please contact:
Laura Torrance tel: 0870 626 9033 laura.torrance@fourcommunications.com
Marion Hardman tel 0870 626 9030, marion.hardman@fourcommunications.com

Notes to editors:

The Kent Thameside Regeneration Partnership covers the boroughs of Dartford, and Gravesham north of the A2 in Kent, including Ebbsfleet International Station, Ebbsfleet Valley and Bluewater as well as Dartford and Gravesend town centres.

It is responsible for managing the delivery of 50,000 new jobs and 30,000 new homes over the next 20 to 30 years as well as creating a network of open spaces, promoting town centres in the area and achieving a significant shift from car use to public transport.

Kent Thameside’s Waterfront is one of the top ten housing locations identified in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan. The DCLG has prioritised its funding to secure housing programmes in these locations, where extra homes are most urgently needed. The strategic framework sets out how this additional housing will be delivered alongside the many different roles Kent Thameside’s waterfront serves.

The 27 hectare (69 acre) site in Strood is jointly owned by Lafarge, Medway Council and timber merchants Morgan and Company.

Involved in the project since 2004, DLA are seeking outline planning for up to 620 homes, and up to 12,300 sq metres of mixed-use employment and retail floor space, creating up to 250 jobs.

A Riverside Park will also be created at the Temple Waterfront site with wildlife habitats protected and enhanced.

View the Illustrative Aerial Perspective.

DLA have been commissioned by Eastbourne Borough Council to produce an Area Action Plan (AAP) for Eastbourne town centre. Although Eastbourne is a successful and popular tourist destination with a rich and attractive townscape and strong Victorian heritage the town centre currently underperforms. There is a recognised need to attract additional retail floorspace and provide a more diverse mix of uses, including residential development, to complement the existing range of facilities on offer. The AAP will provide a strong policy basis from which to drive forward beneficial change.

DLA won the commission following an open tender process and will lead a multi-discipline team comprising Integrated Transport Planning, BPS Chartered Surveyors and Waterman Environmental. The project commences immediately and will take the AAP from initial policy themes and spatial options stage through to adoption.

David Lock Associates have been commissioned by a development consortium comprising Whitefriars Housing Association, Bovis, Keepmoat Homes and Westbury Partnership to prepare a design code for phase 1 of the renewal of the WEHM area of Coventry, which falls under the New Deal for Communities initiative.

The project will be run on a collaborative basis, with input from a wide range of organisations including residents’ representatives, the HCA, CABE and the local planning and highways authorities. The first stage of the project will examine the level of application of the HCA development standards and the Code for Sustainable Homes.

The academy opened in September 2008 after David Lock Associates acted swiftly to obtain planning permission in a very short time period for the project. This was to help Mercedes-Benz UK Limited fulfil their training requirements after their previous outsourced provider went into administration in March 2008.

The facility provides training for those employed within the Mercedes-Benz franchised network across the country and brings real high skilled jobs to Milton Keynes. The £2.9 million academy has also helped the local economy. A total of 22 people are employed at the academy, a hotel provides the apprentices’ accommodation and a coach company transports them between the hotel and the academy.

This is the latest in a series of consents that David Lock Associates has gained for the European multi-national company at both its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes and in London.

Also, practically, a number of staff have carried out voluntary work for the Milton Keynes Parks Trust – a local charity that has to maintain the 20 percent of Milton Keynes which is heavily landscaped open space. The most recent example of this being over two sunny days in March when 20 volunteers from DLA helped restore Willen Maze at Willen Lake. The turf maze had become overgrown in recent years and the project involved redefining the edges and uncovering the pathways to help restore the maze as a prominent landmark and land art feature in the park.

There is also continued support of a children’s local football team with sponsorship and qualified FA coaching expertise by DLA staff: Massimo Grimaldi, Ron Gibbons and Roger Carman and Robert Purton as a qualified UK Athletics coach for Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club. Robert – Associate Director - explained, “Being involved in the local community on a practical basis in times of hardship helps DLA aid the local community and provides our staff with a new insight into the practical use of the types of places we master plan for our clients each day. Indeed, the insight this type of voluntary work provides has already been fed into a commission we have undertaken for Sport England called ‘Active Design’ which has been endorsed by CABE, the Department of Health and DCMS.”

Gordon Brown visited Adastral Park on Thursday 26th February, where he reviewed a model of our Master Plan for the site along with Phil Dance, Senior Manager at the Park and Managing Director of Technology Exploitation and Graham Murchie, Strategy Director, Adastral Park Development.

David Lock Associates have been commissioned by BT to prepare the Master Plan and development strategy to accommodate BT’s long term operational requirements at Adastral Park. A planning application has been submitted to Suffolk Coastal District Council for the comprehensive redevelopment of the site, including refurbishing and improving existing buildings as well as adding new homes and facilities to support business, education, leisure and retail. DLA’s proposals would create a truly sustainable, carbon-efficient new community that provides options for BT’s operational requirements.

Adastral Park is one of BT’s most important global business sites. Established in the late 1960s, it has developed a deserved international reputation for innovation and excellence in communications technology research and development (R&D) and pioneering new solutions. The people who work there are responsible for many major advances in telecoms technology, including breakthrough Internet applications and the latest generation of fibre optics.

Nearly 4,000 BT employees work at Adastral Park with a further 400 working for other companies located on site. Adastral Park is an integral and important part of the regional economy, contributing £850M annually. The development plans for the site will ensure that this remains the case long into the future.

For more information on the proposals go to www.adastralvision.co.uk

Ebbsfleet Valley, North Kent
A 25 year strategy formulated by DLA for the development of the Kent Thames-side area of Thames Gateway. It is one of the largest private sector regeneration initiatives of recent times in the UK.

View the Ebbsfleet Valley project sheet

Priors Hall, Corby
A £1.2 billion investment in North East Corby which will include over 5,000 new homes, a district centre and major central park, plus the Corby Academy which is now complete and open. DLA produced the Master Plan as well as developing the Phase 1 Design Code.

View the Priors Hall project sheet

Brierley Hill, Near Dudley
A scheme to integrate the existing Merry Hill shopping centre with some of the surrounding area to make a new town centre. The initial vision won the 1998 RTPI award for urban design. DLA is now assisting Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council with preparation of an Area Action Plan, to guide implementation of the town centre.

View the Brierley Hill project sheet

Holbeck Urban Village, Leeds
Redundant warehousing and the Grade I listed Flax Mill Temple Works are to be transformed into a mixed-use urban quarter that will provide 875,000 sq ft of sustainable city living and commercial employment.

View the Holbeck Urban Village project sheet

Brooklands, Milton Keynes
An urban extension on 160ha of land, immediately adjacent to Junction 14 of the M1 and the historical village of Broughton. The development will include over 2,500 mixed tenure homes, three schools, a hotel, office and industrial accommodation, a community hall and sports pavilion, football pitches and two restaurants. Enabling infrastructure is presently on site and DLA are retained as planning consultants and design advisors.

View the Brooklands project sheet

Broughton Manor Farm, Milton Keynes
Broughton Atterbury is one of the few Greenfield demonstration urban villages to be promoted by Urban Villages Forum, now the Princes Foundation. The DLA competition winning scheme is being implemented with a first tranche of 250 new homes, which incorporate many innovations to save energy and encourage more sustainable lifestyles.

View the Broughton Manor Farm project sheet

Oxley Park MK, near Milton Keynes
DLA prepared the master plan for the development of 1300 new homes, a primary school, local retail and commercial premises and the retention of a site of specific scientific interest at Oxley Park, construction of which is now underway.

View the Oxley Park MK project sheet

After a cold January with its doomsday credit-crunch predictions, and early February with its traffic-stopping snow, DLA decided it was high time to enjoy something warm and sweet……by celebrating Pancake Day!

Red noses were donned and the courtyard turned into an outdoor kitchen to raise money for Comic Relief 2009.

Nearly one hundred pancakes were consumed by our hungry staff and £80 collected for the cause.

A historic building in the centre of Leeds could get its first public airing.

Built circa 1840, Temple Works is a Grade 1 listed former Flax Mill that resembles the Temple of Horus at Edfu in Egypt. It is infamous for having a flat roof where sheep used to graze.

But it has never been open to the general public having been used in previous years for warehousing, following its use for flax manufacturing.

Now vacant, five planning applications have been submitted by David Lock Associates, on behalf of SJS Property Management Ltd, to transform the site. These include moves to demolish its 1953 extension, which detracts from the setting of the Grade 1 listed building – it’s proposed the demolition of the extension could make way for the use of the cleared area as a public car park.

Full planning permission to temporarily use the building as a multi-purpose performance, exhibition and events venue is also being sought, which would allow the public to appreciate the interior for the first time in its history; and Listed Building Consent for structural strengthening has also been applied for, as part of the building collapsed in 2008.

The moves are part of the Holbeck Urban Village regeneration project; a multi-million pound scheme by Leeds City Council and Yorkshire Forward to revitalise the area and create a new business and residential community.

On 13th February 2009, five years after it was blueprinted on David Lock Associates’ Priors Hall master plan, the £30 million Corby Business Academy was officially opened by the Prime Minster.

The ambitious Priors Hall master plan, which took a holistic approach to the regeneration of Corby, created a clear vision of embedding the proposed town extension within the existing community. The Academy was put forward as a principle element in the first phase of the development. Located in the District Centre, the Academy will be a catalyst in promoting the integration of the new community and the existing town and giving the Academy Square, the principle civic square, a sense of place.

Jointly funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Northamptonshire County Council, Bee Bee Development and the Weston Foundation, the Academy offers a state-of-the-art education opportunity to the pupils in Corby. Most pupils were transferred from the closed Corby Community College. The new Academy has already lifted their inspirations for the future and transformed their learning attitude.

The Academy building, designed by Foster & Partners, has undoubtedly laid down the architectural standard of the development. Safeguarding the consistent high quality in architecture and public realm design, the Design Code for the first phase of 2,600 dwellings, the district centre, and a new primary school has also been finalised by David Lock Associates and approved by Corby Borough Council as a development control tool.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has confirmed the appointment of a new panel of Property Consultants to help SEEDA and its partners deliver regeneration and development projects across the South East over the next four years. David Lock Associates has been appointed to the Planning and Development sub-lot.

NUDA, the Nordic Urban Design Association has launched its new website. NUDA is a non-profit organisation which aims to gather qualified urban designers from the Nordic countries as members for the purpose of stronger promoting urban design as a necessity within city planning. Will Cousins, a Director at David Lock Associates, is a member of the Board.

An important issue for NUDA is the establishment of urban design as a field of education strongly promoted through the NUDA Education Program. The annual Nordic Urban Design Conference will be taking place on 20th February in Bergen, Norway.

http://www.nuda.no/

Now Suffolk Coastal District Council and Suffolk County Council have secured over a million pounds in funding, to invest in a number of regeneration schemes for the seaside resort.

These include Streetscape Improvements to the Hamilton Road High Street; revitalization of the town’s Triangle Public Space and the Seafront Gardens; and shared space street improvements at Bent Hill – all projects identified in the Master Plan drawn up by David Lock Associates.

DLA’s recommendations for improving arts in the area are also being acted upon with plans for an Arts Trail on the Seafront. Improvements to the cycle path between Felixstowe and Trimley are also to be taken forward, following advice from DLA to enhance cycle routes in the town.

Please click on the following links for more information;

- Felixstowe Seafront & Town Centre Master Plan website 

- Felixstowe Seafront & Town Centre Master Plan project sheet

- Felixstowe Local Strategy project sheet

Under the auspices of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation (www.mkcommunityfoundation.co.uk) David Lock Associates have set up the David Lock Associates Community Fund. The aim is to create an endowment over the next three years that will then fund community development projects in Milton Keynes, DLA’s birthplace and home town. This is our opportunity as good citizens to support the marvellous community development work that was started by the Development Corporation. It is hoped that DLA employees will support community activities by giving additional time and expertise.

At a time when the financial crisis shows no signs of easing it may not seem entirely appropriate to be making such a commitment. However, it is precisely these circumstances that make continued and enhanced support of such organisations so urgent, because the grants that they are able to make are needed more than ever. This has been their biggest year of grant making, which means that there is even more to be lost if funds fall away.

David Lock Associates has also been examining the potential for Community Foundations to become more widely engaged in the creation of new communities across the country, providing an additional means of support for community activities away from the straightjacket of S106 agreements and Council funding regimes.

David Lock Associates has won the design contest run by the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation to prepare a master plan for Northampton’s waterside area. The company is now appointed to develop a range of ideas for the regeneration of the waterside, including the creation of a new riverside park for the 21st Century, strengthening connections between the water and Northampton’s town centre, and identifying new development opportunities. The project will commence in early 2009. Engaging with stakeholders to build consensus around the proposals will form an essential element of the project, and a large scale public consultation event will be held in the town centre to attract contributions from the town’s residents.

Please click here to see press release from WNDC in Planning magazine.

Sunderland City Council has adopted an Urban Design Strategy SPD for the city centre. The strategy was prepared by DLA working closely with both the city council and Sunderland arc. The document sets out strategic design guidance for Sunderland’s central area as well as more detailed guidance relating to key development and public realm priorities. The Urban design Strategy is now being actively used to help shape and guide development proposals as they come forward within the city.

Click to view the document PDF

David Lock Associates (DLA), together with Integrated Transport Planning (ITP), DLA Architects, Watermans Environmental, and Turner Morum have been appointed by Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation (TTGDC) to prepare an outline planning application for the William Ball & Drapers Yard sites in South Stifford. These sites lie at the heart of South Stifford and new residential development will make a major contribution to regeneration and strengthen the existing community in this area.

David Lock Associates has secured outline planning permission on behalf of O&H Properties for up to 480 homes and 3 hectares of employment uses on 30 hectares of land east of Bedford Road, Marston Moretaine, Nr. Bedford.

The site, which lies within the clay valley of the Marston Vale, east of Junction 13 of the M1, was allocated as a residential and employment extension to the village in the Mid-Bedfordshire Local Plan First Review 2005. A Development Brief, prepared by David Lock Associates on behalf of O&H Properties and Mid-Bedfordshire District Council, was adopted in November 2005 and has guided the development. Outline consent was issued after the completion of a s106 agreement which provides for 28% affordable housing and includes a new primary school on the site, new and improved community facilities, better connections with the Forest Centre at the Millennium Country Park and contributions to healthcare, public art, bus services, public rights of way and cycle parking improvements at Millbrook Railway Station.

The site is one of six housing sites in the South West of Bedford Strategic Corridor, allocated in the Local Plan Review, to contribute towards meeting the district's housing requirements. The district has to create 9,000 jobs by 2021 and build 4,400 homes by 2026.

David Reavell, Property Director of O&H Properties, said:

"This is great news as we have a long-term commitment to development of the Marston Vale. We have extensive land-holdings in Bedfordshire and this development will complement our short-listed eco-town bid in the Marston Vale, our support for the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats (NIRAH) - Bedfordshire's version of the Eden Project - and our other development at Stewartby, Houghton Conquest and The Wixams."

DLA have recently been jointly appointed by Blackpool Borough Council to produce a Concept Masterplan for the M55 Growth Hub area. The site marks the entry into Blackpool and as such will be important in establishing a new high quality gateway into Blackpool. This exciting commission will provide Blackpool and Fylde with a sustainable masterplan that will unlock the potential of Blackpool as part of the Central Lancashire and Blackpool Growth Point. The project will involve working closely with Blackpool BC, Fylde BC and strategic landowners to create a sustainable and deliverable masterplan to take the areas growth forward over the next 15-20 years. Importance will also be attached to tie in the masterplan with the on-going regeneration work in the centre of Blackpool.

DLA as lead consultant will work with sister company Integrated Transport Planning who will provide expertise on transport and access issues as well as Thomas Lister Associates who will advise on development viability.

This work, enhancing DLA’s growing experience in Growth Areas also marks a welcome return to the northwest and builds upon their growing portfolio of regeneration work in the North.

Following the successful completion of the conceptual master planning work for Wokingham’s strategic development locations, DLA have now been appointed to assist with the Borough’s town centre development guide. This work will focus on how best to communicate the guide by bringing clarity to the objectives and illustrations, and by employing our graphic design talents to desk top publish the document.

On Friday 17 October David Lock Associates received two awards for Planning Excellence from the Planning Institute of Australia Victoria Division. In collaboration with City of Greater Geelong we received an awards for Social and Community Based Planning and Planning for Health and Wellbeing. Information about the awards given follows below...

Award for Social and Community Based Planning
for Leopold Community Hub and Strategic Footpath Network Projects

Citation:  The judges were impressed with the thoughtful integration of multiple projects and also the way the nominees have developed an integrated social planning approach that incorporates principles of social sustainability.

The projects have had strong community involvement over an extended period of time, and provide a model for community engagement in projects of this nature. Integration of the proposed Hub with the strategic footpath network will encourage development of linear social places, increasing opportunities for social connection throughout the Leopold area. The projects are clearly
based on the social model of health.

These projects are exemplars of what can be achieved when there is a strong working relationship between Council, consultants and the community. The judges are keen to see the learnings from this project disseminated around Victoria.

Award for Planning for Health and Wellbeing for Implementing Clause 56 – Walkability Toolkit: making walking not just possible but preferable

Citation:  We congratulate the City of Greater Geelong in recognising the importance of how to apply the new “walking-focussed” Clause 56 provisions in the VPPs, and their consultants, David Lock Associates, in creating a toolkit to guide developers and planners in ensuring that new subdivisions
will be walkable.

Local “walkability” is vital in providing healthy communities. As such, the toolkit provides the means to shape developing areas to create improved physical, social and economic health.

An excellent project which should become compulsory reading for all planners who are required to implement the goals and intent of Clause 56.
We look forward to seeing some case studies of the application of this toolkit and the way that it either shaped or modified subdivision design on the ground.

DLA’s Managing Director, Lawrence Revill, has just returned from a speaking tour with our Australian offices based in New South Wales and Victoria.

He made presentations on the UK’s Eco-Town programme to audiences in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, members of the Urban Development Institute of Australia and the Victoria Planning and Environmental Law Association.

Australia is starting its journey into environmental sustainability from a much higher base of carbon consumption allied to some real issues of water shortage, and the development industry is keen to accelerate knowledge by learning from overseas initiatives. There is huge Australian interest in the UK Eco-Town story, and in the precedents set by projects in other European countries.

Adastral Park is BT’s national centre for innovation and R&D. It is the 4th biggest R&D site in the UK with 4,000 employees across over 20 companies. BT’s contribution to the regional economy is calculated to be in excess of £800M every year.

BT’s vision for Adastral Park is for a new living and working environment that is fitting for the 21st Century. The innovative plans will create a new sustainable environment that supports a regenerated research and development facility including:

• up to 60,000 sqm net additional employment floorspace;
• a new residential community of up to 2,000 homes;
• comprehensive new infrastructure and services including a primary school, health centre, public transport, mixed use local centre, leisure and sports facilities;
• a hotel to cater for business visitors and tourists;
• an on-site energy centre to provide renewable heat and power;
• significant development of the existing transport infrastructure, including improved A12 access and creating better connections to the local communities and Ipswich town centre and;
• the creation of ‘green corridors’ focused on a large central park.
  
  

The application follows more than 18 months of extensive consultation with local residents and parish councils.

Rugby Radio Station is one of the largest areas of development potential in single ownership anywhere in the M1 corridor between London and Birmingham. It straddles the border between the East and West Midlands. The site extends to some 740 ha, and the potential capacity for residential, employment and other uses is substantial.

The Radio Station was at the heart of the nation’s radio communication systems when the first transmitter opened on the site in 1926. That role has come to an end as new communication methods have been introduced and the landmark masts have become redundant.

Public consultation on the Preferred Options will run from 22 September to 31 October 2008. The joint owners BT and Morley are committed to working with the local authorities and other key stakeholders and will continue to engage with the Local Development Framework process to optimise the benefits of this centrally located and strategically connected site for the benefit of the whole community.

DLA was commissioned to advise PUSH on key risks to delivering the two SDAs by 2026, and to recommend actions to mitigate these risks. The PUSH Joint Committee discussed and endorsed the report on 16 September 2008.

DLA and Taylor Young celebrated the theme of collaboration as part of Urban Design Week on Monday 15th September. Professionals from the two companies joined forces to examine new developments across Milton Keynes, including energy efficient and system built housing at Oxley Park, and at Upton in Northampton. The event was hosted by DLA following a successful joint study tour of Manchester earlier in the year organised by Taylor Young. A cycle tour around part of Milton Keynes and a walking tour of CMK highlighted how the ‘new city’ has evolved and matured over the past 40 years. The day was rounded off with an opportunity for relaxed discussion over dinner. DLA and Taylor Young plan to collaborate on further CPD events in the future. Thanks to Sustrans for the loan of bicycles as part of the charity’s Bletchley Community Bike Loan Scheme.

It was another very successful DLA Bike to Work Day this year with 20 cyclists commuting to work and enjoying a special start to the day with a DLA Cyclists' Breakfast.

We had clear and sunny skies, which were especially welcome for our lunch time ride to the Swan Pub at Woughton on the Green.

Almost 25% of the Company cycled into work, and 11 of us made it to the pub lunch, making our way along Milton Keynes’ very green and well maintained cycle routes.

Well done to all those who participated this year! We look forward to convincing even more budding bike commuters to take part next year.

Dudley Castle, a scheduled ancient monument, stands proud overlooking the historic medieval heart of Dudley town centre. Because of the exceptional significance of the underlying geology the grounds of the Castle are designated and protected as a SSSI. They also house Dudley Zoo which features impressive listed animal enclosures by renowned international architects including Tecton. Together these different attractions provide a significant regeneration opportunity, one that DLA has been working closely with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council to realise over a number of years.

Following on from the success of the Dudley Town Centre Area Development Framework, which was produced by DLA and adopted by Dudley MBC in 2005, DLA are now working on the production of a series of developer briefs for opportunity sites across the town centre. The briefs will be used to guide and assess development proposals within key locations facilitating and helping deliver the regeneration of the town centre. In addition, DLA have been appointed to review the Area Development Framework and extend the town centre master plan to include the Castle grounds. This will enable opportunities to be explored for more closely connecting the Castle grounds with the town centre and ensure that the Castle continues to perform a key role in the ongoing regeneration of Dudley.

Even a summer downpour could not spoil the mood at DLA’s third successful Courtyard Lecture held on Monday 8th July. The event is now firmly established as a relaxed, social occasion for our guests and clients to enjoy a drink, a canapé, and a talk by Professor David Lock CBE, chairman of DLA. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of DLA by David and his wife Jeanette and provides an opportunity to reflect on twenty successful years and look ahead to the next.

Lawrence Revill, DLA’s managing director, opened the proceedings with a review of the company’s successes, and David then provided a typically insightful and thought provoking overview of the key issues likely to be shaping growth and development over the next few years.

The evening was rounded off with further refreshments and socialising in the courtyard. The event was attended by 38 guests and clients, some of whom have worked with DLA for most of the past 20 years.

In June 2008, East Devon District Council granted planning permission for the Cranbrook Community Multi Purpose Building [MPB] an application prepared by the developers of Cranbrook (Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpey, Hallam Land Management and Redrow Homes). The community building is to be delivered in partnership with EDDC and DCC with the benefit of growth point funding. This is an important milestone as it is the first detailed planning approval for what will become a new community of up to 7,500 dwellings in East Devon. This is the culmination of a number of years work for DLA who have been involved in the project, including identification of the site for the new community, since its inception in 1998. The 2-storey MPB will serve the first phase of development and the brief for the building was developed in close partnership with a wide number of agencies including District and County councils. The 850 sq.m/ building will form the focus for the new community providing a range of facilities including community meeting rooms, a sports hall and catering facilities. The building is also arranged around an innovative plan, that allows in the early stages of the new community, for space to be used as temporary school space. Once the new community is up and running and the school population reaches sufficient size, a new school will be built opposite the MPB with the space within the MPB reverting to a new community use, possibly a PCT facility. With the benefit of growth point funding, the building has also been designed to meet BREEAM “Excellent”.

DLA worked closely with EDDC and DCC on developing the brief for the building as well as providing planning and urban design advice on the project. The project was also an example of joint working between DLA and sister company; DLA Architects Ltd who were responsible for designing the building. Other consultancy advice came from Brookbanks [Structures], Jackson Coles [Cost Advice & BREEAM Compliance] and The Richard Hodkinson Partnership [Sustainability].

David Lock Associates in association with Peter Brett Associates have been awarded the Institution for Highways and Transportation/Department for Transport Manual for Streets Award, 2008.

The award was made in recognition of DLA & PBA’s innovative and pioneering design work in integrating public transport into the Hempsted project, part of DLA’s long term work on a new township in Peterborough on behalf of O&H Properties.

The award is made all the more prestigious by being the only award directly sponsored by the DfT.

The citation reads “The scheme was constrained by existing networks but made a very good attempt to reduce impact. Given the major trunk road running through the centre, a very balanced approach was taken, allowing a comfortable equilibrium between movement and place. This was considered both innovative in terms of travel plans and a comprehensive entry.”

For further information please see links below.

IHT/DfT Awards 2008

Manual for Streets Award Submission

General Arrangement 1

General Arrangement 2

Hempsted in context of wider development area

Hempsted aerial photograph

Hempsted bus priority measures

Hempsted 'loop road' illustration

Hempsted mixed use High Street illustration

Photograph of London Road existing situation

Stefanie Goedecke, Liezel Kruger, Emma Clark and Gemma McGrath represented DLA at the Milton Keynes Race for Life on 31 May 2008. The event, which raised money for Cancer Research UK, involved walking, jogging or running a 5km course in Campbell Park. Altogether the ladies managed to raise a total of £500 for the charity with the support of colleagues, friends and family. Collectively it is hoped that the 5,000 ladies that participated in the Milton Keynes Race for Life will raise £500,000 to go towards finding better ways of treating, diagnosing and preventing cancer.

Not just a walk in the park then!

After completing a lengthy interview process, David Lock Associates have been commissioned by Network Rail to create a strategic vision for landholdings in the Derwent River Valley close to Derby main line Railway Station and City Centre.

We have been asked to concentrate on a 30 hectare brown field reclaimed site with 1km river frontage to form proposals for sustainable city living, but have the remit to recommend what might happen to adjacent sites in order to bring forward a comprehensive vision. Our aim is to work with an enthusiastic Derby CC, with a view to influence the emerging LDF. If all goes well, a planning application will follow in 2009

Network Rail are a new client for David Lock Associates, and were attracted to us because of our increasing reputation in regeneration and work we did for emerging new station proposals at Corby and Wellingborough for Bee Bee Developments.

David Lock Associates and David Kent Architects have secured planning permission for new office space at Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd United Kingdom Headquarters in Milton Keynes.

Planning permission for a new 5,000 square metre BREEAM Excellent office block, decked car parking and five wind turbines was approved unanimously by Milton Keynes Council Development Control Committee.

The proposal is an important part of Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd’s business plan and will consolidate its position as one of the major companies in Milton Keynes. It will enable Daimler Chrysler Financial Services to move from a separate site in Caldecotte. It will also enable the refurbishment of outdated offices.

The scheme has been the subject of a successful public consultation process in January 2008 which was centred on an exhibition held on site for local residents.

The development will strengthen the Tongwell Employment Area on the eastern side of the city and the profile of the area where there is a developing cluster of automotive activities.

Image courtesy of TenDesign

An outline planning application has been submitted for the redevelopment of Lafarge Cement UK’s Weardale Works & Quarries at Eastgate in County Durham in the heart of the North Pennines. Plans produced by DLA focus on the creation of a renewable energy village, a unique proposal that will be the first living and working demonstration in the country of all five forms of land-based renewable energy generated in the UK (wind, hydro, geothermal, solar and biomass).

Test drilling in 2005 confirmed the existence of hot water beneath the site at 46 degrees Celsius at one kilometre depth. This is to be used in a hot springs spa that is to be the centrepiece of the renewable energy village. Amongst a wide range of other proposed uses within the village are business units, 65 new homes, nine live/work units, a hotel, education centre and visitor centre. The Weardale Railway heritage service is to be extended to the site.

The renewable energy village is to be located on the 26 hectare site of the old cement works which closed in 2002. Elsewhere, over 300 hectares of Lafarge owned land, comprising former quarries and grazing land, is to be used for outdoor learning and leisure activities. The latter includes a mountain bike centre, expected to be the leading facility of its kind in England.

The planning application has been submitted by Weardale Task Force, a partnership of One NorthEast, Durham County Council, Wear Valley District Council and Lafarge Cement. It follows four rounds of public consultation carried out over more than five years.

The cement works was the largest employer in Weardale with 147 workers at the time of its closure. The closure had a significant impact on the economy of the remote dale. It is estimated that the new proposals will generate more than 350 jobs. Electricity generated on the site will meet all the needs of the renewable energy village. Surplus electricity – equivalent to the requirements of the several thousand properties in the dale – is also to be exported from the site.

Subject to the granting of planning permission, Lafarge Cement, as its contribution to the regeneration of Weardale, is to give over the site free-of-charge to a not-for-profit body which will then oversee the implementation of the development plans and the subsequent running of the site.

For more information and to view the plans, go to: www.weardale-works.co.uk.

DLA are planning advisors to Sackville Developments (Reading) Limited in respect of a mixed use development proposal at Station Hill – Reading. The site is earmarked for major mixed use development and a cluster of towers in the Reading Central Area Action Plan. DLA have worked with the Sackville team, including architects Scott Brownrigg, to prepare a planning application for 132,000 square metres of mixed development comprising office, residential, retail, leisure, MRT stop and major public spaces. Reading Borough Council has resolved to grant planning consent for the scheme subject to the completion of a legal agreement and referral to the Government Office for the South East. The development is a catalyst project for the town that signifies its ambitions to become the capital of the Thames Valley and secure city status. The value of the project is over £400 million which complements the £450 million investment in capacity and signalling improvements to the adjacent Reading Station. Sackville Developments (Reading) limited also own the adjacent derelict Friars Walk shopping centre and will soon be bringing forward intergrated plans for this site which will further strengthen linkages between the Station to the town centre.

For for further information please refer to:-

http://www.stationhillreading.co.uk

As a result of the annual reviews, we are pleased to announce the following promotions:

Matthew Lappin - Senior Associate Urban Designer

Steve Haines - Senior Associate Urban Designer

Keith Brown - Principal Urban Designer

Darren Bell - Senior Associate Planner

Stefanie Goedecke - Senior Planner

Owen Pike - Planner

Mark Prestige - Associate Graphic Designer
Terry Holman - Principal Graphic Designer

Paul Farrell - Principal Graphic Designer

Adrian Webb - Principal CAD Designer

Dan Gates - Senior CAD Designer

Chris Powell - Graphic/CAD Designer

RUDI with the Academy of Urbanism launched the PLACEmaking booklet in February 2008 which seeks to publicise the very best in creating better living environments. Three projects selected from DLA’s portfolio were considered to be exemplary in defining a new standard in design and these include Brooklands [p15], Cranbook [p17] and Hampton [p28]. DLA’s experienced team of planners and designers continue to develop innovative and creative solutions for today’s urban environments.

For further information please refer to:-

http://www.rudi.net

http://www.academyofurbanism.org.uk

DLA have been working with Corby Borough Council (CBC), Bee Bee Developments and residents for over 2 years on the redevelopment of the Kingswood estate, a large local authority housing area in Corby, Northants. The master plan is part of Corby Borough Council’s strategy to regenerate the town. Large scale investment is already underway in the town centre with the construction of new civic buildings and leisure facilities. Land Securities have also signalled their confidence in Corby by developing Willow Place, a brand new shopping centre in the town centre.

DLA were commissioned to prepare a 10 year master plan which has been developed through extensive consultation with residents and key stakeholders. The master plan was launched during a marquee event attended by residents, council officers, the Minister for the East Midlands, local politicians as well as members of the design team on 15th February 2008. There now follows a 4 week further consultation period where residents can have their input into the design proposals. The master plan is accompanied by a comprehensive development appraisal (co-produced by sub-consultants Turner Morum) that has been used by CBC as part of their decision making process. The development appraisal not only looks at the costing for Kingwood but also the other regeneration initiatives within Corby and has been a key point of reference for Corby Borough Council.

DLA’s involvement in the master plan preparation has also included preparing a detailed planning application for Phase 1A which went out to tender to interested developers. DLA were design advisors to CBC as part of the tender process which eventually selected Haslam Homes Ltd who are to build the first 45 new dwellings as part of Phase 1A. DLA have also prepared detail Design Guidance for Phase 1B.

DLA are also retained as design advisors on other detailed matters related to the construction of new dwellings as part of the first phases and are advising CBC on programme and future project work.

To view the master plan, launch photographs and further information, please click on the links below.

http://www.corby.gov.uk

Kingswood plan and photographs

David Lock Associates has completed the next step of a regeneration master plan for the Suffolk coastal town of Felixstowe.

The Felixstowe Seafront & Town Centre Master Plan (2007) builds upon the findings of DLA’s previous commission A Local Strategy for the Felixstowe Peninsula (2006) by considering the context of Felixstowe within the wider area, and using this data to shape the vision for the town and seafront. The vision is accompanied by the identification of twenty six projects that will enable the vision to be realised on the ground. The projects range from ‘quick wins’ such as public realm improvements on the Hamilton Road high street and the conversion of beach shelters into promenade cafés, to medium term projects including the revitalisation of the town’s central public space ‘The Triangle, and longer term projects such as creating new, viable, seaside attractions such as Seafront Winter Gardens and a Water Sports Centre.

Following the production of the Felixstowe Seafront and Town Centre Master Plan significant progress has already been made in the next step, to secure funding to enable the delivery of some of the proposals. Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) has committed funds to begin to deliver the preferred projects via the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive (LABGI) scheme. Funding requests have already been made to the Department of Communities and Local Government for three projects under the Haven Gateway Partnership. Talks have already been held with other European partnerships to see if a potential joint scheme would meet the criteria for gaining European funding.

Please click here to read the full press release and follow links to related websites.

Brierley Hill in Dudley Borough has been designated as a town centre, through the final approval of a revised Regional Spatial Strategy for the West Midlands. This is a remarkable and unprecedented achievement for the team working on one of David Lock Associates’ longest running and most controversial of projects. Work is now progressing on implementation of the ambitions master plan for the new town centre, through an Area Action Plan.

David Lock Associates has started 2008 with some new management roles.

The Company is now big enough that the roles of Chairman and Managing Director have been split.

Prof David Lock CBE continues as the Company Chairman, allowing him more time to focus on planning consultancy and projects. Lawrence Revill takes over from David as Managing Director, assuming responsibility for the day-to-day management of the company. Will Cousins is the Deputy Chairman.