Formula 1 racing team McLaren, and other companies in the McLaren car engineering group, are consolidating from seven sites in Woking, Surrey, to the Mizen Farm site on Chertsey Road. The group has applied for outline consent on a 375,000 sq ft (35,000m2) project comprising a headquarters building, research and development facilities and a museum.
The site is on green belt land which makes it an interesting case, according to a planning officer from Woking Borough Council – and a decision is not expected for some months.
Four companies make up the McLaren Group: engineering management system manufacturer Tag Electronic Systems; F1 sports car manufacturer McLaren Cars; Formula 1 racing team McLaren International; and group sponsorship and marketing consultancy Tag McLaren Marketing Services.
The group has looked at more than 70 sites in its search for new space, including the Liphook site to which Lloyd’s Register of Shipping relocated. It was even granted consent to build 250,000 sq ft (23,225m2) of accommodation and a Formula 1 test track at Lydden Circuit, Lydden Hill in Kent. But this was abandoned because of the difficulty of moving staff.
McLaren’s decision to stay in Woking is the kind of high-profile boost for which the town has long yearned. “It’s a very exciting project which will bring a lot of economic benefits to the town,” said Tim Hancock of architect Terence O’Rourke, advising McLaren.
