Partner sought for Duxford cluster take-off
Bidwells and Gerald Eve have been instructed to find a development partner for an advanced aviation technology research and development, manufacturing and employment campus at Duxford in Cambridgeshire.
The 24.7-acre site, owned by Imperial War Museums and Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, is next to Duxford Airfield at Junction 10 of the M11 motorway.
The partners have a vision to bring forward a combination of aircraft hangar, manufacturing, warehousing, midtech R&D and office space, totalling 484,376 sq ft.
Bidwells and Gerald Eve have been instructed to find a development partner for an advanced aviation technology research and development, manufacturing and employment campus at Duxford in Cambridgeshire.
The 24.7-acre site, owned by Imperial War Museums and Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, is next to Duxford Airfield at Junction 10 of the M11 motorway.
The partners have a vision to bring forward a combination of aircraft hangar, manufacturing, warehousing, midtech R&D and office space, totalling 484,376 sq ft.
The potential development partner would be expected to obtain both funding and planning permission for the Duxford campus, draw down development phases under a 175-year lease, appoint a contractor, manage the delivery of the consented scheme, secure tenants, share rental income and manage the estate, creating a long-term investment.
The wider site masterplan, designed by Allies and Morrison, also includes a new 43,056 sq ft collections centre for the museum’s use, to be known as the IWM Lab, but it is expected to be delivered separately from the Duxford campus, subject to funding and the necessary approvals.
The campus will target occupiers engaged in research and development for aviation, primarily low-carbon technologies, and may also include sustainable manufacturing and related service and support businesses.
Walter Scott, partner for logistics and industrial at Bidwells, said: “The ambition is to deliver a national innovation cluster for the development of new low- and zero-carbon aviation technology to support the government’s 2015 general aviation strategy, the 2020 ten point plan for a green industrial revolution and the UK’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“The new development will provide the space and resources needed for the future operation of IWM Duxford and protect flying from the historic airfield. Furthermore, it will bring economic, sustainability and social benefits to the region, to support local plan policies.”
Images: XP-4 aircraft © VRCOAerial CGI © Allies and Morrison
