Land East of Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds

13.11 A strategic release of land at Moreton Hall for employment use would have to provide the Bury St Edmunds eastern relief road linking both the existing and proposed development at Moreton Hall with the A14 Rookery Crossroads at Rougham. In allocating the site at Suffolk Business Park, the Borough Council recognises that development will extend beyond this plan period and the complete development of the site will extend beyond 2016. This is justified by the early provision of important infrastructure and the supply of quality, well serviced sites well located within the borough and the region. This strategic site allocation will provide long-term certainty and enable the town to respond to changes in demand.

13.12 The allocation may lie over workable quality sand and gravel reserves. Prior to planning permission for the development of the site, an investigation of the extent and quality of the mineral resource must be carried out to enable a judgement to be reached on the case for prior extraction of the mineral to avoid sterilisation.

13.13 It will not be in the interests of developers to propose a low standard of development or inappropriate uses. High technology firms require buildings which exhibit high standards of design and materials set in a well landscaped site. A masterplan will be prepared covering site layout, building form and materials, landscaping and environmental protection. There will be some flexibility of office, storage and manufacturing uses within each site, but developers of individual plots will be required to show that proposals conform with the masterplan. Pure office development will be required to satisfy the relevant requirements of Policy TCR1. Achieving adequate public transport connections to the site will be a key element of the site masterplan and an agreement with the developer will be sought to divert urban bus services to guarantee good access from Bury St Edmunds town centre.

13.14 The former Rougham Airfield to the east of Moreton Hall is used occasionally for recreational and leisure events. This area could provide recreational open space on the eastern side of Bury St Edmunds and any formal proposals for this use will be considered in the context of this plan.

13.15 The proposed eastern relief road for Bury St Edmunds could improve access to the former airfield and land next to the existing Rougham general employment area. During the plan period to 2016 there is scope for the former airfield to serve as a destination for leisure and heritage based activities and events. A modest amount of land has been identified in policy RA3 for employment uses between the proposed relief road and the existing northern boundary of the Rougham general employment area. This land could accommodate businesses associated with activities on the airfield. The development of this land will not be considered until the eastern relief road identified in policy BSE13 has been completed.

POLICY BSE3: STRATEGIC SITE - SUFFOLK BUSINESS PARK, MORETON HALL, BURY ST EDMUNDS

68.28 ha of land East of Suffolk Business Park, Bury St Edmunds (but excluding the Rougham Industrial Estate general employment area) is allocated for:

Employment Uses (Use Classes B1 and B8).

Proposals for pure B1 office developments will be required to satisfy the relevant requirements of Policy TCR1.

This is a long term allocation, development of which is likely to extend beyond this Plan period. Prior to the commencement of development, a relief road linking Bedingfeld Way with the A14 Rookery Crossroads in accordance with Policy BSE13 must be completed and available for use. The precise route and alignment of this relief road will be agreed through the masterplan process, taking into account existing features such as the airfield control tower.

The amount of land available for development, location of uses, access arrangements, phasing of development, linkages to the airfield site, design and landscaping will be informed by a masterplan for the site. The masterplan will be based on a requirement to achieve the following:

• a) light industrial, research and office use (Proposals for pure B1 office developments will be required to satisfy the relevant requirements of Policy TCR1).
  b) proposals for the provision of units for new and small firms involved in high technology and related activities.
  c) in the area opposite the airfield and adjacent to the Rougham Industrial Estate, small scale uses supporting the heritage and tourism use of the airfield such as visitor car parking and workshops and including the creation of a safe pedestrian access to the airfield as part of the link road provision.
  d) in the area adjacent to the Rookery Crossing junction, motorists service facilities including petrol filling station and associated facilities (subject to relocation of the extant planning permission adjacent to the east bound A14), restaurant and travel hotel.
  e) extensive landscaping, particularly around the perimeter of the site.

Applications for planning permission will only be considered once the masterplan for the entire site has been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document by the local planning authority. The developer will be expected to prepare the masterplan which should be prepared in accordance with the content of the concept statement for the site.

Developers will be expected to enter into a legal obligation to implement relevant sections of the road, drainage and service infrastructure in advance of business units on the site being occupied.

An investigation of the extent and quality of the mineral resource at the site will be required prior to any planning permission being granted to enable a judgement to be reached on the case for prior extraction of the mineral to avoid sterilisation.

13.16 There are a number of established centres of employment in the town, some of which have opportunities for the further development and intensification of use. In particular the occupation or redevelopment of vacant premises and land will be encouraged in advance of allowing development on new sites.

POLICY BSE4: GENERAL EMPLOYMENT AREAS - BURY ST EDMUNDS

The following areas are designated as General Employment Areas:

Within the General Employment Areas, the following land is available for development:

Proposals for industrial and business development within General Employment Areas will be permitted providing that space requirements, parking, access and general environmental considerations can be met.

Proposals for pure B1 office development will be required to satisfy the relevant requirements of Policy TCR1.

* Development at Suffolk Business Park will comprise of the following:

a) light industrial, research and office use;
b) units for new and small firms involved in high technology and related activities; and
c) extensive landscaping, particularly around the perimeter of the site.

Note: References to Classes B1, B2 and B8 are as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended).