Bruntwood SciTech, a JV partnership between Bruntwood and Legal & General, has unveiled a £250 million ten-year masterplan to redevelop Melbourn Science Park.

This follows a series of public consultations and a 12-month Planning Performance Agreement with the Greater Cambridgeshire Planning Department.

Designed by architect Sheppard Robson, plans have been submitted to create 390,000 sq ft of world-class laboratory and office workspace for approximately 75 life science and tech businesses, including new coworking space for startup businesses, along with improvements to the facilities and amenities on the campus for both businesses based there and the local community.

The proposals include refurbishments of three existing buildings alongside six new builds which will offer coworking, leased, and managed lab and office space to accommodate the region’s life science and tech sector from startups through to international R&D centres.

A new event space is also proposed, as well as all buildings including new breakout space, showers, lockers and sports kit drying rooms.

Transport links will also be improved with a mobility hub featuring a large secure cycle store with repair and maintenance stations, cycle hire, and a car park with electric vehicle charging points.

A new 18-bedroom hotel and a gastro pub are also planned.

All developments within the masterplan are targeted to be net zero carbon in construction and operation following a transformation project that will retain as much of the existing fabric of the Park’s buildings as possible.

3,450 tonnes of embodied carbon, the amount of carbon emitted during construction, will be saved by linking the heating and cooling network between the buildings in a state-of-the-art 4th generation heat network connected to all-electric air source heat pumps.

The Park will be 100 per cent electric, targeting EPC A Ratings across its buildings, and 600 sq m of solar panels will be installed across the Park’s roof space.

Blue-green roofs will be installed on five of the new buildings, to ensure water drainage is sustainable and to support the campus’ biodiversity.

Further improvements will see an increase of up to 30 per cent in the Park’s biodiversity net gain, supported by an additional 275 trees being planted to form woodland and extended green areas.

Following public consultation, Bruntwood SciTech has ensured that the plans will open up the Park to benefit the local community through the creation of a new Village Green leading through to the gastro pub and hotel, along with new connected walking routes created through the Park’s landscaping, including a ‘leisure loop’ with trees and wetlands.

Jamie Clyde, director, southern region and innovation services at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Our major investment into Melbourn Science Park reaffirms our long-term commitment to support the growth of Cambridgeshire’s life science and tech cluster, connecting businesses to our UK network of over 500 existing sector specialist companies of all sizes.

“We are building on the Park’s proud history as a centre for scientific innovation. Our vision for the campus is to be a world-class and globally recognised hub where research, commercialisation and corporate innovation come together to improve human lives and healthcare. It will be a unique place to innovate, collaborate, grow businesses and socialise while promoting inclusivity and wellbeing for those who work on the campus and the wider local community.”

The masterplan’s first phase of redevelopment is anticipated to begin in winter 2023 and reach completion in spring 2026.

Image source: Bruntwood SciTech

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