Framework plans submitted for next phase of Alconbury Weald
Following consultation earlier in the year, framework plans for Phase 4 of Alconbury Weald have been submitted, marking the next step towards delivering a new neighbourhood that will connect existing and future communities across the development.
The applications (12011580UT and 19/01320/S73) set out the design framework and principles that will guide the detailed proposals for homes, green spaces, streets and infrastructure as this phase comes forward.
This includes an updated Design Code, which master developer Urban&Civic provide for each phase of the development, to commit to consistently high standards for the homes and spaces coming forward, while allowing a review of learnings from earlier phases and to account for any policy or technological changes. Community engagement, including the three yearly Quality of Life survey, also enable residents’ feedback to be drawn into the evolving place.
This phase will provide more than 1,000 new homes, alongside a network of green spaces, play areas and active travel routes. Homes will be set within a landscaped environment, with green corridors helping connect people and nature across the development.
A key feature will be the completion of Runway Park, culminating in Touchdown Park. Designed around a new landscaped pond with a platform extending over the water, Touchdown Park will celebrate Alconbury Weald’s aviation heritage and provide a focal point for the community.
Footpaths, cycleways and bridleways will connect to the wider network, helping create a range of active travel routes through the development. A 3m shared footway and cycleway will run alongside the primary street, while connections through the green network will link into Runway Park and other parts of Alconbury Weald.
The framework also includes land to enable the long-standing aspiration for a new railway station at Alconbury Weald. The Station Quarter has been designed to create a mixed-use gateway that could bring together rail, bus, walking and cycling connections alongside shops, commercial space and homes. Although Urban&Civic would provide the land, Network Rail and other transport partners would be responsible for the delivery of a railway station and its associated infrastructure.
Sustainability is embedded within the framework, with targets to reduce total energy, heating energy and water consumption. The Design Code also promotes a ‘fabric first’ approach to increase the energy efficiency of buildings alongside opportunities for renewable energy and more efficient use of resources.
The landscape strategy will also incorporate opportunities for biodiversity, wildlife corridors and productive landscapes including orchards, communal planting areas and foraging trails helping bring nature and food production into the neighbourhood.
This application will provide the design framework against which future detailed planning applications will be developed and considered.
“Phase 4 has an important role to play in bringing together different parts of Alconbury Weald, creating connections between our existing and future communities and completing some of the key green and movement networks across the development.
“Following the consultation earlier this year, we have now submitted the framework for the next stage of the planning process. This provides a clear set of principles for how the phase will be delivered, and sets the design standard for new homes, amenities and public spaces coming forward within the development.”
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Subject to approval, the framework plan and Design Code will pave the way for future applications for the detailed delivery of Phase 4 of Alconbury Weald.
