A summary of significant planning projects and events in the South-East of England this year.
In the pipeline:
Worthing Bayside
Developer Roffey Homes has been redeveloping the site of a former 1960s swimming pool on Worthing seafront to provide 141 new homes, as well as a new café and private health club. The £45 million development is scheduled for completion next year.
Preston Barracks, Brighton
Regeneration specialist U+I will deliver 369 new homes, 534 student bedrooms, 50,000 square feet of office space and more than 1,500 new jobs as part of its redevelopment of Preston Barracks, a former military site in west Brighton.
MK Futures 2050
The MK Futures commission was set up in 2015 to “create a long-term vision” for Milton Keynes. Following its report, the council adopted six key projects, including MK:U – a new university – and a plan to encourage “smart, shared and sustainable mobility”.
Heyford Park is a 500-acre former US Air Force base that closed in 1994. The site in Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, which was designated a conservation area to protect its Cold War heritage, is being redeveloped to provide more than 700 homes and a campus for film, TV and digital media businesses. The scheme was nominated for an RTPI award this year.
Recent successes:
MK Gallery
After a period of refurbishment and enlargement, Milton Keynes Art Gallery reopened as MK Gallery in March this year. The £12 million project aimed to pay tribute to the city’s 1960s planners as well as bringing the gallery up to date.
Bird Aware Solent
The Bird Aware Solent Project aims to raise awareness of the migrating birds that live near the River Solent in winter, encouraging visitors to enjoy the area without disturbing wildlife. It won an RTPI award in 2018.
Hanningtons Estate, Brighton
The Hanningtons Estate project saw the regeneration of a historic former department store in Brighton, creating a mixed-use development of shops, restaurants and housing. The £100 million project opened to the public last year.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight local ecological network
A partnership between various bodies in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has produced an ecological network map – a collection of species-friendly habitats that, through appropriate management, can provide a collected connection of refuges for wildlife. The work has led to a new policy framework in the county.
02 October 2019