1,400 new jobs to be created at revamped Sawston Trade Park

Plans for a comprehensive redevelopment of Sawston Trade Park have been approved, which is expected to lead to the creation of 1,400 new jobs in South Cambridgeshire.

The District Council’s Planning Committee this week voted to approve proposals from Howard Group for the creation of a high-quality business park, set within a campus-type environment. This will include the refurbishment of part of the existing park, and the creation of a new business area on surrounding empty land.

Sawston Trade Park currently provides space for office-based firms, and those operating in the research and development and industrial sectors. It is currently home to 25 companies.

This new development will increase the amount of business space available within the site, which is alongside the A1301 / London Road, from 11,397 square metres to 19,883 square metres.

670 cycle spaces will eventually be provided on the new park, and it’s intended that half of all employees will travel to work on foot, bicycle or public transport. A comprehensive travel plan is to be drawn up to set out exactly how this will be achieved. Additionally, a new entry road from the A1301 will be constructed to allow access, along with a car park with room for 703 vehicles, including disabled spaces. Footpaths and cycleways in the local area will also be upgraded, to further encourage staff to walk and cycle to work.

Further applications, containing detailed information about the layout, scale and appearance of the site, and how it will be landscaped, will follow in due course.

Cllr Robert Turner, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning, said: “These plans will bring significant economic investment into South Cambridgeshire. Once again this shows that we are committed to working with businesses to deliver new jobs into our area. We know that companies are keen to locate themselves within our district, and this extra supply of space allows some of that demand to be met. Importantly, it’s brilliant that provisions are going to be made to encourage as many staff as possible to travel to work on the new site by public transport, cycle or foot. The provision of a sizeable number of cycle spaces within the new park is therefore particularly great to hear, as are the plans for local footpath and cycleway improvements.”

William Jewson, Director, Property Development for Howard Group said: “We’re delighted that our plans to transform Sawston Trade Park have been approved. Howard Group is a long-term investor in the Cambridge area and our plans will create a high-quality new business park, to be known as Unity Campus, which will complement and support the South Cambridgeshire technology cluster.”