ST MODWEN DROPS ECO TOWN PROPOSAL AND PLEDGES ITS SUPPORT FOR £100 MILLION LONG MARSTON MASTERPLAN
St. Modwen, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, has today announced that it will no longer be progressing its proposals for the Middle Quinton Eco Town.
St. Modwen will now focus on its consented proposals for the £100 million Long Marston Masterplan, a leisure-led, mixed use scheme on the former MOD site at Long Marston which will feature up to 500 new homes and 300 holiday homes.
John Dodds, regional director for St. Modwen, explained: “The Middle Quinton Eco Town and Long Marston Masterplan are two completely separate proposals – the Eco Town proposal covered the Long Marston site and 228 acres of neighbouring land owned by The Bird Group. St. Modwen began to formalise its proposals for the Long Marston Masterplan in 2007. The Masterplan was progressed both before and in parallel with the Eco Town submission, and in February 2010 Stratford on Avon District Council grant planning consent for this masterplan scheme.
“With the new Coalition government in place, the Department for Communities and Local Government has recently outlined its plans to return decision making powers to Local Authorities on housing and planning matters. Following close liaison with Stratford on Avon District Council and landowners the Bird Group, we have made the decision to drop our Eco Town submission.
“We are naturally disappointed that these plans will not be implemented; however we were always acutely aware that a change in Government would lead to a lack of support for Eco Towns. Now we are looking positively to the future focused solely on moving forward with the Long Marston Masterplan.”
St. Modwen received the green light for its Masterplan proposals from Stratford on Avon District Council in February 2010, with planning consent securing the future for businesses located within the 800,00 sq m of existing employment space on site, safeguarding hundreds of jobs.
An outdoor activity centre and caravan park form part of the Long Marston Masterplan, together with football and cricket pitches and a rail heritage centre. It is envisaged that the provision of new homes in the area will be boosted with 500 new residential properties planned along with 300 holiday homes.
St. Modwen acquired the 478 acre, former MoD army base site in 2004. Long earmarked for redevelopment, since 2006, St. Modwen has been consulting with the public and working closely with Stratford on Avon District Council to identify a suitable use for the site. The development will also retain and improve upon existing ecological habitats and landscaping.
