VSM Estates submits plans for RAF Uxbridge

Defence Estates’ flagship project for rationalising its London estate, Project MoDEL, took a major step towards completion following confirmation that VSM Estates has submitted a planning application for the redevelopment of the 110-acre RAF Uxbridge site in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

VSM Estates, the joint venture between St Modwen Properties PLC and VINCI PLC, was appointed by the MoD in 2006 to deliver Project MoDEL (the MoD’s Estate in London). The Project will see the disposal of six London sites to help fund the development of state-of-the-art facilities and accommodation for service people at RAF Northolt.

VSM Estates’ proposals for the RAF Uxbridge site follow the adoption of the London Borough of Hillingdon’s Supplementary Planning Document [SPD] in January 2009 and extensive consultation with the local community. The final plans submitted by VSM Estates include proposals for:

Ìø®ÕèÏ 1,425 new homes, including affordable housing.

Ìø®ÕèÏ 20,000 sq m of mixed-use commercial development, including new retail and offices.

Ìø®ÕèÏ The inclusion of a site for a new 1,200-seat theatre with ancillary café.

Ìø®ÕèÏ The inclusion of sites for warden-assisted elderly accommodation, a GP surgery, a primary school and a hotel.

Ìø®ÕèÏ 45 acres of open space, including a public park alongside the River Pinn, part of which is in the Green Belt.

Colin Darby, Planning Manager at VSM Estates and St Modwen Properties PLC, stated: “This application will bring one of the largest redevelopment sites in London back into long-term community use. The RAF Uxbridge site is the jewel in the crown of Project MoDEL and the submission of the application represents a significant step towards its completion.

“We have been working with local groups for over two years to produce a balanced residential-led scheme that includes areas for recreation, entertainment, ecology and landscaping while protecting the site’s significant heritage. If consented, our proposals for the RAF Uxbridge site will deliver a sustainable residential-led, mixed-use development in a highly accessible location, benefiting local residents both now and long into the future.”

The news follows VSM Estates’ recent submission of a planning application for Mill Hill East, an 85-acre site in the London Borough of Barnet, as part of The Inglis Consortium. The site includes the former Inglis Barracks, which, together with RAF Uxbridge, comprises the two remaining sites within the Project MoDEL portfolio.

VSM Estates has already achieved a number of landmark successes as part of Project MoDEL, including consent for the redevelopment of RAF West Ruislip in Hillingdon, RAF Bentley Priory in Harrow and Victoria House in Greenwich. Work at RAF Northolt is also nearing completion. The London Borough of Hillingdon is expected to make a decision on the planning application for the RAF Uxbridge site later in 2010.