DWD has secured full planning permission from Runnymede Council for the development of a new business park at 31 The Causeway in Staines comprising a new Big Yellow self-storage facility and nine speculatively designed industrial units providing approximately 17,500m2 of new industrial floorspace.
The 5.65-acre site located between The Causeway (A308) and the south bank of the River Thames, formed part of a gas works that was decommissioned in 1986. A gas holder was retained and used for the storage of natural gas from the turn of the century until it was demolished in 2014, alongside overspill car parking serving Centrica’s (formerly British Gas) office headquarters opposite the site.
As a large parcel of cleared and contaminated land, the development will not only deliver a significant net increase of industrial floorspace and make the most efficient use of previously developed land, but contribute approximately 45% of employment floorspace expected to be delivered within the largest Strategic Employment Area in the District. It will provide a range of industrial floorspace opportunities from incubator and ‘follow-on’ space to larger, more traditional unit sizes and generate approximately 555 jobs primarily for local people.
DWD worked closely with the project team, particularly the architects, Mountford Pigott, advising on the planning strategy from the pre-acquisition stage and negotiating with officers at Runnymede Council, Surrey County Council and Highways England to develop a scheme of high-quality design that ensures a positive relationship with the surrounding built and natural environment, particularly the River Thames. For more information, please contact Andrew Deller.