Green light for growth at Rugby Radio Station site

Rugby Radio Station Limited Partnership (RRSLP), the joint venture including BT and Aviva Investors, is proposing plans for a comprehensive regeneration of the site including homes, jobs and commercial space, schools, green space and a whole series of supportive infrastructure.  

The plans are for a phased development over 20 years, ensuring that Rugby grows in a deliberately planned and provided for way.  

Members of the Planning Committee voted in line with the planning officer’s recommendation at a special meeting on Wednesday (8 January).

The application is in line with Rugby’s Core Strategy, which identifies both the Radio Station and the Gateway sites as Rugby’s defined locations for expansion and future development.

Graeme Paton, BT Property, said: "This resolution to grant planning permission is the culmination of more than 15 years of hard work and looking for the best solution for re-using the Radio Station site.  

"It’s an excellent result for everyone who has been involved in contributing to and influencing the proposals.

"I’d like to thank all of those people for helping to shape the scheme which can now move forward and ensure that the Radio Station site contributes to a successful future for Rugby just as it has contributed to a successful past."

Neil McLeod, Aviva Investors, said: "Rugby is growing and the Radio Station site will play an integral part in a sustainable and successful future for the town.  

"Now that a resolution to grant planning permission is in place, we can get on with preparing to start work on site which means putting the infrastructure in place and drilling down to an even greater level of design detail.

"We have an experienced preferred development partner in Urban & Civic and we hope to see the first new homes on the site coming through from 2015 which is great news for Rugby’s strategic housing supply.

"It means new homes coming forward together with new infrastructure and services, all as part of a cohesive and integrated development.”

The ‘resolution to grant’ planning consent is subject to finalising details of a legal agreement under which a significant quantity of additional facilities and amenities will be provided.

The outline planning application includes up to 6,200 new homes together with commercial space, schools, green space, heritage and the full range of supportive development set out in the submitted masterplan.  

All matters relating to the detail of design have been reserved for future determination except the three highway junctions on the A428, the two junctions on the A5 and the link road junctions at Butlers Leap and Hillmorton Lane.

The Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) site occupies an area of approximately 473 hectares on land previously used as part of the BT Radio Station.

The masterplan and outline planning application were developed over more than 10 years of consultation and engagement with local communities and stakeholders.

As part of the ‘opening up’ of the site via the proposals, RRSLP estimates that approximately five miles of existing perimeter fencing will be removed and that approximately 30 per cent of the site will become open space for existing and new residents of Rugby to enjoy.

As defined by Rugby’s Core Strategy, the Radio Station site can now come forward for regeneration, delivering properly planned and supported growth with homes, jobs, green space, community facilities and the full range of supportive infrastructure being rolled out in phases over a 20 year period.

Subject to completion of the legal agreement and formal issue of the planning permission, work is expected to begin on site preparation during the second half of 2014 with a view to the first new homes becoming available during 2015.

Cllr Craig Humphrey, leader of Rugby Borough Council, said: "Bringing this site into use is a major step forward in delivering sustainable growth in line with our Core Strategy.

"With more and more companies and developers recognising the benefits of doing business with us, it is clear that Rugby really is open for business.

"When these new homes and the associated infrastructure and employment sites are complete the borough will become an even more attractive place to live, work and visit, with all the additional benefits that that will bring."