Partner Article

Planning consent secured to create ultra low carbon business centre in Warwickshire

Exciting plans by a property development company to create an ultra low carbon business centre in Warwickshire have received planning consent from Warwick District Council. The four single-storey blocks on vacant land adjacent to AC Lloyd Commercial’s Tachbrook Park headquarters will create 61 ultra low carbon units at the Space Eco Park at Plato Close.

The units will range in size from 200 sq ft to 750 sq ft for industrial, storage or distribution, and commercial, business and service uses with car-parking, an access road and a perimeter fence. The new site will operate under AC Lloyd Commercial’s Space Business Centre banner to build on its two sites in Gloucestershire.

The landlord services, external car parking lighting and communal areas will be designed to be carbon neutral.

The development will put Net Zero at its heart by focusing on on-site green electricity generation and electricity storage, insulation, air tightness, and low-energy lighting systems.

Double-glazed windows and roof lights will be installed to allow natural daylight to illuminate the units without the need for additional lighting. All of these technologies will help set carbon emission reduction targets for the building far higher than the usual building regulations.

The site will also have 16 electric vehicle charging points to encourage the use of carbon-free travel to and from the site. Mark Edwards, managing director at AC Lloyd Commercial, said the building has been designed by Warwick-based Corstorphine & Wright Architects in a three-stage process to reduce energy use.

“We are very excited about this development,” he said. “The goal of moving towards Net Zero is extremely important in future building development as we look to reduce our carbon emissions and meet the Government’s targets.

“The buildings will maximise potential for reducing carbon emissions by using passive design features such as insulation and incorporating energy efficient services and infrastructures.

“Low and zero carbon technologies will be incorporated where technically and economically feasible and our feasibility study shows Photovoltaics (PV) is the most appropriate technology to use which will reduce the amount of electricity needed. “This development will enable us to deliver a sustainable building that has been designed within the guidance of national and local policies to ensure we make a positive contribution towards sustainable growth whilst operating within environmental limits.”

AC Lloyd Commercial currently operates two Space Business Centres in Cheltenham and Gloucester and the Warwick development will be run along similar lines. Mark added: “The flexibility and the size of the units is really popular with micro and small business enterprises who are often just starting off on their business adventures and want to move from their home environment into a larger, more professional space.

“We have attracted a wide range of businesses who love the adaptable arrangements, that they can grow within the Centres as their companies expand and the locations, just like Warwick, have fantastic transport links.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .