River Don District
- Development overview
In December 2008, British Land received a resolution to grant outline planning consent to develop 63 acres in the River Don District, near Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield. This followed over five years of extensive consultation with local people, Sheffield City Council and other key stakeholders. The scheme includes up to 1,300 homes, 1.2 million sq ft of office space, a neighbourhood centre, leisure facilities and a major riverside park with sports pitches. Sustainability is at the heart of the masterplan. The outline planning application was submitted to Sheffield City Council in May 2008.
- Our use of resources
The masterplan for this brownfield site focuses on 'From Grey… to Green'. The offices will target BREEAM Excellent environmental ratings and the residential units will target a minimum Code for Sustainable Homes Level Three. Over the course of the masterplan the team will raise standards to reflect improvements in best practice and changes in legislation. The low-carbon development will also minimise water use and promote waste reduction. It will use sustainable construction methods and will aim to protect and encourage biodiversity during each phase of work.
The project team worked in partnership with the Environment Agency and Sheffield City Council to mitigate flood risk. Local people were concerned by the risk of flooding, especially following a major flood in the Sheffield area in June 2007. The final River Don District flood alleviation scheme will be an important link in a chain of defence measures along the River Don, protecting the wider Sheffield region. It includes a raised flood defence bank, flood channels so that water can flow through the area more easily and large water storage areas adjacent to the river.
Over 220,000 sq ft of green roofs will protect and encourage biodiversity. More than 150,000 sq ft of species-rich grassland will form part of the new riverside park and an otter holt will be built in the woodland bordering the River Don. Altogether there will be eight hectares of new parks, open spaces, recreational areas, green roofs and wetlands, as well as extensive tree planting.
- Our customers and us
The office campus will provide accommodation for some 6,500 people. The new residential district will be home to up to 2,000 people, offering a mix of housing sizes and types with up to 15% affordable housing.
Occupiers will benefit from an excellent existing public transport network, with over 30 bus routes, trams to the City Centre every eight minutes and mainline rail services to local communities. Proposed improvements include new pedestrian and cycle routes to surrounding communities and a new bus route to improve links between Rotherham and Sheffield. Green Travel Plans will also encourage people to use public transport, cycle or walk rather than travel by car.
- Our communities and us
British Land has worked with the local community at every stage of the development of the River Don District masterplan. Over 750 people attended an exhibition in February 2008, with 89% supporting the mix of houses, offices, retail space and leisure facilities. The masterplan was revised to incorporate suggestions from local people. As a result, there is widespread local support for the masterplan.
The masterplan will create a sustainable new community for Sheffield, delivering up to 5,000 jobs targeted at local people, as well as 1,000 jobs during construction. It will inject over £300 million of investment into Sheffield's economy and will yield an estimated regional economic benefit of £180 million each year.
We will establish an Employment and Training Steering Group to help local people to access employment opportunities. This Group will work with the team at The Source to develop and deliver a training programme to support people from local communities in Sheffield, including Tinsley, Darnall, Brightside and Burngreave, as well as local residents in Barnsley and Rotherham. We will bring training opportunities to local communities through satellite training centres, as well as offering opportunities for work-based learning on-site and courses at The Source. Training opportunities will lead to nationally recognised qualifications, where appropriate. Learners completing training will also be offered placements or guaranteed job interviews, as well as ongoing support. During the construction phase we will also work with the Construction Skills Council to apply a best practice approach to training and development.
For over five years, British Land has been working with Sheffield City Council, regional stakeholders and the local community to bring these exciting proposals forward for consideration. After a comprehensive public consultation exercise, we feel we have a masterplan scheme of which Sheffield can feel rightly proud. In line with the previously agreed objectives, it is British Land's wish to create a new 'gateway' project for the city.
The neighbourhood centre will offer a wide range of services that could include a hotel, health and fitness facilities, shops, cafés, restaurants, a pharmacy and, subject to need, consulting rooms and a medical centre. The riverside park will provide sports pitches and open spaces, including areas that will be managed for their ecological value.
British Land 2009. All Rights Reserved.
For our full Corporate Responsibility Report: britishland.com/crReport/2009