5th February 2012
Billions already committed. What are you waiting for?
Investment Opps...
The planned growth of the Bedford area will see billions of pounds invested in a wide range of new developments. There are still many opportunities to be a part of this. Developers, institutions and investors will find schemes ranging from housing, leisure and retail, through to industrial and commercial. Opportunities include:
Colworth Science Park
New Innovation Centre providing laboratory and office space for medium-sized companies. The venture will provide a replacement catering / conferencing building, a new Innovation Centre to provide laboratory and office accommodation for academics and start-up R&D businesses. The new development will enhance the services available at Colworth Science Park for current and future occupiers.
Bedford Station Quarter
A major new business district with 350,000 sq ft of office space and improved rail link connectivity. The proposed development will deliver an improved rail infrastructure, office space, retail space, and multi storey car parking. Progress on the scheme is underway with an outline planning application for Bedford’s Station Quarter (250,000 sq ft offices +) and full planning application for the updated Bedford Railway Station submitted in April 2010.
Wixams Village
A development of 4,500 new homes an 11 hectares of land for business. Wixams consists of four garden 'villages' with open spaces, play areas and carefully planned landscaping. With its own 'town centre', employment area, schools and leisure facilities, Wixams has become a complete new community.
New dual A421
Carriageway joining two of the area's major road routes - the M1 and A1 has now been completed. This will support the sustainable economic activity in and around Bedford and to help not only existing businesses but will greatly improve travel links and encourage businesses to locate to the area.
Wyboston
Already a 7 hectare business park development, Wyboston Lakes has the land and the resources available to expand considerably. The vision, together with the expertise of new partners to develop wider markets will position the Village as a World Class Centre of Excellence
Bedford Town Centre West Redevelopment
This £200 million scheme has received planning permission and the major redvelopment includes:
Major department store locating to Bedford
Additional retail food stores
40 new retail units
6 restaurants and bars
Leisure/ multiplex
Up to 330 residential units
Replacement multi-storey car park (up to 950 spaces)
The scheme will provide a distinctive and refreshing shopping experience, allowing for wider ranging levels of retail and leisure uses alongside many independent, specialist retailers and some of the finest open air markets in the country.
Castle Quay
The redevelopment of Castle Lane has now been completed and links the Cultural Quarter and the High Street. Castle Quay was officially opened on 19 February 2009 and is already breathing new life into the Town Centre. This exciting development provides a new location for modern town centre living with its 108 residential apartments. The complex also integrates 3 restaurants and 8 specialist retail units adding further variety to the shopping and dining offer in the town.
The Castle Quay development embraces the rich heritage of this area of the town, showcasing an open air archaeology park "Castle Bailey Gardens", and the Lime Kiln Vault (a scheduled ancient monument), providing a fitting gateway to the Cultural Quarter and the refurbished Museum and Art Galleries once the £11.3 million, phased, improvement works are complete in 2011.
Church Lane Regeneration
The largest community based regeneration project at present is the Church Lane Regeneration scheme, situated on the eastern side of Bedford.
Work is now completed on Phase One of the project, which has included the construction of a new Aldi 17,000 sq ft food store and park (officially opened on Thursday 29th July)
The scheme also includes the construction of 6,000 sq ft of new retail units, a 9,000 sq ft community centre, a 5,000 sq ft medical centre and 71 new residential units.
Nirah Development
A few miles south of Bedford, a £400 million project to create the world’s largest freshwater aquarium aims to promote understanding of the connection between freshwater and life. At its heart will be the world’s first freshwater sanctuary, a unique resource for conservation, education and science as much as for entertainment and inspiration. Nirah will provide biologists, zoologists and research scientists with unparalleled opportunities for the advancement of our knowledge. The site will include a 30 acre science research park comprising incubator space, laboratories and up to 450,000 sq ft of offices. Nirah is forecast to create 1,500 new jobs.
Bedford's Strategic Sites
Bedford is rapidly increasing in size and population and this creates a greater responsibility to ensure the town develops and local businesses continue to prosper.
Investinbedfords Strategic Sites for Business brochure has just been published which helps demonstrate why Bedford is a great location for business and how it can meet the accommodation and associated needs of businesses whatever their scale and line of business and whoever and wherever they need to link with.
For more information, please click here and get a closer feel for where Bedford is, what Bedford is about and then, most importantly, see some detail of the strategic sites and premises for business that are available now, or are on the way, in Bedford.
