Refreshed LDO promises greener growth for decades at Milton Park
An updated local development order (LDO) is set to support thousands of new jobs and drive greener growth for decades at Milton Park - Oxfordshire's huge science and innovation campus.
Following the completion of an innovative Section 106 (S106) planning agreement focusing on green travel, the refreshed LDO, which will expire in 2041, has been formally adopted by the Vale of White Horse district council.
It permits Milton Park (currently spanning around 3 million sq ft of floor space) to grow to a total of 4.2 million sq ft and can fast-track planning approvals to just ten days, supporting the park's long-term strategic 2040 vision to become a 24/7 hub for innovation and aligning with the period of the new Joint Local Plan.
The previous Milton Park LDO, from 2012, facilitated around 1,000 jobs and enabled the delivery of 734,000 sq ft of development, equating to an estimated 1,000 days of planning over a decade, which would have taken 8,900 days without the agreement in place.
This new LDO will incentivise greener methods of travel, and enable Milton Park to provide more options for renewable energy, a range of local green infrastructure projects will also be explored.
It will encourage biodiversity net gain (BNG) initiatives through ecological strategies and include provisions for electric vehicle (EV) charging points and eco-friendly infrastructure.
Under the S106, and subject to feasibility, Milton Park will now provide more than £2m of funding to enable Oxfordshire County Council to bring forward a new cycle path to Steventon, which will bypass the Milton Interchange, and a cycle link between Sutton Courtenay and Abingdon (Cycle Route 5).
Philip Campbell, commercial director at MEPC Milton Park, said: "Simplifying planning and section 106 agreements is hugely complicated, but it’s been a real privilege to work with both councils to update the LDO.
"The agreement fulfills a shared vision to deliver the UK’s first green-travel-focused simplified planning agreement, renewing our commitment to ongoing investment in the Oxfordshire bus network through our partnership with Thames Travel.
"It’s a prime example of what can be achieved through effective public-private sector collaboration."
Advisors involved in the delivery of the LDO process included Pro Vision (planning), Meeting Place (PR and marketing), Perkins & Will (masterplanning), Ensafe (air quality, noise and lighting), Ramboll (drainage and utilities), RPS (heritage), ASA Landscapes (landscape), Tyler Grange (biodiversity) and Systra (transport).
