Thank you for visiting our website to learn more about Trammell Crow Company’s exciting plans to redevelop the vacant former Arcadia distribution site within the Redmoor employment area for a new high quality logistics scheme.

An Exciting Economic Opportunity for Milton Keynes

Trammell Crow Company (TCC), one of the USA’s oldest and most prolific developers of commercial real estate, is delighted to be bringing forward plans for a modern logistics scheme at Merton Drive in Milton Keynes, the first logistics development for the company in the UK. 

We want to hear your views on our proposals for the site before we submit a planning application. Our website has everything you need to learn more about our plans, including how you can get in touch with the team to find out more. We recommend starting with ‘Our Proposals’ and taking it from there.

Our consultation will run until Sunday 24^th October. Following the end of the consultation, TCC will review all comments received and incorporate feedback provided into the final plans, where possible, before submitting a planning application.

You can find more information about TCC at: https://www.trammellcrow.com/

Who is Trammell Crow Company

Trammell Crow Company, founded in Dallas, Texas in 1948, is one of the USA’s oldest and most prolific developers of, and investors in, commercial real estate. The Company is experienced in a broad range of product types and has developed or acquired 2,800 building over its 70-year legacy. Trammell Crow Company’s projects range from healthcare real estate, industrial facilities, life science laboratories, government organisations and many more. Click here to learn more.

Our Proposals

The site is presently located within the Redmoor employment area and comprises the former Arcadia distribution centre, which is vacant, as well as an undeveloped part to the west of the site which is allocated for employment development in the adopted development plan (Plan MK).

Our proposals seek to demolish the existing distribution centre (c. 40,875 sq. m as three operational floors within the existing Arcadia building) and comprehensively redevelop the site to provide three Class B8 logistics units (32,156 sq. m in total) with associated access, servicing, parking (HGVs and cars) and landscaping detail. We have not yet identified any end-occupiers at present and intend to secure full planning permission and then develop out the units on a speculative basis. The proposals will see a continuation of the 24/7 operations previously seen when the site was used by Arcadia.

The proposal would result in a significant overall decrease in floorspace from the existing Arcadia building (8,719 sq. m) despite the amount of built footprint increasing over the site. The buildings would be extremely modern in design and have a maximum height of 15m (to haunch). The site level would however be set below the existing level of Merton Drive so that the buildings sit at a relatively low level behind the extremely mature and well-established landscaped buffers along the Grafton Street and Merton Drive boundaries which will be retained. 

The scheme will also be extremely sustainable and seek to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating with notable features including electric vehicle charging points, solar panels and water & energy efficiencies.

Key features of the scheme are as follows:

• The existing mature landscaping around the boundaries of the site are to be substantially retained and enhanced.
• The site will be accessed from the existing Redway running to the east of the site alongside Grafton Street – this provides safe walking and cycling access.
• Appropriate on-site parking is provided in accordance with the MK Council’s parking standards for both HGVs and cars.
• The main service yards are located to the south of the proposed warehouse buildings to screen activity.
• Access for vehicles is proposed from Merton Drive with separate access points for HGVs and private cars.

What do you think about our proposals? Tell us what you think by completing the feedback form here. 

Proposed Site Layout Plan

Computer generated image of the proposed development

Computer generated image of the proposed development

Economic and Employment Benefits for Milton Keynes

The plans will deliver a boost to the local economy of Milton Keynes during the construction and operational phases. Once fully developed and occupied, the proposed scheme is expected to create 438 full-time equivalent jobs.  TCC and its appointed contractor will work alongside local employment/training agencies to maximise opportunities for jobs for local residents.

As well as the hundreds of direct jobs created through the logistics buildings, many other jobs will be established in the supply chain resulting from the proposal. Additionally, other employment opportunities will become available during the development and construction of the facility.

The former Arcadia site has been vacant for a number of months now and our proposals will deliver a high-quality scheme on a brownfield, vacant site within a defined employment area.

The proposal also has the additional benefit of generating approximately £1.78m of business rates revenue per annum, which Milton Keynes Council can use to spend on services.

Key Considerations

During the development of our proposals, we have considered the site and the local area. You can find more information on each of these aspects below:

Retaining and Enhancing Landscaping and Ecology Features

The site has mature landscaped boundaries which will be retained and enhanced.  Additional tree and shrub planting is proposed within the scheme. The new planting areas will include species rich planting to enhance the ecological value of the site.

The existing drainage pond towards the south of the site will be regenerated to improve its ecological value and provide an attractive recreational space for workers.

Traffic & Highways

TCC has undertaken a Transport Assessment which concludes there will not be a negative impact on the current levels of traffic. The significant reduction in the amount of floorspace between the existing Arcadia unit and the proposed scheme will see a reduction in vehicular movements during weekday peak hours.

The weekday peak hour vehicle trip generation of the development has been calculated based on trip rates (per 100 sq. m floor space) from similar storage and distribution developments.  The reduction in floorspace as a result of the redevelopment proposals is expected to result in 15 fewer vehicle movements during the weekday morning peak hour and 11 fewer during the weekday evening peaks hour, including four fewer HGVs. 

The site will be accessed from the existing Redway running to the east of the site alongside Grafton Street, this provides safe walking and cycling access. Access for vehicles is proposed from Merton Drive with separate access points for HGVs and private cars.

Car park spaces are proposed in line with MK Council’s standards with an appropriate level of disabled, cycle stands and motorcycle bays.

Principle of Development

The site comprises a former distribution unit located within the Redmoor employment area which is a considerable distance to the west of the Beanhill residential estate beyond Grafton Street. Both the adopted development plan for Milton Keynes and the Woughton Community Neighbourhood Plan identify the site as being suitable for continued employment use subject to mitigating any impacts.

Sustainability

Our proposal puts sustainability at its heart. Our plans will incorporate clean and renewable energy, including a number of solar panels of the roof of the buildings, and integrate natural daylighting, through windows and skylights, to stop the unnecessary use of electric lighting. 

We further want to promote the use of electric vehicles within the site and our proposals will include electric vehicle charging points across the site.

In addition, the buildings will seek BREEAM Excellent certification by providing efficiencies in natural and artificial lighting; heating, cooling and ventilation; water conservation and storage as well as a careful selection of environmentally friendly construction materials.

Computer generated image of the proposed development

Virtual Exhibition

Tell Us What You Think

Thank you for taking the time to look at our proposals.

We are committed to listening to local people as we develop our plans and this consultation provides an opportunity for the local community to have their say. As such, we would welcome all feedback from those interested in helping to shape the future of the local community before we submit a detailed planning application to Milton Keynes Council in the coming weeks.

There are several ways to have your say:

Completing the feedback form to tell us your views

• Calling us on the community information line on 0330 358 0502 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm)
• Emailing us at: trammellcrowcomk@havingyoursay.co.uk
• Writing to us at Trammell Crow Company Milton Keynes, c/o Lexington Communications, Third Floor Queens House, Queen Street, Manchester M2 5HT

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please ensure all feedback is provided by Sunday 24^th October.  

Feedback Form

Please note that any feedback provided by you will be used for the purposes of informing the submission of a planning application and a summary of all responses will be collated into a Consultation Statement to be submitted as part of that application to the Council. The information you provide will only be used for the purposes of this consultation exercise. The data will be held securely in accordance with data protection guidelines.