First phase of work gets underway at Alconbury Enterprise Campus

The initial work includes putting in a new entrance specifically for Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs), and reconfiguring and landscaping the North Gate entrance to make it more suitable for bicycles, pedestrians and cars. The work will set the scene for the site’s transformation into a high quality place for business innovation.

Tim Leathes, Project Manager for Urban&Civic who are behind the development of the Government-backed Enterprise Campus and the Alconbury Weald development, said: “After two years of planning and discussions, it is great to get started with transforming the look and feel of the site into its new focus on skilled jobs and low carbon innovation. We are also starting as we mean to go on, by using two local companies for the work.”

The new construction entrance, located on the B1043 (the old A1) north of the current North Gate Airfield entrance, will be a designated entry and exit point for all HCVs both for the construction of the Enterprise Zone and existing lorries using the site in its current logistics capacity. Following completion of the new entrance by the end of this year, work will start on a more landscaped and open Gateway entrance to the site at North Gate. This work will also create a boulevard of over 60 semi mature trees which will be developed alongside - and provide the setting for - the anticipated first new building - the Incubator.

The main delivery of the early infrastructure is being carried out by Jackson Civil Engineering, based in Huntingdon. The work has also been supported by Peterborough-based Quantity Surveyors, CCM Associates.

Neil Robinson, Regional Manager for Jackson Civil Engineering said: “We’re delighted to be involved at the start of this exciting project. As a local business, it’s great to be part of a project that will pave the way for business growth in the region, especially during these tough economic times.” Andrew Morley, Managing Director of CCM Associates, said: “We are honoured to celebrate our 25 years of quantity surveying for infrastructure projects in Cambridgeshire with this significant appointment from Urban & Civic. This project will open up access for the exciting developments that are planned for this major site and we are very pleased to be working on them.”

Early infrastructure works for the site was approved by Huntingdonshire District Council in February this year, after an Enabling Application was submitted by Urban&Civic. The HCV access work is expected to be finished by Christmas 2012, and Urban&Civic have been working with the District Council and local parish councils to develop Considerate Construction conditions to set the standard for future work on the site.

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