Planning permission has been granted for a revolutionary multi-million-pound ‘public service development’, which will be carried out by Pick Everard.
The development at Western Way, Bury St Edmunds is designed to unite public services with enterprising space.
A full range of services will be undertaken by Leicester company and built environment consultancy Pick Everard, operating under Perfect Circle’s unique collaboration.
The plans were approved by West Suffolk Council at a committee meeting last week.
Paul Darlow, regional lead for East Anglia at Perfect Circle, who is also regional director at Pick Everard, said: “We are really pleased to receive planning permission for the redevelopment of Western Way.
"This is set to be a significant project for the region and will form part of the long-term vision to create jobs and attract investment to the area.”
The 17-acre development will provide a nationally ground-breaking way to deliver integrated public services for its communities, as part of a network of existing and planned ‘hub’ projects in West Suffolk.
The development will offer a new, state-of-the-art leisure centre with an integrated health and social care hub.
It will include large amounts of new employment space, council services, police, an advice centre, voluntary organisations, and community and education services, all located within one building, improving public access, service delivery and efficiency.
As well as offering opportunities for multiple other partners to join the scheme under the auspices of the government’s One Public Estate programme, the project will repurpose a 10,000m2, 1960s depot building. This will be part of its sustainability objectives, including significant infrastructure improvements and while further work will take place on a green travel plan with the emphasis being on reducing car travel.
The team has been working on the project since 2016, following their work on the original masterplan and delivery of phase one, West Suffolk House, in 2009; producing master planning options, project costs and supporting the business case, which were presented in 2019.
Over this period, the team has been providing a large range of services to deliver this second phase, including architecture, building services, structural and civil engineering, quantity surveying, sustainability including BREEAM, BIM, highways engineering, interior design, landscape and health and safety.
Perfect Circle, comprising Pick Everard, Gleeds and AECOM, was appointed for the scheme via Scape Group’s National Built Environment Consultancy Services (BECS) framework, which provides the broadest range of consultancy services available to be public sector.
