Wellcome Trust Planning Application and GSPC Response

Wellcome Trust have submitted an outline planning application to SCDC for a major expansion of the Human Genome Complex site.
In summary:
• Total area 150ha (elsewhere stated as 127.5ha). Current site is 125 acres (50ha).
• Construction start targeted for 2020; completion 2031.
• Land is all outside Green Belt.
• Research and development, office and workspace and associated uses falling within Use Classes B1 (office, laboratories, light industry), B2 (general industrial) and B8 (Storage).
• Buildings potentially up to 20m high.
• 1,500 residential dwellings. None on current site.
• Nursery (Use Classes D1); conference facility (Use Class D1) and associated hotel (150-170 rooms Use Class C1); retail uses including shops (Use Class A1), restaurants and cafes (Use Class A3) and bars (Use Class A4); leisure uses (Use Class D2).
• Wellcome out of space on current site; government commitment to sequence 500,000 additional genomes within five years (same as current total).
• Creates circa 4,300 net additional jobs on site and, taking into account displacement and multiplier effects, up to 9,750 net additional jobs across the district, and 11,700 across the UK. Current site houses 2,500+ staff.
• Pre-app advice sought from Toby Williams at SCDC, also consulted CCC on transport, environment, etc.
• Straddles A1301 – land to E is agricultural, to W part of existing site. Map on following page.
• Appear to be two wind turbines near A1301.
• Three new roundabouts on A1301.
• Intention to reduce A1301 speed limit to 30mph.
• ‘The Proposed Development includes improvements to the A1301, the A505/A1301 roundabout (adjacent to McDonald’s roundabout), A11/A1301 junction and Junction 10 of the M11. These would be designed in detail and delivered in agreement with SCDC and the relevant highway authorities.’ The outline application contains no detail.
• 48 page document providing economic justification for development.
• On current site one third use campus bus service, half drive, 10% cycle.
Projected 24 hour traffic volumes on A1301 increase by 404 vehicles (5.4%) N of A505, 2,446 (27%) S of A505 by 2031. These seem implausibly low.
GSPC’s response is here: Wellcome Trust Outline Planning Application GSPC Comments to SCDC