Plans supporting a major expansion of MIRA Technology Park have secured unanimous approval from councillors following reconsideration of the application by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
Insider Media has spotted that the council’s Planning Committee has again approved the outline application relating to the extension of the internationally significant automotive research and development site near Nuneaton.
The proposals cover a 59-hectare site and envisage 213,500 square metres of development for manufacturing, associated offices and services, storage and distribution. The plans also include a new spine road, car parking, landscaping and significant highway works.
The proposed development itself is located in North Warwickshire, with the Hinckley and Bosworth element of the cross-boundary application relating primarily to highway access and improvements. These include changes around the A5 and A444, including the Redgate roundabout, and mitigation at the A5 junctions with Woodford Lane and Drayton Lane.
The application had previously been considered by Hinckley and Bosworth councillors, but the earlier approval was subsequently quashed following a legal challenge relating to consideration of alternative highway arrangements at Drayton Lane. The application was therefore returned to the council for determination.
At the latest meeting, the application itself remained unchanged, with the main discussion again focusing on the off-site highway arrangements. Consultation responses from Leicestershire County Council, National Highways and Warwickshire County Council indicated that the proposed left-in, left-out arrangement at Drayton Lane was acceptable. Council officers maintained their recommendation for approval, and members unanimously backed the application.
The council’s planning documents describe MIRA Technology Park as being of “national importance” and a world-class automotive facility. The site is headquarters to HORIBA MIRA and home to more than 40 international automotive engineering companies, with the council highlighting its role in research and development involving alternative fuels, electrification and autonomous technologies.
Documents submitted with the planning application estimate the expansion could support up to 2,500 jobs on the completed development, alongside further employment elsewhere in the economy. The submission also estimates that the completed scheme could contribute £353.8 million in Gross Value Added to the local economy each year.
The proposals include substantial transport infrastructure, with access to the extension planned from the existing A5 roundabout serving MIRA Technology Park. A new spine road would run through the development, while plans also include a new cycle route connecting the A444 with the existing cycle network and provision for bus stops.
The scheme is proposed to be delivered in two phases, with the first incorporating works to the A5 and Redgate roundabout alongside development of the northern part of the site. A second phase would include further A444 works and development of the southern section.
(Picture – MIRA)
