Construction is underway at Westcott on a cutting-edge £16m flagship project.
The scheme, extending over 65,455 sq ft, will offer a range of state-of-the-art facilities for space research, advanced manufacturing and testing, shared workspaces as well as modern office units, a conference centre and a café.
The development will get a £5.9 million boost thanks to UK Space Agency funding and is a result of a successful collaborative bid led by Westcott based URA Thrusters and Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone, Buckinghamshire Council and Skyports Drone Services. Together, they made a compelling submission to the Space Cluster Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) which was delivered by industry, for industry and supported by Government.
Detailed consent has been granted for the first two phases of the development and construction is underway. The project is due to complete in summer 2025. Outline consent is agreed for Phase Three, comprising 30,000 sq ft of modern industrial units, which will be coming to market in Q4 2025.
Westcott owners, PATRIZIA Hanover Property Unit Trust has agreed pre-lets on Phase One with URA Thrusters which will occupy 10,000 sq ft of the building and Westcott Shared Facilities, which will occupy 5,000 sq ft. A further 5,000 sq ft industrial unit will be available to rent.
PATRIZIA Hanover is a Diversified UK property fund currently ranked 1st in both in its GRESB index (ESG) for 2024 and its MSCI index (performance) over 3 year and 5 years. It is making significant strides in sustainable development with this major project which will incorporate innovative carbon-efficient materials, such as cedar cladding and recycled steel, to minimise embodied carbon. Materials already incorporated in the scheme include a low contractors earthworks equipment.
Phase Two will introduce The Skylark, a highly anticipated facility named in tribute to the motors of Britain's first space rocket developed at Westcott in the 1950s. This communal centre is designed to foster collaboration and innovation across the park. It will feature a café, catering facility, auditorium and meeting and coworking spaces on the ground floor as well as commercial office space available to let on the first floor.
Max Pearson, Associate Director at PATRIZIA said: “This development is the largest in Westcott’s history and will establish the Park as one of the most supportive and adaptable environments for businesses to thrive. The Skylark facility is poised to revolutionise the working environment at Westcott, significantly boosting its attractiveness as a prime location for prospective tenants. It will also enable the Westcott Space Cluster to make substantial contributions to the advancement of space research, manufacturing, and testing.”
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “Westcott Venture Park is a hotbed of innovation in areas such as space propulsion and it’s exciting to see the space cluster there continue to grow. Enhancing the state-of-the-art facilities on site will help attract new talent to the sector and support important research, manufacturing and testing activities while catalysing more investment into the region.”
Natalie Speer, Head of Operations at URA Thrusters, said: “As leaders of the bid we were thrilled to see the overwhelming support from all the members of the Westcott Space Cluster and academia across the United Kingdom - the opportunity for Westcott to be an internationally recognised Space Cluster is here!”
Martin Tett, Buckinghamshire Council’s Leader and Chair of Buckinghamshire’s Growth Board, said: “We are delighted to support the development of these state-of-the-art facilities at Westcott’s Enterprise Zone. The Growth Board’s Enterprise Zone investment reinforces Westcott's position as a world-leading centre of excellence in space propulsion in the heart of Buckinghamshire and one which is increasingly attracting new business and investment. We believe that Skylark will be a focal point for collaboration across business, research, and education and a platform for UK innovation and growth.”
