| Client | Edge Hill University |
|---|---|
| Turley office | Manchester |
| Status | Ongoing |
| LPA | West Lancashire Borough Council |
Ongoing strategic advice to support the university’s investment in its campus
Our role
- We have provided strategic town planning and development management advice to Edge Hill University since 2004.
- Currently advising the University’s Directorate and senior stakeholders in relation to development opportunities within the campus over the next four - five years through an update to the existing Estates Strategy.
- We helped the university to scope out an approach to measuring its economic and social value, working collaboratively with the client team to set a data capture template and to gather quantitative and qualitative (case study) evidence of impact.
- We highlighted the multiplicity of ways in which the university enriches the social, sporting and cultural life of West Lancashire through a range of case studies.
- We are also liaising closely with the university and local authority to outline the future strategy and direction of the university up to 2050. This includes liaising with the university to prepare detailed justification which demonstrates that exceptional circumstances exist for Green Belt boundaries, adjacent to the campus, to be reviewed.
Results
- Secured planning permissions for the university on a range of projects including the Tech Hub which opened in 2016; Creative Edge, a £17m facility to provide a new and innovative experience in terms of learning environment; student accommodation which provides an additional 1,000 on campus bedrooms; a comprehensive £30m sports and recreation facility; and The Hub which houses retail and dining areas.
- We have become an integral part of the project team and played a pivotal role in supporting the growth of the university, which culminated in Edge Hill being awarded the coveted UK ‘University of the Year’ title by Times Higher Education (2014/15).
- We provided an approach to measuring impact and social value which is replicable and will enable progress to be monitored over time.
- By retaining a consistent team on recent projects, we have built strong relationships with the client, development team, local authority and stakeholders in the planning process.