Planning permission has been granted for a new training facility aimed at the manufacturing, engineering, and technology sectors
Bond Bryan’s submission for planning permission to build iMET (innovation manufacturing engineering technology) has been accepted.
The facility, which will provide vocational training in manufacturing, engineering, and technology, will be constructed in Aclonbury Weald—a 1,420 acre development.
The centre will comprise of a two-storey building with double-height workshops, smaller scale delivery rooms, and specialist laboratories.
Richard Baggaley, iMET’s Project Manager, said: “This planning permission is the culmination of months of work to see the iMET concept made reality.
“iMET will be a dynamic and flexible environment delivering a range of courses to meet the evolving needs of the local economy where traditional training provision is not able to cope.”
The site will also be used to build 5,000 new homes, three primary schools, a secondary school, and 700 acres of green space. It is estimated some 8,000 new jobs could be created due to the development over the next two decades.
Zubin Masters, Associate Director of Bond Bryan Architects, said: “Using our experience of creating environments for Education and Advanced Manufacturing Bond Bryan were able to support Huntingdonshire Regional College and its partners to develop a brief and an elegant design solution for this unique facility.
“The designs for iMET are a result of a genuine collaborative effort between the design team, the client, Urban & Civic, the master developers, and the contractor, Willmott Dixon”.
Funding for the scheme was secured by the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) via its Growth Deal, with £10.5m going into the project.
The project will be a case study for the use of BIM and government Soft Landings. The project process will be provided for those training within iMET as well as the wider construction industry.
Work is expected to start on the project this month, with the doors opening to students by September 2017.
iMet Building Mockup Animation from The Hideout Ltd on Vimeo.
