Nearly 2,000 new car parking spaces could be coming to Bury St Edmunds after an updated masterplan revealed an “exciting” ambition for Western Way.
The creation of a public services village is a key component of a revised masterplan for the area, which is now out for consultation by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
Along with the car park, a new public transport hub and accommodation for around 300 university students looks like being in the pipeline.
“The council’s plan for the area looks very exciting and matches our own vision of providing the best possible environment and resources for our students, who are at the heart of all our decision making,” said West Suffolk College principal Nikos Savvas, who added it had always been a long-term plan for the college to provide accommodation for its higher education students.
According to phase two of the masterplan: “It was identified that the current car parking provision is not adequate and thus it is proposed that the first section of the 1,800 space car multi-storey car park is constructed to provide approximately 850 spaces.”
An original masterplan had already been approved in 2006 as part of the council’s Vision 2031, which saw the construction of West Suffolk House as part of phase one as well as car parking at Olding Road.
“Since its completion the landowner of the NHS logistics site has expressed their interest in including their land in the development of the site. It is for this reason the adopted masterplan has been amended,” stated the new version released this week.
Council cabinet member for planning and growth Alaric Pugh said: “The potential for increasing the amount of land available for development gives us a good opportunity to find out what people think of the ideas put forward. I encourage people to take a look at the masterplan and let us know their views.”
Dr Savvas also said the college was currently putting plans into action for a new engineering and innovation centre in the Western Way area too.
A statement released by the council emphasised the masterplan was a “vision” for what could happen in the future if land became available and not something that was going to happen immediately.
“It is not a certainty, it’s an ambition developed through consultation which helps potential developers put forward appropriate plans,” the statement added.
The public consultation on the revised Western Way masterplan will run until February 29.
The full revised masterplan is available online at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/westernway or at the council offices, in West Suffolk House, in Western Way. There will also be a drop-in session at West Suffolk House on February 4 from 2pm-7pm.
To take part in the masterplan consultation download a form from the website and email it to westernway@westsuffolk.gov.uk
Alternatively write to Western Way Masterplan Consultation, Planning and Regulatory Services, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3YU.
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