Project name: Plot 9000 phases 1 and 2 including the Skylark building
Square footage: 37,114 sq ft
Floor plan: Download Floor Plan
Project completion date: July 2025
Building specifications: The construction of Phase 1 and 2 of a new flagship development comprising three buildings totalling 37,114 sq ft of mixed-use space.
The project team was led by TFT Consultants and including Architects PRC,Civil and Structural Engineering Consultants Evolve Consulting Engineers and Building Services Engineering Consultants Shepherd Brombley Partnership. The construction was carried out by Parkway Construction.
The new scheme forms part of a major development programme backed by £5.9 million in UK Space Agency funding, secured through a successful collaborative bid led by URA Thrusters and including PATRIZIA (the owners of Westcott), Buckinghamshire Council and Skyports Drone Services (Skyports).
Three new 10-year leases have been agreed on the Phase 1 development with sustainable propulsion company URA Thrusters and leading drone services provider Skyports Drone Services (both members of the Westcott Space Cluster), along with Westcott Shared Facilities.
URA Thrusters, which specialises in revolutionary water-based rocket propulsion technology, relocated to the park in 2022 and will now occupy 10,635 sq ft in Building 9002. Since establishing operations at the historic R site, which they extensively refurbished, the company's growth at Westcott has been remarkable. URA's expansion into the new development reflects their continued commitment to Westcott as their base for delivering sustainable propulsion systems.
Westcott Shared Facilities will occupy 5,253 sq ft in the adjoining Building 9003 and will provide technical facilities available for use by industry, academia, and students, such as a very large vacuum chamber, (the Ø3m x 7m vacuum chamber is the UK’s largest commercially available electric propulsion test facility, and is amongst the most capable in Europe), clean rooms, a vibration table and 3D printers as well as other essential equipment.
Pioneering drone services provider Skyports Drone Services, a global leader in drone delivery and inspection services, were the first tenants to occupy space at the Satellite Applications Catapult's world-leading Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC) at Westcott in 2022.
Following its successful growth at the DTDC, Skyports has now secured Building 9001, comprising 5,145 sq ft of industrial and office space. From the enhanced facility, Skyports will consolidate its flight training operations for drone pilots and use the facility as its central aircraft testing, maintenance and storage hub, while continuing to utilise the park’s extensive drone flying areas.
With the expanded facility Skyports is also able to incorporate its “Remote Operations Centre” within the same building, which is uses to remotely operate its drones internationally. The new facility also offers dedicated office space, which can be used both for back-office functions and for mission planning by its pilots.
This cutting-edge development also includes a central amenity facility known as the Skylark - named in tribute to the motors of Britain's first space rocket developed at Westcott in the 1950s. This 16,081sq ft facility will serve as the beating heart of a dynamic business community, providing a 90-seater café operation with a conference centre and meeting rooms.
Grade A office space in the Skylark has also been developed with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, the offices benefit from exceptional natural light and far-reaching views across the park and Buckinghamshire countryside beyond.
The construction of new 13,250 sq ft clear span single storey industrial unit with associated yard and parking areas.
The first phase of the Building 6000 development set on 4.5 acres was let on a 10-year lease to Green Retreats.
Westcott Venture Park,
Westcott, Aylesbury,
Buckinghamshire,
HP18 0XB