FAQs

The site is 156 acres (approx 63 hectares). It is located to the south east of Junction 50 of the A14, off the A1120 in Stowmarket, Suffolk. Part of the site is within the parish of Stowmarket and part is within the parish of Creeting St Peter.

The main infrastructure (including the access into the site) commenced in spring 2022. Once full planning consent is received buildings can be constructed concurrently to the infrastructure works. Funding for this infrastructure is already in place. In total, Gateway 14 could take 10 to 15 years to be completed.

It is estimated that approximately 3,000 direct jobs and a further 1,500 ‘indirect’ jobs could be created, as well as more than 150 construction jobs over the course of the construction period. As is the standard with most modern business parks, 40% of the parts of the Gateway 14 site that can be developed, will be used for buildings.

As is the standard with most modern business parks, 40% of the parts of the Gateway 14 site that can be developed, will be used for buildings.

The site could accommodate logistics buildings providing up to one million square foot in total, as well as office/headquarters/Research and Development campus style buildings of various sizes.

The Local Plan allocates the whole site for development, however it was previously split under two separate ownerships. Therefore planning applications for developing the site in two parts by two separate developers were brought forward, and these approved in 2018 by Mid Suffolk District Council. However, the developers behind these plans weren’t able to finance their respective schemes. Gateway 14 Ltd bought both sites and has developed one cohesive scheme - with one planning application - for the entire site.

The community engagement period ran in September and October 2020. Feedback helped to shape the revised masterplan for Gateway 14, which formed the basis of the hybrid planning application submitted in January 2021, which was subsequently approved in August 2021. A Statement of Community Consultation was submitted with the planning application detailing all the feedback received during the consultation period, and how it was considered.

A Construction Management Plan will agree aspects such as construction phasing, health and safety procedures and working hours with the Council. The Plan is based on being a considerate neighbour and protecting the amenity of neighbours throughout the build period. There will be a designated point of contact for the construction period, who neighbours will have access to should they have any queries or concerns.

The site will be drained to the existing watercourses to the north east and south east. These eventually flow into the River Gipping. As required by national and local flooding policy the outflow from the site will be reduced to match the one in one year peak greenfield runoff rates. Rainwater will be collected and stored on site for use in toilet flushing and irrigation. Any water that does leave the site will be treated as it passes through a Sustainable urban Drainage System (SuDS) which will use natural processes to remove and trap pollution. The SuDS will also improve the habitats for wildlife. The far north east and south east areas of the site are at risk of fluvial flooding. These areas will not be developed. The site is not generally at surface water flood risk although the clay nature of the subsoil does not drain well. The proposed surface water drainage system will replace the existing field drainage and will, therefore reduce the risk of surface water flooding within the site itself. The shape of the attenuation basins in the amenity and biodiversity zone has been modified to minimise any impact on archaeology.

There is the potential for noise to be generated by the site, likely to consist of HGV movements, industrial operations and fixed plant and equipment. Options for managing these potential noise issues, if necessary, could include the implementation of acoustic barriers, consideration of building orientation, and placement and selection of appropriate fixed plant and equipment. The impacts of the proposed development, including noise and light controls, can be managed through suitable planning conditions applied to the planning permission(s) by the Council. Where any end users propose operations that may generate noise, assessment of the impacts of this can be undertaken with any Reserved Matters application (the name given to a detailed planning application), where the local authority deem it necessary.

The potential for the proposed development to influence local air quality during both the construction and operational phases was assessed in the planning application and appropriate mitigation measures are recommended where any potentially significant impacts are identified. As the precise end users are not yet known, the air quality assessment is not be able to consider specific operational emissions other than those associated with construction phase activities and operational phase road traffic. Where any end users propose operations that have associated emissions such as dust or odours, assessment of the influence of these on local air quality can be undertaken with any Reserved Matters application (the name given to a detailed planning application), where the local authority deem it necessary.

A key benefit of the development is the increased permeability of the site. Gateway 14 allows for the retention and enhancement of pedestrian and bicycle access across the site, through the provision of dedicated routes, often through strategic green infrastructure, connecting existing Public Rights of Way in the north east of the site with pedestrian access via Mill Lane, which will be closed to vehicular access. New connections will connect to the Gipping River Valley Way in the south east of the site. As a result of feedback, the footpath has been re-routed from that proposed during the public consultation, to move away from the A14 and provide a more attractive route through the site.

The existing carriageway of Mill Lane will be replaced by a new high quality link through the site which will connect to the Cedars roundabout. This will remove traffic from Creeting Road as it passes through the residential area. Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to continue to access the site via the existing A1120 overbridge which will be retained. There will be a new pedestrian link to the Gipping Valley Way and the existing footpath to Creeting St. Peter will be diverted through the site.

Parking for cycles motorcycles and other vehicles will be provided in line with the needs of each building and will follow the County Council's (as Highway Authority) guidance.