Hedges could be removed to improve access to new £20m facility at Airbus

Sections of hedgerow could be removed from an area of Broughton to improve pedestrian access to a new £20m facility at Airbus.

Welsh Government funded plans to open an advanced manufacturing and research institute near the aviation company’s factory in Flintshire were given the go-ahead in March last year.

The 6,000m2 building is set to be used as a centre of excellence in the fields of aerospace, automotive engineering and electronics, and is expected to create 170 jobs.

The government has now applied to Flintshire Council to make minor amendments to the proposals, while construction on the project is ongoing.

It includes proposals to remove areas of hedgerow on Chester Road to form two new access points.

In a letter, designers Ove Arup and Partners Ltd said the changes would help to enhance the front of the building.

They said: “After obtaining consent, there has been a level of modest evolution and refinement made to the overall design and layout of the proposed development, an element of which relates to the relationship with its frontage along Chester Road.

“In seeking a more comprehensive access strategy for pedestrians and greater integration along Chester Road, it was decided that reconfiguring the hedgerow to facilitate two pedestrian access points would enhance the legibility of the overall development.

“Subsequently, Welsh Government has instructed Arup to submit a full planning application to reconfigure the hedgerow boundary accordingly.

“Currently, pedestrian access is proposed only along the private access road that loops along the north-eastern extent of the site.

“The new pedestrian access points will link with Chester Road and provide convenient access to local transport links, encouraging visitors and staff to use sustainable or active modes when travelling to the site or interacting with other uses in the locality.”

The company said the two removed sections would be relocated elsewhere on Chester Road.

Comments are currently being invited on the application via the Flintshire Council website.

The local authority is aiming to decide on the proposals by mid-April.

Meanwhile, the new facility is scheduled to open by the end of 2019.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).