NWV_Cover_FINAL 15/10/07 4:22 pm Page 1

Designed by Creative Lynx www.creativelynx.co.uk

DEVELOPING
NETWORK VILLAGE CREATING SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS

A BRIGHTER
FUTURE
IN THE FORMER ENGLISH COALFIELD SITES

CREATING SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS

NWV_Cover_FINAL 15/10/07 4:21 pm Page 2

CONTENTS
01 Building vibrant communities 12 Delivering greener homes
02 The bigger picture 14 Meeting the needs
04 Lean, mean & green 16 Where it all began
08 The managed business centre 20 Vision for the future
10 A networkcentre 21 Shaping the land
11 Your own front door office 22 Where next?
BUILDING VIBRANT
COMMUNITIES
NETWORK VILLAGE IS A VISION TO
CREATE A VIBRANT EXEMPLAR SUSTAINABLE
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
The primary objective of network village is the
delivery of high quality business space providing
attractive accommodation for small and medium
sized businesses and increasing the availability of
wider and better local employment opportunities
- developed alongside exemplar high quality housing
and all carefully integrated into existing communities.
The network village concept is entirely consistent
with the Government’s intentions for the delivery
of urban renaissance and the creation of sustainable
communities. Its aim is to provide high standard
employment space that will retain and attract
higher quality companies and encourage and
support local start up ventures.
Network village is about sustainable economic
diversification and high quality job creation in
former coalfield communities. The development
of the exemplar housing will support the delivery
of the employment space and also create
a truly sustainable mixed-use addition to the
existing community.
These sustainable mixed-use schemes will be
delivered by Network Space Ltd, a joint venture
between Langtree and English Partnerships set
up in 1999 with a specific remit to deliver high
quality employment space in the former English
coalfield regions.
PAGE 01
THE BIGGER PICTURE
THE NETWORK VILLAGE WILL CREATE
ENTERPRISE AND EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE
PROVISION OF PROMINENT HIGH
QUALITY BUSINESS SPACE IN
LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT WILL
HELP TO SUSTAIN LONG-TERM
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Delivered as a fully integrated sustainable mixed-use employment
and residential scheme where the speculative development of the
business space is cross subsidised by the development of housing.
The concept will include:
High quality managed business centre which offers Grade A
quality serviced office accommodation for local small and
medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
Flexible high quality workspace units carefully designed
for a mixed-use environment
Self-contained ‘own front door’ offices designed to be capable
of change of use in the future
Exemplar housing achieving Code for Sustainable Homes
Level 4 or higher and providing a mix of housing choice
and tenure
Attractive open space designed to provide opportunities
for community use and residential amenity
WEAREDELIVERING
A FULLY INTEGRATED
SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE
EMPLOYMENT
& RESIDENTIALSCHEME

PAGE 02/03
LEAN, MEAN & GREEN
THE PROPOSALS ARE FOR
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENTS
WITHIN OR ADJOINING EXISTING
TOWNS AND VILLAGES MAXIMISING
THE USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE
AND FACILITIES
The offices and workspace units will be developed to
a minimum sustainability standard of British Research
Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)
Very Good and with the aim of achieving Excellent.

The networkcentre developed at Allerton Bywater Millennium

Community achieved BREEAM standard of Excellent and received
BRE’s BREEAM 2006 industrial award for sustainability.

The housing development will aim to achieve exemplar standard

of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 to help further the drive
for a step change in sustainable home building practice.

Key aims will be to achieve CO2 reduction, energy efficiency

and reduced energy consumption. Sustainable energy design
to be lean, mean, green, affordable and practical. Improvements
can be achieved by:
Improving fabric performance
Condensing boiler technology
Natural ventilation
Daylight linked lighting control
Heat recovery
Solar shading
Ground source heat pumps
Solar thermal water heating

Network Space will work with Key Stakeholders on cross cutting

themes to develop the vision. Examples of themes include:
Community engagement and management
Promotion of design innovation using modern methods
of construction and energy efficiency to deliver truly
sustainable development
Training and education opportunities
Ensuring the creation of a connected neighbourhood

25% MINIMUM
IMPROVEMENT FROM CURRENT
BUILDING STANDARDS

PAGE 04/05
WITH NETWORK
VILLAGE WE ARE
CREATING BETTER QUALITY
EMPLOYMENT
PROSPECTS
PAGE 06/07
THE MANAGED
BUSINESS CENTRE

Development of a high quality managed business centre

typically 20,000 to 25,000 sq ft providing fully serviced offices
available on flexible terms.

The building will include the following features:

Contemporary design
Fully furnished offices
Offices offering between 2 and 8 workstations
Reception staff and central telephone services
Mail and message handling
Immediate occupancy with plug and go IT facilities

OVER 20,000
Conference and meeting rooms
All inclusive rents charged on a workstation basis
Flexible short term agreements SQ FT
Access security system
OF FULLY SERVICED OFFICES
AVAILABLE ON FLEXIBLE TERMS
PAGE 08/09
A NETWORKCENTRE
The networkcentre will provide high quality workspace
units suitable for SMEs and start up businesses. Typical size
of scheme would be 25,000 to 30,000 sq ft providing units
ranging from 750 to 3,000 sq ft.

Networkcentres include the following features:

Courtyard layout
Security fencing and alarm system
Secured by Design accreditation
High quality design
Sustainable and energy efficient
BREEAM standard - Very Good/Excellent
Flexible lease terms
Compatible with adjoining housing

Allerton Bywater networkcentre received the British

Research Establishment BREEAM industrial award 2006
for sustainability.

HIGH QUALITY
WORKSPACE UNITS FOR SMEs
AND START UP BUSINESSES
YOUR OWN FRONT
DOOR OFFICE
Self-contained ‘own front door’ offices designed to be adaptable
in the future and available for sale or to let.

Situated in an attractive mixed-use environment, the occupiers

will also have the considerable benefit of the managed business
centre and all its services right on their doorstep.

The offices will offer contemporary design and energy efficiency

in a range of two and three storey accommodation available as
single or combined units.

The offices will include the following features:

Contemporary design
Sustainable and energy efficient
Private parking
Secured by Design accreditation
Flexible lease terms

FLEXIBLE
SELF-CONTAINED OFFICES
FOR SALE OR TO LET
PAGE 10/11
DELIVERING
GREENER HOMES

The houses and apartments within the network village will aim
to achieve an exemplar standard of Code Level 4. This means the
development will improve performance in a range of areas including,
water, waste, materials, drainage, energy and CO2, pollution, health
and well being, management and ecology.

Building sustainable homes is not simply reducing CO2 but also

looking at the materials we use in construction and minimising the
other environmental impacts - reducing the use of water and the
waste generated in construction and in the way we live.

In conjunction, the masterplan and design of the development

will deal with access, safety and security, outlook, play areas, traffic
management and good quality design reflecting local characteristics.
Creating a connected neighbourhood and delivering a diversity in
housing choice and tenure.
PAGE 12/13
MEETING
THE NEEDS
THE HOUSING ELEMENT WILL
FACILITATE THE DELIVERY OF THE
HIGH QUALITY BUSINESS SPACE
AND THE WIDER REGENERATION
SPIN OFF RESULTING FROM THE
EXEMPLAR SCHEMES
The network village concept is entirely consistent with the
Government’s intentions for the delivery of Urban Renaissance
and the creation of sustainable communities. The mixed-use
network village will meet the aspirations of Government guidance
in PPS 1 Delivering Sustainable Development and PPS 3 Housing.

The strong regeneration benefits of the network village proposals

include making use of brownfield sites in sustainable locations
with a strong employment led justification. This coupled with
a commitment to deliver an exemplar high quality development,
provides a strong cogent regeneration planning case.
PAGE 14/15
NETWORK SPACE LTD IS A JOINT
VENTURE BETWEEN LANGTREE AND
ENGLISH PARTNERSHIPS LAUNCHED
IN OCTOBER 1999 BY THE DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER JOHN PRESCOTT

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

“SMALL BUSINESSES CAN MAKE
A HUGE CONTRIBUTION TO THE
RENEWED PROSPERITY OF
COALFIELD COMMUNITIES.”
John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister

Its remit is to develop new workspace in the former English

coalfields by providing quality accommodation for new and
expanding small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The initial remit, to deliver 500,000 sq ft, was achieved

within the six-year target time frame. The first phase delivered
17 networkcentres, with a typical scheme providing 30,000 sq ft
on a two acre site.

This public/private sector partnership has been very successful, the

first phase is over 90% occupied accommodating over 200 growing
organisations and creating 1,330 jobs making a considerable
contribution to the regeneration of the coalfield regions.

A second programme of development was commissioned by

the joint venture partners comprising five new networkcentres
providing an additional 200,000 sq ft. The extended programme
has seen the networkcentre product evolve as the company
responds to market needs by providing a workspace and serviced
office product. These additional five networkcentres will be
completed by the end of 2007.

Network village will deliver a third phase of development and

a further 300,000 sq ft of high quality business centres, offices
and workspace.

2,200
JOBS TO BE ACCOMMODATED IN
DELIVERED OFFICES AND WORKSPACE

PAGE 16/17
YOU’LL SEE A HUGE GROWTH IN
OPEN SPACES
THAT ARE ACTIVE,
INCLUSIVE & SAFE

PAGE 18/19
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
NETWORK VILLAGE WILL DELIVER
SENSITIVELY DESIGNED SUSTAINABLE
NEIGHBOURHOODS TO MEET LOCAL
EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING NEEDS,
AESTHETIC REQUIREMENTS AND
COMMUNITY ASPIRATIONS
Network village offers an interactive framework for regeneration
of existing communities by encouraging the development of
sustainable neighbourhoods. This will be achieved by providing
long-term diversified employment opportunities using a blend of
high quality business space, community initiatives and activities.
The creation of a mixed-use resource and local amenity, incorporating
a strong social focus, encouraging a holistic approach to living and
working, in both environmental, economic and social terms.
The provision of high quality, sensitive contemporary building
design, in the form of managed office centres, flexible workspace
and housing; using a range of both modern and traditional
materials, planned and tailored to meet local development needs,
aesthetic requirements and community aspirations.
EXEMPLAR
SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE
COMMUNITIES
SHAPING THE LAND
THE DESIGN OF THE EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENT IS A KEY ELEMENT
IN THE NETWORK VILLAGE VISION
AND THE DELIVERY OF AN EXEMPLAR
MIXED-USE SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
The proposals will seek to create a place that best serves the local
community and positively responds to the site context. It is important
to create open spaces that are useable and relevant, well designed
and well built.
Activity areas need to be safe and offer opportunities for
everyone. The various play areas and informal recreation space
require to be well connected through the development and
into the existing neighbourhood.
It is important that the external environment of the development
makes a positive contribution to nature conservation, biodiversity and
the ecology of the site. This will be achieved through the creation of
wildlife habitats, water features and sensitive management techniques.
Reclaimed and recycled materials will be used as much as practically
possible.Wherever possible, materials will be sourced locally, especially
if it helps to support the ecology and habitats of the region, reduce
travel and support the local economy.
PAGE 20/21
WHERE NEXT?
NETWORK SPACE IS LOOKING FOR
SITES WITHIN THE FORMER ENGLISH
COALFIELD AREAS SUITABLE FOR
NETWORK VILLAGE DEVELOPMENTS
Appropriate sites will be within or adjacent to existing settlements
and suitable for sustainable mixed-use development. Sites requiring
remediation and infrastructure works will be considered and sites
are likely to be ten acres or more.
For further information on network village please contact:
Network Space Ltd
Centrix House
Crow Lane East
Newton-le-Willows
WA12 9UY
Tel: 0800 542 0402
Email: info@networkvillage.co.uk
Website: www.networkvillage.co.uk
 NWV_Cover_FINAL 15/10/07 4:23 pm Page 2

homes

e
 NETWORK VILLAGE CREATING SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS
Designed by Creative Lynx www.creativelynx.co.uk
A joint venture between
Page 1
4:21 pm
15/10/07
NWV_Cover_FINAL