The owners and architect of The Depot, Weedon Bec, have set out their updated plans to restore the 200-year-old Grade II listed former military base in the heart of England into a mixed-use creative and care hub.
At present, workshops are the single biggest business use on the site, but the current round of building refurbishments is aimed at tapping into the potential for The Depot to be reinvented to meet the evolving needs of business and the local community.
As well as the refurbishment of current buildings into flexible workspace targeting creative and tech businesses, also included in the plans for the 15-acre site strategically located close to the A5, A45 and M1, are a boutique 35-room hotel, 12 apartments, 16 low energy family homes, retail units and visitor centre, an 84-bed care home and 17 “close care” homes where the elderly or disabled can live independently while having care resources close at hand.
An explanatory paper, mapping out the past and current uses as well as the future plans, has been produced for anyone interested in the development to view while it goes through the planning application process with Daventry District Council. Says architect Paul Vick, “We are really keen to take on board the input of local stakeholders at this stage. This is the first comprehensively mixed-use plan submitted for the whole site, and we believe it will meet a range of strategic requirements and needs set out within local plans.”
Building 17 is the next to be refurbished at The Depot: 18,000 sq ft over three floors stylishly converted into quirky workspace – including 6,000 sq ft of co-working space for small enterprises, meeting the needs of today’s businesses looking for adaptable, flexible space on short leases – and in a character location.
A further 250 jobs will be created on the site when it is complete. Moreover, the impact on the surrounding villages will be minimal: most of the traffic would be directed onto the A45 following the site re-development, away from the village of Weedon Bec.
Says architect Paul Vick: “We know from the Council’s own strategic plans that more residential care places are needed locally, while enabling older people to downsize into the close care units will release family homes locally.
“The boutique hotel would be created by reusing the burnt-out remains of the Wagon Shed, while four large buildings currently being used for storage and distribution will be adapted for other employment uses.
“Key to our thinking has been conserving and restoring the very best features of the site – including the canal, the 14.5 feet high containing walls and four bastions as well as the remaining Napoleonic era buildings – while creating a legacy for the future and opening it up to those interested in its heritage.”
Owner Michael Chittenden comments: “The Depot is strategically located to serve national as well as regional businesses. It offers really interesting workspace in a character setting and is served by superfast broadband – which is exactly what forward-looking businesses are looking for. We know there is an appetite for business space locally as the number of tenants here has risen to over 75 in the last year. Part of the offer will be flexible space – both offices and workshops – for new and fast-growing businesses on short term leases.
“It is also a work environment with idyllic views onto its very own canal, rich in wildlife, including resident ducks and swans, which will act as a magnet for businesses looking to operate in an inspiring location.
“While occupiers are undoubtedly looking to shrink their staff-to-space ratios, they all want higher quality space, with greater flexibility and enhanced wellbeing amenities.
“Workspace,” he concludes,” should never confine or act as a brake on a company’s ambitions, but provide a platform for it to evolve and flourish. We see The Depot fulfilling that function for enterprises of all sizes and at all stages of development in the years ahead – creating workspace for the future from great buildings we have inherited from the past.”
