COMMUNITY
NOTICE BOARD
Providing an update for the community
on current development progress.
October 2024 Update
A fantastic summer at Waverley!
It was a great summer at Waverley, with progress made in strides across site and some excellent community events held.
In September residents came together for a food festival, where they were able to sample food from a number of local eateries, while enjoying live music and entertainment, and learning more about Harworth’s plans for Waverley over the coming months.
Families across the community have also taken part in forest school sessions – these have given children a deeper connection to and understanding of nature and we hope those who participated enjoyed them.
There’s been some good progress made at Highwall Park, the new green space at the heart of Waverley where the community will soon be able to socialise, relax and exercise.
We’re progressing earthworks on site to support the creation of the park, and recently submitted plans for the detailed design of phase two to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC). We are on track for the first two phases of the park to be open in late 2025.
At the Advanced Manufacturing Park, we welcomed three new occupiers over the summer – Danieli UK Holdings Ltd, Insight Direct (UK) Ltd, and Technicut Ltd.
RMBC also granted Waverley Junior Academy planning consent to expand the school, creating an additional form of entry and more school places for local children. This has been supported by funding from Harworth.
Construction continued at Olive Lane, and we announced that Tesco will be opening a convenience store, alongside the community centre which will be operated by Waverley Community Council. We’ll be updating on additional occupiers in due course.
Our timelapse camera continues to tick away, so you can take a look at how much has been achieved at Olive Lane over the past few months.
An update from our Active Travel co-ordinator
We recently delivered the first of a series of pop up events at Waverley Junior Academy to promote and encourage sustainable travel to school. Parents were consulted on the proposed walking buses and pupils received bespoke hi vis active travel materials to help keep them visible when walking through the darker months.
Across the wider development, our sustainable travel photo competition, 1dayaweek, is about to launch. Residents and pupils can be in with a chance of winning £200 every month by travelling more sustainably. To enter, simply leave the car at home when travelling around the estate, to the country park, to work, school or the shops and take a photo. Upload the photo to social media with the hashtag #my1DAW and they will be automatically entered into the prize draw! Alternatively, residents can email their photos to 1dayaweek@mosodi.co.uk. Entries are restricted to one per day - check out the 1dayaweek website 1dayaweek.co.uk for more information
Coming up at Waverley
There are some exciting free community events planned for Waverley through to the end of the year:
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Following the success of the forest school sessions throughout the summer, more have been scheduled for October half term (spaces are still available for Thursday 31). Families living in Waverley are invited to book on one of these free sessions by completing the form on this link or by contacting Angela at Adventuring Angels on 07759 878011
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We are organising a series of cycling workshops for children at Waverley, starting in October half term and lasting eight weeks. These will be held at the bike track every Saturday and led by CrankMonster, a British Cycling certified cycle skills teacher. To book, email crankmonster@yahoo.com.
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We will kick off the festive season by supporting Waverley Community Council’s Christmas Lights Switch On on Saturday 7 December. As well as the chance to meet Santa, this event will also have elves for the children of Waverley to meet, and there will be refreshments available.
Do you have an initiative you need to support?
Harworth is proud to introduce the Community Support Fund, which allows residents of Waverley to bid for support.
Whether it is sponsorship for a local sports team, or equipment for a club, fill out the application at https://forms.office.com/e/GVYcQbCU4M, before the fund closes at the end of December. The maximum bid value is £3000.
Street Food Festival - Sunday 8th September 1pm-4pm
All welcome!
Come and enjoy an afternoon of street food and family friendly entertainment at the Waverley Lakes on Sunday 8th September! Includes face painting and live music. For more details, please click here.
July 2024 Update
Parcel 4D Development Progress
In line with the approved masterplan for Waverley, approximately 177 new homes are due to be built on the parcel of land that sits between the railway line and Highfield Spring, knows as parcel 4D (as shown on the plan below).
Harworth’s detailed plans to prepare the land for development have now been approved by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. We will therefore soon be commencing enabling works involving ground investigation, bulk earthworks, and the installation of drain connection points. We will be temporarily diverting the public footpath close to the site while the works take place.
These works will also support the potential delivery of the new Waverley train station in this part of the development which is indicatively shown on the plan below at the location of the existing footbridge.
Whilst South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Network Rail is leading on the potential development of this train station, Harworth is working closely with both parties and has designed the residential scheme to ensure access to a train station – if this is delivered – can be provided here.
The works to prepare the land for development will begin on Monday 29 July and will be taking place for the rest of this year. We will continue to keep residents updated on progress.
During this time we will also be removing the trees on this land under the supervision of an ecological clerk of works. The majority of these trees were planted by Harworth several years ago as part of our work to test the soil quality of the former industrial land at Waverley, following its remediation, and were not there prior to this. This process has helped inform our approach for creating green spaces across the wider development.
We will be providing extensive new tree planting in Highwall Park – the new green space at Waverley where significant numbers of broadleaf and native trees will be planted, alongside grassland, wetland and a nature trail. In addition, we have identified several other locations within the wider Waverley development where further tree planting can take place.
July 2024
Highwall Park is on its way
Earlier this year we shared our plans for the new green space at Waverley – Highwall Park – with the community. We were delighted to receive many positive comments and to hear your thoughts on what you wanted to see there.
We took this feedback on board as we finalised our plans for phase 1 of the park, and we have now submitted these to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.
This first phase will be located next the community bike track. Subject to the granting of planning permission, we hope it will be built out and open to the community by Spring 2025.
We have already secured consent for the enabling works for Highwall Park, and are currently undertaking works on the drainage and forming the levels of the park in preparation for construction of phase 1 beginning.
There will be further opportunities to hear about our plans for the next phases of the park towards the end of this year and into 2025.
All systems go at Olive Lane
We’re making great progress at Olive Lane – residents may have noticed the steelwork for the units is now being constructed, as activity continues at pace on site.
Construction updates can be found in the Olive Lane page , where residents can view a live update and timelapse camera of the work taking place.
Alongside new homes and the medical centre, Olive Lane will be home to commercial units which are currently being marketed to occupiers for uses such as cafés, restaurants, and small retail shops. Waverley Community Council will also be creating a community centre in one of the units.
Our intention is for Olive Lane to be built by the end of this year, with the occupiers moving into the units early next year.
The AMP continues to grow
The Advanced Manufacturing Park – a world renowned hub – is continuing to grow and attract new businesses.
Calibre Scientific – a global life sciences and diagnostics company – recently expanded its presence at the AMP, signing a 10-year lease for a 40,400 sq ft building to expand its global presence and cement its position in the UK. The business already leases 10,000 sq ft at the park.
Elsewhere, Harworth is currently constructing new buildings for advanced manufacturing occupiers who have been drawn to create a base here, bringing further high-quality employment opportunities to the area.
The plan below shows the buildings currently under construction or due to commence imminently, as well as the remaining available development plots.
Marriott Hotel
The part of Waverley where the new Marriott hotel is being constructed is owned by Stapleford Ventures, who bought the land from Harworth several years ago and has been leading on the creation of the hotel.
Construction has stalled and as master developer, Harworth has been working to find a solution for the work on the hotel to resume. We will keep the community updated on this.
In the meantime, we want to assure the community that security measures on site are ongoing, with fences remaining up and 24 hour security around the perimeter of the site.
Waverley Junior Academy
As residents will be aware, Waverley Junior Academy is being extended to create an additional form of entry and make more school places available for local children. Planning consent was granted by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council on 6 June.
As the school welcomes more pupils, it’s important that vehicles drive safely during peak hours of pick up and drop off times.
We now have a travel plan coordinator appointed at Waverley, Chris Taylor, whose role involves assessing how traffic on Waverley’s roads can be reduced, especially during peak hours such as school drop off and pick up times.
Chris has been working closely with the school in recent months to develop an active travel plan, encouraging parents and pupils to cycle and walk to school wherever possible. This will make moving around this part of the development as safe possible.
March 2024
Share your views on Highwall Park Share
Creating green, open spaces for the community to enjoy at Waverley is very important to us – and we’re excited to be making progress on Highwall Park.
This 20-acre park will run through the heart of Waverley and connect the Advanced Manufacturing Park and Olive Lane with Waverley Lakes.
It will be the main green space for the community, and will offer spaces for people to exercise, play sports and meet with friends and family. We will be planting new trees and creating grassland and wetland, as well as a nature trail.
Given the size of the park, Harworth will be creating it in three phases, with the intention that the final phase is complete and open for the community to enjoy by the end of 2025.
We are excited to announce that we are beginning consultation on the park – giving residents an opportunity to see the plans and share feedback.
We’re holding an event to give residents the chance to speak to the people involved in the planning and design of the park, and ask any questions you may have. Please see details below and we look forward to seeing you there.
Progress at Olive Lane
Construction work has commenced at Olive Lane after Harworth secured planning consent for this exciting new part of Waverley late last year. For the latest information and updates please follow this link Olive Lane
Harworth appoints a new travel plan coordinator
We are excited to announce the appointment of a new Travel Plan Coordinator
(TPC) for Waverley – Chris Taylor.
As the TPC, Chris will lead on the delivery of the travel plan for Waverley which aims to
increase active travel by residents, parents and pupils of the school, those working at the
Advanced Manufacturing Park, and visitors.
The TPC is working with a range of partners including the council, South Yorkshire Public Transport
Executive, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, British Cycling, local bike store JE James
and local walking and cycling clubs. There will be a range of exciting events, discounts,
competitions and prizes to be won alongside information, training and advice. Anyone who
works, lives or visits Waverly is invited to join these initiatives.
By reducing car dependency and helping residents enjoy more choice in how they travel, especially for shorter, local trips, we aim to improve road safety across the site, enhance air quality, positively impact the mental health and physical wellbeing of those living and working at Waverley, and reduce travel costs.
Landscaping of the riverside footpath
We have commenced landscaping work on the riverside footpath located off Highfield Spring down to Waverley lake, and the open area adjacent to the community bike track.
The landscaping includes the planting of shrubs, trees and seeding to create a more visually pleasing walk, as well as improving the biodiversity of the area and providing habitats for local wildlife.
The works began on 4 March and are expected to take place over two weeks, weather permitting. All footpaths will remain open to the public during this time, although some areas might have restricted pedestrian access.
We have written to all residents with more details about the works and details of who to contact with any questions.
November 2023
Vegetation clearance within parcel 4D
Harworth will be undertaking works during week commencing 13th November 2023 within Parcel 4D which is located between Highfield Spring and the Railway. The works involve the selective clearance and felling of scrub vegetation around the existing tarmac footpath and footbridge to allow for more detailed ground investigations to be carried within this future development plot. The works are due to start Monday 13th November for the duration of three days and working hours will be from 8am to 6pm.
It is not envisaged that the permissive tarmac footpath will be closed during these works, though we would kindly request you avoid using this route and use alternative walking routes during the period of the works if possible. We understand construction projects can be disruptive, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
October 2023
Flooding in Catcliffe
The Harworth team have been monitoring the incidents of flooding in the Catcliffe area over the past two weeks and our thoughts are with everyone affected.
We are aware that there are some concerns about the impact of the flooding on Waverley, and whether the site has had an impact on flooding elsewhere, and we wanted to take an opportunity to address these directly.
The Harworth team have been carrying out site inspections over the past two weeks and our understanding so far is that there has been no flooding on Waverley itself, and that the development has had no impact on flooding elsewhere. The site’s surface water drainage system - outlined in more detail below - worked very effectively in capturing surface water runoff, and at no point have the lakes or triangular attenuation pond at Waverley been breached. This outcome highlights the resilience of the system, given the River Rother has recently risen to levels in excess of the 2007 floods over the weekend.
Harworth continues to work with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and relevant agencies co-ordinating the flooding response, and we will continue to support those affected in any way that we can.
Working with the council and combined authority
Education
We wanted to provide an update on the delivery of primary school places at Waverley, which is important to many residents.
Ensuring good school place provision over the coming years is a priority for us. New residential development creates additional demand for school places, and we know there are concerns from some families around availability of places for local children.
School provision is determined by RMBC and the Department for Education (DfE) but in recent years we have worked closely with both to help address the challenges around school places.
The provision of school places at Waverley is linked to the number of new homes that are being built. When Harworth received planning consent for Waverley in 2010, we committed to making financial contributions to support the provision of school places across the development, with four forms of entry in total, across two schools. This was based on the number of homes initially planned to be built at Waverley, which was higher density than what has been delivered – and included more terraced housing and apartments.
As the development has progressed over the years, we have regularly reviewed our masterplan and sought to ensure the homes we build respond to the needs of the local housing market. As a result of this, we have delivered a lower density development of estate housing.
We have been in close discussion with RMBC and the DfE in recent years, and based on the number of homes expected to be delivered at Waverley, it has been agreed that – in with national and local government policy – three forms of primary school entry are needed across the development. This can be delivered within one school.
We are now working collaboratively with RMBC to deliver this third form of entry within Waverley Junior Academy. This school has been designed and built to accommodate a future extension.
We know that the community wants to see more school places made available as soon as possible, and in response to this Harworth made an early financial contribution to RMBC to support the delivery of the third form of entry earlier than envisaged. It is anticipated this will be open by 2026, creating more school places for local children.
