Slough International Freight Exchange Proposals, Colnbrook+

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1 Welcome Welcome to this exhibition, which is being held in connection with our proposals for a new freight exchange facility on land to the north of the A4. Please take this opportunity to look at the evolving plans and discuss any aspects of the proposals with our project team, who are on hand to assist. Aerial view of site About Goodman Goodman is an integrated property group that owns, develops and manages industrial and business space globally. Goodman primarily invests in business parks, office parks, industrial estates and warehouse and distribution centres. Goodman has more than 25 years experience of creating effective modern logistics developments. We look forward to receiving your comments and thank you for your interest. Views of site Opportunities + The Goodman site comprises approximately 68 hectares of undeveloped land. The land is surrounded by roads and industrial uses to the north, east and south, including the A4, M25 and M4, together with the Lakeside Industrial Estate, the Sewage Works and the Grundon Incinerator. The Biffa landfill site is located to the west. + The Goodman site was previously used for gravel extraction in the 1950s and 1960s and then as a landfill site in the 1970s and 1980s. However by the late 1990s landfill operations had ceased and the fields on the site are currently used for informal horse grazing. + The Local Plan for Slough shows the Goodman site to be located in the Green Belt. However Slough Borough Council s recently adopted Core Strategy also states that any further rail freight facilities at Colnbrook would have to demonstrate that there was a national or local need for such a development and very special circumstances sufficient to overcome Green Belt. + The new South East Plan identifies the need for three to four new intermodal exchanges to serve London and South East England, to be located where key road and rail routes intersect the M25. + A number of important landscape and ecological features are present within and/or adjacent to the Goodman site, namely Old Wood to the north, the Colne Brook to the south and Colnbrook Lake, Orlitta Lake and Old Slade Lake to the east. The development will retain and enhance these features to ensure they continue to provide valuable landscape and habitat features.

2 Proposals Proposed masterplan Proposed view of Unit B + The proposals comprise a new distribution centre and intermodal freight exchange, which would be accessed by both road and rail. In addition to the new rail infrastructure and warehouses, a mix of new green spaces, servicing infrastructure and parking areas would also be provided. + Approximately 185,000 square metres of warehouse floorspace would be provided for storage and distribution businesses. Each warehouse would include areas for the storage of goods and also office areas. Extensive use would be made of green construction technologies. + New infrastructure and loading areas to enable the exchange of freight between road and rail would include railway sidings and two overhead gantry cranes, which would allow for efficient transfer of containers. + A new road access to the site with a manned control point would be created off the A4 in order to serve the new development. A routing plan would be introduced in order to keep lorries away from central Colnbrook and other local roads. + The Colne Valley Way, routed alongside the Colne Brook, would be resurfaced and its setting enhanced with new signage, woodland planting and wetland creating. Old Wood would be brought under active management and enhanced with new planting, a surfaced footpath and targeted habitat creation. + A new lorry park providing facilities for off-site HGV parking with drivers rest facilities would also be incorporated as part of the proposals.

3 Shifting from road freight to rail freight Proposed view of Unit A Addressing Climate Change The proposals aim to shift freight movements away from the road network through the more efficient and sustainable use of rail transport. This shift should help to reduce road congestion, HGV emissions, fossil fuel consumption and the overall carbon footprint of the logistics industry: + Rail produces 90% less carbon dioxide than road transport, per tonne carried. + A single locomotive can haul up to 40 lorry loads of containers and palletised traffic. How will the intermodal freight exchange operate? + The distribution centre could receive goods from ports (such as Southampton and Felixstowe), the Channel Tunnel, other distribution centres and domestic producers. + Containers could be emptied on the site and their contents could be sorted. The new warehouses would enable goods to remain on site until the suitable time for onward delivery to the next stage in the supply chain. + The proposal is expected to attract around 9 trains per day inbound and outbound, which would be spread throughout the day. Trains would access the site via the Colnbrook branch line, which connects to the Great Western Mainline at West Drayton junction.

4 Improving access and protecting biodiversity 1. Points of Arrival 1a - Enhanced 'point of arrival' at main entrances to site, to include: clear way-marker signage and new access gates and stiles. 1b - Enhanced 'point of arrival' to re-establish links to existing public access links to site. 2. Rights of Way 2a - Existing bridle-way to be enhanced and resurfaced. Proposed new retaining structure will be introduced fronted with mounding and woodland planting in order to create an attractive setting for the Coln Valley Walk and to screen vehicular activity within the freight interchange. Slopes will typically have gradients ranging from 1:3 to 1:8 with native woodland and fencing as appropriate. Vegetation on the northern bank of the River Coln will be brought under active management and selectively thinned. 2b - Existing track to be to be resurfaced and re-routed to create a pedestrian footpath which provides access to Old Wood. A secure fence and buffer of tree planting will be provided between the footpath and the rail-line to prevent public access. 2c - New pedestrian footbridge over rail-line. 2d - New footpath alongside existing watercourse, to include stretches of board-walk over marshy areas and adjacent to the SUDs ponds. 3. Wetland and Marsh Habitats 3a - In areas where space allows, existing levels will be marginally lowered to provide a 'scrape'; these seek to establish wetland and marsh habitats. 4. Improvements to existing bridle-way 4 - Existing bridle-way to be enhanced and resurfaced. 5. Lake Edge Improvements 5 - Lakeside retained and planted using coir rolls and willow plugs. 6. Old Wood 6 - Ancient woodland under active management, including new planting, coppicing and a new surfaced footpath to link through wood. 7. New SUDS system 7 - New Suds system including reed beds, reed islands and aquatic planting. 8. Meadows 8 - New/enhanced meadow creation 9. Bypass Landscape Improvements 9 - Native planting of tree and shrubs along Colnbrook Bypass to include footpath and to mirror existin character to east. 10. Boundary Improvements 10 - Native woodland to boundaries for screening & softening purposes. 11. Plot Landscape 11 - Native tree and shrub planting to car park and service areas. Landscape Strategy Movement strategy + The proposals will aim to ensure that the development site is easy to get to and move through by all site users, without affecting existing local residents. + HGVs accessing the new development would be routed from the A4 directly onto the M4, in order to keep them away from Colnbrook village. + Local improvements to the footpaths and bridleways in and around the site are proposed. Improved cycleways would also be provided alongside the A4. + The new development would include a Travel Plan, which would be used as a means of encouraging and promoting sustainable travel choices such as car sharing and cycling. Nature conservation and sustainability + Detailed ecological surveys are being undertaken in order to ensure that biodiversity issues are fully taken into account. + Extensive areas of managed green space would be provided within the site to enhance site biodiversity, including the management of Old Wood, the Colne Brook, Horton Brook and Old Slade Lake to provide space for informal recreation. + Where possible existing features of ecological interest will be retained as part of the proposed development. Habitat design will be informed through consultation with Natural England, Environment Agency, RSPB and the local Wildlife Trust and will be developed by habitat creation specialists. Landscape design for the site will be ecology-led and will be carried out in accordance with ecological best practice and to provide locally appropriate habitats. + The new buildings would incorporate measures to ensure that they are sustainable in the long term. Goodman would work towards ensuring the buildings achieve an Excellent BREEAM rating BREEAM is the world s longest established and most widely used standard for assessing buildings environmental performance. The landscape design for the site will be produced in accordance with best practice, ensuring that the site provides locally appropriate habitats, and useable, accessibly green space for all.

5 Next steps and timescales Proposed view of Unit C Goodman is keen to receive your feedback, so please do complete a comment form, so the team can understand your views. Following today s event, Goodman will be reviewing and discussing all the feedback received, with comments being taken into account, where possible. The plans for the site will then be developed in more detail in preparation for the submission of a planning application to Slough Borough Council. Should you have further questions or comments following today s event or would like to discuss the detailed proposals further, please do contact the team via: Information line Via feedback@consultation-online.co.uk Thank you for your interest and for taking the time to attend. Project timescale Autumn 2009 Review of feedback Further work on proposals Expected submission of planning application Ongoing communication with local community Winter 2009 Spring 2010 Consideration of proposals by Slough Borough Council Ongoing liaison with council and consultees 2011 Works expected to start on site, subject to planning permission