MIRA reveals technology park plans | Offices.org.uk

MIRA reveals technology park plans

Posted on by John Cronin

Transport engineering specialist MIRA has revealed more details about the proposed multi-million pound expansion of their Nuneaton technology park.

MIRA buildingsMIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) was initially a government backed research centre for vehicle testing. It has been an independent enterprise for many years and is currently planning an ambitious expansion scheme.

The organisation is proposing a £300m investment to create a transport technology park. Many of the existing buildings at the Nuneaton site were constructed in the 1950’s and MIRA considers more modern facilities are required to attract global transport engineering companies who require R&D facilities not only to support the automotive sector but also defence, aerospace and rail.

New headquarters offices are planned along with a range of buildings (pictured) between 2 and 4 storeys offering laboratories, engineering workshops and sustainable office buildings. The focal point building will be a 4-storey, 460,000 sq ft office complex that will be occupied by MIRA itself. The MIRA Technology Park will offer total floor space amounting to 1.66m sq ft within an 850-acre site.

Terry Spall, commercial director for MIRA said: “While our work is at the cutting edge of what is possible, we have many buildings, including our main office block, that are environmentally inefficient and far from ideal. We are in danger of missing business opportunities as a result.”

A second public exhibition of the technology park masterplan is being held on 5th March at the Rope Walk Shopping Centre in Nuneaton. A submission for outline planning permission is expected later in the month. MIRA secured full planning permission for new workshops and a 4-storey office block in January.

Architects for the proposed scheme are Geddes Architects. Construction is expected to start in 2012.

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