What is Tilford Enterprise Centre?

Tilford Enterprise Centre will be a modern, sustainable, energy-efficient selection of specially designed studios, workshops, offices and storage set in a work-life enhancing sylvan environment suited to an eclectic range of small businesses.

How will this help Tilford?

As an Enterprise Centre the place would be active largely during work hours. It will bring business into the village and feed the local economy. The pubs and shop will benefit from increased custom and it’s highly likely some of the tenants will be local.

Is this a ploy to get houses?

No. We feel we have exhausted the debate for residential on the site and the idea for TEC emerged around 2016. We are commited to this project and see it as a generational investment.

How do you know there is a need for this type of commercial space?

Initially, prior to launching the website in September 2020 it was based on our opinions; which to be fair were based on knowing something of the local business community. However, the website and Facebook has helped us build a good picture of the local need. We have a long list of people registered as interested in being a Stakeholder Tenant with some expressing deeper interest in investing more fully. The list length increases weekly and we have had useful feedback from people supporting the concept without needing to be involved.

Do we need more green space ‘concreted over’?

A rare comment to be honest but it’s worth answering. To begin with the nursery isn’t 'green space’. It is a commercial nursery with buildings, polytunnels and older foundations to earlier greenhouses. It is important to remember that this is land that can be worked commercially, it isn’t open land for roaming and doesn’t form a scenic setting.

Regarding the ‘concreting’ over the core ethos with TEC is sutainability and low environmental impact. The website, the story so far, the whole vision speaks loudly and frequently on this aspect. When we green light the specific design process MESH Energy will be involved with the Architect to factor in everything we can to mitigate ‘concreting over’!

What about noise?

This is interesting. Over the years we have done a lot of maintenance on the nursery. For example, when running chainsaws we’ve found them unobtrusive from the village green. The same with other plant and machinery. All of that said, we are aiming the uses of the units to fall within the planning categories which do not damage the amenity of the area.

Where are the potential Tenants coming from?

In terms of how we’re finding people and businesses, we have been promoting TEC on Facebook to roughly a radius from Tilford of 25 miles. There has been mention on LinkedIN and this is something we are looking to grow. Regards, ‘from where’ the mix is from within the above radius with half a dozen in Tilford itself. Predominatley the people and businesss showing interest are within a 10 mile radius of Tilford.

Will you take on board comments, thoughts and concerns from people?

100%. Again, 100%.

This website’s two main roles to date has been 1) to gather interest from potential Stakeholder Tenants and to prove market, crowdfund the planning costs and most importantly, effectivey have the studio/workshops ‘occupied’ before the planning application. 2) to allow people to send us feedback and commentary on the proposal. We have a vision, but this is a complicated proposal and there will be a lot to consider. Already some useful feedback has been received and we welcome all opinions. We hope to be able to convert opposition to support by addressing concerns and reservations.

Is there a need for more commercial space? Isn’t there a lot empty?

The issue with empty commercial space is predominently with it being the wrong space for the local market. Empty high street shops, medium to large warehouses and industrial parks, even small ones don’t necessarily marry with small local business. Converted buildings can be perfect but might be akward or poorly located. We believe very strongly that there is a need for specifically designed, new workshop studios around the 100 sqm size.

Why don’t you just grow plants?

It is part of our planning argument that we can. The site is technically a commercial horticultural growing nursery and the regeneration of that could start immediately. It is our preference to pursue the TEC plan but if we learn that there is not a market for our concept and/or the planning authorities won’t approve it, then we will regenerate the nursery.

Won’t this increase traffic?

As part of the planning application a traffic report will be written by a firm of Traffic Consultants. However, using the fact the land is a nursery, the comparision point needs to be of that, not of the present situaiton. As a nursery any amount of vehicle movements and vehicle size can happen daily and this should be the data comparision.

The trees at the front are near end of life, what happens when they need removing?

This is a good question and has been raised by several people. It is also a question which isn’t dependent on the development of TEC. The conifers at the front were planted in the early 1960’s as part of a hedge windbreak sytem to protect the young plants. Over the decades they have grown to around 80 feet (est) and are now quite raggedy, thinning and will need removing. As part of TEC we are hoping to incoporate a brand new vision for this area of the Village Green backdrop involving a Pavilion, but that aside, a future without TEC still raises the question of the hedgeline. Beyond removal when needed, setting aside a Pavilion, we don’t have a specific replacement plan. If the various discussions nullify the plan for a Pavilion then we would likely look at some form of planting as part of the TEC application.

How will TEC visually impact the area?

We plan for TEC to have a very low visual impact. At the moment the nursery is largely obscured from sight. Recent visitors meeting for TEC have remarked that they never appreciated it being there, even though they have been regular visitors to Tilford. The website is very clear that we plan a low impact Enterprise Centre. With mostly single story, flat roofed studios and workshops, alongside considered planting and lanscaping we intend for it to be visually low key.

Has Covid-19 changed anything?

Not in a negative way. It will be considered when we move to full design. Covid has without doubt changed the way a lot of business are working and it will inform future practices and design. We already have ideas that can be design integrated to aid in a future lockdown or restrictions situation.