In 2015, we granted planning permission for the development of a new national headquarters for the Jehovah's Witness Organisation.
The site is located at Temple Farm, Ship Road, West Hanningfield. The land is outside of the green belt.
The new headquarters, when complete, will include 112,500 square metres of mixed use floor area, with:
- production facilities
- offices
- residential blocks
- service areas and other associated works
Construction at the site is now well-underway, following a site clearance and clear up of the contamination. The land was once a large scrap yard, and also had a number of unauthorised uses since the 1970s.
As part of the development, there is a new roundabout on Stock Road. Access to the site is from this new roundabout, and the old entrance at Ship Road is now closed except for emergency use. The Meadow Rise entrance will also close soon, other than for emergency use.
There have also been improvements to the local pedestrian and cycle routes, as well as to the bus stops.
The previous route through the site now runs along the edge, and includes a new section of public footpath.
Phases 1 to 8 are now finished, including the approved landscaping.
The approved landscape strategy shows that the completed development will include the planting of:
- 1,000 new trees
- 2.655 linear metres of native hedgerow
- a woodland buffer mix, with around 5,500 small trees and native shrubs/understorey pants
