The next stage of Westcott Venture Park's evolution has been unveiled with the completion of two phases of a flagship state-of-the-art development at the 650-acre business park, delivering a landmark achievement in its strategic transformation.
The new scheme forms part of a major development programme backed by £5.9 million in UK Space Agency funding, secured through a successful collaborative bid led by URA Thrusters and including PATRIZIA (the owners of Westcott), Buckinghamshire Council and Skyports Drone Services (Skyports).
Three new 10-year leases have been agreed on the Phase 1 development with sustainable propulsion company URA Thrusters and leading drone services provider Skyports Drone Services (both members of the Westcott Space Cluster), along with Westcott Shared Facilities.
URA Thrusters, which specialises in revolutionary water-based rocket propulsion technology, relocated to the park in 2022 and will now occupy 10,635 sq ft in Building 9002. Since establishing operations at the historic R site, which they extensively refurbished, the company's growth at Westcott has been remarkable. URA's expansion into the new development reflects their continued commitment to Westcott as their base for delivering sustainable propulsion systems.
Westcott Shared Facilities will occupy 5,253 sq ft in the adjoining Building 9003 and will provide technical facilities available for use by industry, academia, and students, such as a very large vacuum chamber, (the Ø3m x 7m vacuum chamber is the UK’s largest commercially available electric propulsion test facility, and is amongst the most capable in Europe), clean rooms, a vibration table and 3D printers as well as other essential equipment.
Pioneering drone services provider Skyports Drone Services, a global leader in drone delivery and inspection services, were the first tenants to occupy space at the Satellite Applications Catapult's world-leading Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC) at Westcott in 2022.
Following its successful growth at the DTDC, Skyports has now secured Building 9001, comprising 5,145 sq ft of industrial and office space. From the enhanced facility, Skyports will consolidate its flight training operations for drone pilots and use the facility as its central aircraft testing, maintenance and storage hub, while continuing to utilise the park’s extensive drone flying areas.
With the expanded facility Skyports is also able to incorporate its “Remote Operations Centre” within the same building, which is uses to remotely operate its drones internationally. The new facility also offers dedicated office space, which can be used both for back-office functions and for mission planning by its pilots.
This cutting-edge development also includes a central amenity facility known as the Skylark - named in tribute to the motors of Britain's first space rocket developed at Westcott in the 1950s. This 16,081sq ft facility is currently being fitted out and will serve as the beating heart of a dynamic business community, providing a 90-seater café operation with a conference centre and meeting rooms which are set to open later this year.
Grade A office space in the Skylark is also being developed as part as part of the scheme with suites of 1,000 sq ft up to 5,500 sq ft available to pre-let. With floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, the offices benefit from exceptional natural light and far-reaching views across the park and Buckinghamshire countryside beyond.
Aman Sharma, Investment Manager at PATRIZIA, said: "We are thrilled to see the first two phases of this pioneering development reach completion. These state-of-the-art facilities have enabled two of our most innovative occupiers to scale up at Westcott, creating opportunities for significant job growth and expansion.
“This development seamlessly blends cutting-edge design with sustainability, creating an attractive and inspiring working environment for occupiers to innovate and thrive.”
Pre-let opportunities are also available at the Phase 3 Industrial development directly adjacent to the Skylark building. Known as Orbis9000 this project will provide 28,000 sqft of state-of-the-art industrial and warehouse facilities with ancillary offices at mezzanine level. It is set to complete in Q2 2026.
