OxLEP has this week announced that work at the Earth Trust Gateway Programme has begun.
The first phase includes building the ‘Earth Lab’ and renovating a former barn to form the ‘Innovation Hub’ – the project positions Oxfordshire as a leader in clean growth; creating pathways for young people to develop the skills needed to secure employment opportunities; and delivering for all Oxfordshire communities by prioritising local need.
The Earth Lab will showcase a host of eco-friendly materials and features, incorporating natural building materials that lock up carbon. Designed to sit in harmony with the landscape, the construction comprises a timber frame, straw insulation panels, a rammed earth wall (using soil from the location) and a green roof while using the minimum concrete possible.
Earth Lab will provide flexible classroom space enabling the Earth Trust to deliver science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and art based environmental education, improving the skills and confidence of people of all ages. This development will offer significant opportunities to help bring people together, to discover what they can do to care for environmental ecosystems, vital for the future of our planet. Earth Lab will double the Earth Trust’s capacity to engage young people and provide opportunities for bringing environmental science to life throughout the curriculum.
The Innovation Hub will offer multi-use business units for sustainability conscious businesses as well as an inspiring welcome for visitors.
Interactive activities throughout will help visitors discover and explore the rich history of the surrounding landscape in new and relevant ways, whilst prompting people to consider their own role in ensuring we all benefit from healthy ecosystems. The result will be a generation that actively values and cares for their planet.
OxLEP is one of 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in England playing a key role in driving forward economic growth and – by 2021 – it’s expected that central Government will have invested over £12bn into the UK economy via the Local Growth Fund.
The Local Growth Fund investment aims to allow LEPs to use their local knowledge to promote growth in their individual regions.
Analysis has shown that for every £1 of Local Growth Fund invested, £4.81 in benefits could be generated.
OxLEP secured £1.49m of funding for the project via the government’s Local Growth Fund – the overall cost of the project is £2.9m.
Since its inception in 2011, OxLEP – with its partners – has secured over £650m-worth of government funding for Oxfordshire, which has seen more than 50,000 new jobs created in the county to-date.
In total, OxLEP currently oversees a £2.2bn growth programme for the county.
Nigel Tipple – OxLEP Chief Executive – said: “The start of such a significant project – that will have a positive impact on our communities, bringing us closer to nature – is excellent news. We were delighted to have secured such a major Local Growth Fund allocation for this project and we are sure it can be real asset to Oxfordshire, as we continue to support our economy – something which is vital as we begin the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Jayne Manley – CEO at Earth Trust – said: “The funding award from the Local Growth Fund, secured by OxLEP, demonstrates that they support our vision for a better future for the environment in Oxfordshire, where people play a major role in determining the health of their local communities and our planet. We believe that the Earth Lab and the Innovation Hub will catalyse creative thinking and debate as we work together to address the enormous biodiversity and climate emergency challenges we face.”
