The pioneering project called Blue Planet Chatterley Valley will be developed by Gazeley UK on 31 acres of former colliery land (12.5 hectares) at Lowlands Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Gazeley was confirmed as the preferred developer of the site by regional developer Advantage West Midlands and Newcastle-under-Lyme Council after a rigorous selection process that attracted 15 submissions from across the country.

Blue Planet Chatterley Valley will be a “Carbon Positive” development – the complex will have its own bio-fuel micro power station, using rapeseed oil, which will produce sufficient power and heat for the on-site buildings and a surplus that will provide enough energy to power up to 650 local homes.

Gazeley will be using the scheme as a blueprint to roll out in their future commercial property developments across the world including China, India and Mexico.

The ultra-green sustainability credentials of the scheme also include:

* Thermally efficient buildings with air tightness and thermal insulation 25 per cent better than current building regulations

* Efficient systems for further building energy reduction, utilising cutting-edge lighting, maximum use of natural light, underfloor heating and a solar panel wall

* The latest solar cell technology implanted into special rooflights which eliminate night time light pollution

* Kinetic plates which capture energy every time a vehicle enters the site

The development has been split into two plots. Plot A will provide three units capable of offering flexible accommodation from 18,000 sq ft up to 40,000 sq ft. It offers a total development area of 116,000 sq ft. Plot B provides a larger single building with ancillary office accommodation totalling 385,000 sq ft of warehousing.

Fifty-two per cent of the site will be dedicated to open space. Gazeley worked in consultation with the local community before designing the scheme to offer extensive “greenscaping” to the site including public footpaths, links to canal towpaths and the preservation and improvements to ecological habitats.