Oxford Science Park's new building given go-ahead

Two new linked office blocks will be built at plot 16 of the science park in Littlemore after unanimous approval by Oxford City Council’s east area planning committee on Wednesday night.

The science park’s owners claim up to 1,200 jobs could be created in the new offices.

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Piers Scrimshaw-Wright, chief executive of the science park, said the park had ‘seen a period of exceptional growth over the last two years’, with at least four of the businesses based there due to see their employee numbers increase threefold over the next few years.

Mr Scrimshaw-Wright added: “It is essential they are retained in the city and in the science park. We are obviously finding ourselves competing within the county, but also further afield with London and Cambridge.”

Picture: Oxford City Council.

As well as the promise of more jobs, the science park will make a financial contribution of £400,000 towards public transport.

This public transport improvement would help to provide a new bus service in the eastern area of the city.

The science park has also agreed to help ‘open up’ the nearby Minchery Lane, by providing new street lights on the road.

The park will provide funding for cycle paths and pedestrian access around the area of plot 16.

The two four-storey buildings would be built on a narrow strip of land between the Littlemore Brook and the Cowley branch railway line.

An overhead view of the empty plot at Oxford Science Park. Picture: Google Maps.

A grass bank running down to the brook behind the building would be landscaped to provide a green outdoors areas for employees.

There are also plans for 540 car parking spaces, including 28 disabled spaces and 22 motorcycle parking spaces, alongside 220 cycle spaces.

The application also leaves room for a train station to be built nearby if plans to bring the Cowley line into use in the future become a reality.

Plans to replace a small pedestrian bridge across the Littlemore Brook were due to be included in the application.

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But a separate planning application will be made for the bridge so that flooding concerns raised by the Environment Agency can be addressed.

Labour councillor John Tanner, ward member for Littlemore, welcomed the application.

Mr Tanner said: “I think this is an excellent piece of investment for Oxford and for Littlemore. It builds on the science park.

Mr Tanner added: “I have been very impressed with the way the applicant has responded to the concerns of Littlemore parish council.”

These concerns included whether the science park could provide more bus services, as well as cycle paths, and worries about the effect the development would have on wildlife in the small brook which runs to the south of it.