Massive growth for The Oxford Science Park

A future of expansion, thousands of homes, commercial and leisure space and a new railway station awaits The Oxford Science Park (TOSP), delegates heard at the latest UK Prop Social event.

Oxford Social, held at the Sadler Building at the 75-acre park on October 29, attracted around 100 guests to hear about the remarkable success of TOSP since it opened in 1991 – and radical development plans.

Chief executive Piers Scrimshaw-Wright said news is imminent about the reopening to passenger traffic of the Cowley branch line for the first time since 1963 with a new station which would serve the science park.

The proposed new building at Plot 16 on the park is designed to integrate with the new station.

Park director Rory Maw who is bursar for Magdalen College which owns it, told the meeting: “We do own some land the other side of the road. We are one of the partners along with Oxford City Council and Thames Water in what’s called South Oxford Science Village, a plan to promote 450 acres for a mixed use development of 3,000 homes, commercial space and leisure space.

“But included in that is 12 acres earmarked for the next stage of the science park and we’d be looking to bring that forward when this site is full so, at the rate we are building at the moment, it’s going to happen in three to five years’ time.

“We’ve got a very clear vision that this site can continue to grow and that’s at a time when demand is growing very rapidly in Oxford and there are not many other options at the moment.”

A question from the audience raised the subject of the ‘shenanigans’ over the South Oxfordshire Local Plan.

Mr Maw said: “My personal view - and I would say this as one of the land owners and promoters of that site – is that we think that it’s the best site around Oxford for a major development, particularly if we can get the Cowley branch line opened.

“It has to make sense to put a large number of houses directly opposite a major employment site and right next to a railway station, given the problems and challenges we have in and around Oxford with car traffic.

“That, to me, makes a lot more sense than trying to disperse those 3,000 homes across Oxfordshire, out into villages where the road network simply isn’t capable of supporting that.

“I’m speaking as someone from Magdalen College which has a financial stake in that but I hope and I believe that this will come forward.

“It may just continue to take a lot longer than it should do which is clearly frustrating for us as landowners and, I’m sure, frustrating for people who want to move to Oxford and to be able to afford to buy houses here.”

Earlier, Mr Scrimshaw-Wright explained TOSP’s development and the emergence of life sciences as a major element of the park’s tenant mix. In the last two years 600 more jobs have been created.

A greater demand for laboratory space has shaped the direction of the park. Mr Scrimshaw-Wright highlighted the success of the Bogle-designed Schrodinger Building, a 61, 538 sq ft office which was 50 per cent let on upon practical completion.

Emma Comben, head of people and premises for Schrodinger Building tenant, Fuel 3D, said the appeal of the building, which she described as exemplary stock, attracted the firm to the park.

She added: “Having said that, it was very keenly priced so it was better than stock in Reading.

“We wanted to come to Oxford because we were originally a spin out from Oxford University so we felt that we were coming home.

“We did look at other sites in Oxford but the facilities available here, outside of the Schrodinger Building, just stood the science park head and shoulders above the competition for us.”

Catering, road links and the lack of congestion were also major factors but she said one further element was collaboration.

She went on: “That was an unexpected bonus. It may have been touched on as an opportunity but the networking organised within the park is really great.

“We are invited to lots of breakfast meetings, seminars, lunches, and there’s an oncology forum that we are part of. The opportunity to meet with like-minded companies and to network and collaborate is a bonus and really does exist.”

James Latham, associate partner for Carter Jonas which acts for TOSP, said the Schrodinger Building was initially intended for a single occupant but flexibility proved a better business plan.

TOSP, he said, can cater for start ups, those moving to bigger spaces and those wanting 20,000 sq ft floorplates.

Massive opportunities are now available for agri-tech and financial tech businesses, he said.

Source: https://www.tvproperty.co.uk/news/massive-growth-for-the-oxford-science-park

Photo by Scott Blake on Unsplash