Councillors have approved the expansion of the Red Hall, a centrepiece building in the Oxford North development.
Oxford City Council’s planning committee approved the addition of a 21,539 sq ft, three-floor extension to the side of the building, creating a total 61,462 sq ft. The plans also include alterations inside the building.
It will now incorporate a cafe-bar, retail units, community space, co-working spaces and additional meeting and workspace intended to accommodate science and innovation start-ups and SMEs.
The interior will now allow the creation of a central circulation area to increase flexibility for public ground floor functions, designed to ensure all sides of the building are active, and for upper floors to host various employment uses.
The building will now also house the estate management team of Oxford North Ventures, the partnership between Thomas White Oxford, Cadillac Fairview and Stanhope which is developing the site.
The Red Hall will target BREEAM Excellent certification.
David Camp, chief executive of Stanhope, said: “By expanding the Red Hall in the first phase and delivering amenity from day one that we open our doors, we can ensure that we are providing an exciting new place for companies and their staff at all stages of their growth to be based and a place for the local community to use and visit.
“This approval from Oxford City Council means that we can start construction of the first phase of new low carbon lab, workspaces and amenity and continue to create construction jobs and vital new science and innovation space for Oxford.”
The team on the project includes Fletcher Priest Architects, Gustafson, Porter + Bowman, Savills, Stantec, Hoare Lea, AKT II, BSG Ecology.
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