Mission Street has submitted its planning application for the £100 million redevelopment of two units at Botley Road retail park in Oxford.
In the second phase of its R&D development at the park, Mission Street plans to develop the retail units of DFS and Carpetright into 16,992 sq m of sustainable offices and labs, creating 600-700 jobs and tackling the chronic shortage of space for science companies.
More than a year of pre-application engagement has taken place with Oxford City Council along with the necessary stakeholder engagement.
The investment is backed by BentallGreenOak in a joint venture which is creating R&D sites across the UK including in Stevenage, Cambridge and Bristol.
The first phase of the development, Inventa, is already under construction and due for completion in the Summer. Savills has been instructed to market the Inventa space and Willmott Dixon is the main contractor.
Colin Brown, development director for Mission Street, said: “We want to provide a building of the highest quality that also delivers on the widest range of priorities for the local community and the city of Oxford – and we’re really excited about what we’re now submitting.
“This development will help to meet the enormous demand in and around Oxford for well-connected, high-quality, city centre innovation space. At the same time it will respond to the needs of local residents, improving this part of the Botley Road and potentially setting the standard for the wider future regeneration of the tired and under-performing Botley Road retail park area.”
There will be flexible floorplates, a public café, new green space and the building will be the city’s first ‘living wage building’ where all future occupiers and service providers are mandated to pay the Oxford Living Wage to all staff.
A minimum BREEAM rating of Excellent is being targeted and it will have solar panels, 200 cycle spaces and showers. There will be 74 car parking spaces, around a quarter of them with EV charging.
DFS and Carpetright have leases which run until 2024 and Mission Street says its next steps will be considered once the planning application is determined.
Barton Willmore, now Stantec, is advising on planning.
© Thames Tap (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here.
