Round up and rumours

A round up of news and rumours of news in the Thames Valley.

Video game developer Rebellion has bought the former home of the Oxford Mail. Newspaper House in Osney Mead was home to the paper for 50 years. Now Rebellion has plans to renovate and improve the building for its new head offices.

A potential deal which would dwarf almost any in the Thames Valley in recent years continues to be the subject of whispers around the region. Pharmaceutical company Lonza has refused to comment on suggestions about its requirement for 100,000 sq ft of offices and up to 400,000 sq ft of lab space. The firm, currently based in Slough, is believed to be considering land at Thames Valley Park, Thames Valley Science Park and Green Park. The latter happens to have a new 117,000 sq ft building ready and waiting in Longwater Avenue. There appears to be spare land available too but owner Mapletree declined to comment.

Chinese telecoms giant Huaweii has long been the subject of talk that it will leave its 180,000 sq ft at Green Park. The UK’s 2020 withdrawal from an agreement for Huaweii to supply 5G infrastructure has cast doubt over the tech firm’s continued presence. Huaweii declined to comment.

Hotly disputed plans for 223 homes at the former Reading Golf Club in Emmer Green are due to go before councillors on March 30. However, refusal is unlikely to be the end of the matter. The club’s developer Fairfax has appealed Reading Borough Council’s refusal of its previous plans for 257.

Image shows Reading Golf Club.

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