Oxford City Council’s planning committee will meet next week to decide the future of proposed lab-enabled facilities on two plots at John Smith Drive, both of which have been recommended for approval.
Brookfield life sciences spin-off Advanced Research Clusters has lodged two separate planning applications for plot 2000 late in 2022 and for plot 5000 in May this year as part of its commitment to invest £1bn in the region by 2030.
The developer is set to bring forward a £140m scheme on plot 2000, designed by Hawkins Brown, which will be split across two distinct massings that come together to form a single building.
The Tower, spanning across 14-storeys, will include 251,585 sq ft of space primarily in laboratory and office use, as well as amenity space at ground level and on upper floors, whilst five-storey The Factory will be 109,943 sq ft of integrated, split-level car parking.
On plot 5000, ARC has proposed to deliver a new 124,463 sq ft lab-enabled office hub. The site consists of an existing three-storey office building with extensive paved parking, which will be extended to five storeys. It will provide a 70:30 lab to office split and be constructed to shell and core but with plug and play infrastructure for lab retrofitting
The scheme, designed by Aukett Swanke, also includes ground floor amenities, including a café and events space.
ARC Oxford, comprising 88 acres in the Cowley area of the city, was formerly known as Oxford Business Park. It was renamed as ARC Oxford in September 2022 in line with the developer’s ambition to transform the site from business park to science and innovation campus.
The campus is home to 50 businesses. In addition to business space, it offers the Oxford Factory restaurant, the Oxford Works flexible workspace, the Oxford Workshop café, a Premier Inn hotel and restaurant, David Lloyd Racket & Health Centre, Audi Car Showroom and a Bright Horizons day nursery.
Carter Jonas is advising ARC on planning matters across both schemes.
Check out planning decisions in Oxford >>
Main image © Hawkins-Brown. Second image © Aukett Swanke
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