Up to 200 jobs could be created at an office development on a site proposed for a probation centre in Oxford.

Last month <<sept>> the WE Black/Ardent Partnership pulled out of the controversial scheme to develop the site in Mill Street, Oxford at a building formerly occupied by school and college photographer Gillman and Soame following a campaign by local residents.

Now it is pressing ahead with plans to convert Trajan House into a modern office scheme which will offer a prime location for companies looking to relocate within the city or from outside.

Ardent/WE Black Partnership director Tony Nolan said: “We clearly recognised the local campaign was gathering momentum and there was a black cloud gathering over everybody and everything including ourselves in terms of whether we were going to go ahead.

“We are in Oxford for the long-term and it was becoming embarrassing, so we made the decision to withdraw.”

After meetings with local campaigners the developers are also keen to hear from organisations in the education sector either looking to relocate from existing sites in the city or from outside the area and an application to alter the planning consent has been submitted.

Mr Nolan said: “We agreed to stay in touch with local residents and one of their suggestions was to look at the education market.

“It could be a language school or a tutorial college — it opens a lot of options up.”

The building, which was originally constructed in 1972, has been stripped back to its original frame and building work is set to start later this month.

The finished site which is being developed at a cost of £2.5m, will cover 22,800 sq ft of flexible accommodation over three floors which could house up to up to 200 workers.

Unusually for a development so close to the city centre, it will also include 34 car parking spaces.

It is hoped the shell of the building can be completed by next April and it will be available either to rent or buy.

Trajan House is thought to be the only speculative building currently being constructed within the ring road and it is extremely rare to find a new office building within the city centre, so demand is expected to be strong, although Mr Nolan is keeping his options open.

He added: “It is still risky when you spend money without having someone to move in when you finish it. It is definitely a guessing game.”

The Thames Valley Probation Service had planned to turn Trajan House into a centre for about 350 criminals, including sex offenders.

A shortlist of five alternative locations has now been drawn up for a new centre in Oxford.

Mill Street resident Dan Rawstorne said: “We welcome the plans, although we are still concerned that the centre will be relocated somewhere else in west Oxford.”