Major Oxford power station revamp set for go-ahead

The Saïd Business School wants to turn Osney Power Station into an executive education centre, moving from its current complex in Egrove Park, near Kennington.

The new centre would have 121 bedrooms and state of the art facilities, where professionals would stay on short courses.

Oxford City Council planning officers support the project going ahead as it would protect an important city asset, which was built in 1892 for the Oxford Electric Company.

The power station is a short walk away from the Saïd Business School, in Frideswide Square, and the authority says it is in a ‘very sustainable location’.

The school has said visitors would stay for a week, with about 30 to 40 of them on four programmes.

City council planning officers’ papers state: “The proposed development would reduce the pressure on the Oxford hotel market, would provide a better link between the main Business School building and the wider Oxford University and Oxford city itself and would bring a locally significant building back into use.”

Car parking at the site would be cut from the 25 spaces it has now to two disabled car parking spaces. That is considered acceptable because the site is so close to the city centre and train station.

Saïd Business School donor Wafic Saïd has already pledged £15m to pay for the project.

Council officers say that although the restoration of the power station would damage its historical merit, it would be outweighed by the public benefits, they say.

The building will also have four teaching rooms, a kitchen, a restaurant, a bar and a terrace overlooking the River Thames, which is at the back of the power station.

It will also boast a gym, an internal courtyard garden and ‘breakout areas’.

The design has been completed by John McAslan + Partners, which was behind the restoration of London’s King’s Cross Station.

The application will be decided by the city council’s West Area planning committee next Tuesday from 6pm.