THREE big planning applications have been submitted to Oxford City Council this week.

The plans include a new youth mental health ward, a security fence for a boathouse and changes to Wickes car park.

Details are listed below but for more information use the reference number on Oxford City Council's planning portal at: Oxford.gov.uk.

  • Highfield Unit, Warneford Hospital, Warneford Lane, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 7JX

Oxford Mail: Warneford Hospital. Picture: Oxford Mail ArchiveWarneford Hospital. Picture: Oxford Mail Archive

Planning reference: 21/03480/FUL

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for community and mental health hospitals in Oxfordshire, has asked the council if it can build a two-storey building and make room for more car parking at the Warneford Hospital.

If it gets the green-light the new building will be home to a ‘Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS) paediatric intensive care unit (PICU)’.

It will be the very first of its kind in the South East region – easing up pressures on the NHS.

PICUs are locked wards with a very small number of beds to help the most unwell and ‘severely risky’ young people. Children, aged 12 to 18, will only be given a place on the ward when they are in a ‘crisis’ and have a ‘serious mental health illness’ that cannot be treated at a typical unit.

In the plans, Oxford Health say: “Clinicians in all areas report an increased difficulty in getting PICU beds. This presents issues for all CAMH services attempting to admit a young person particularly in times of crisis.”

If all goes ahead Oxford Health will have the unit set up by the end of the year because of ‘bed capacity issues across England’.

  • University College Boathouse, Abingdon Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4PS

Oxford Mail: University College Boathouse. Picture: Oxford ArchitectsUniversity College Boathouse. Picture: Oxford Architects

Planning reference: 21/03502/FUL

University College Boat Club, one of the University of Oxford’s rowing societies off Abingdon Road, has applied to the council to improve the security around its multi-million pound Boathouse on Abingdon Road.

Due to recent security problems around the Boathouse, which has seen intruders gain access to the site through the back, the College has asked to build a new security fence and access gate. As well as this, it wants to add low level lights to the paths that lead to the Boathouse.

If approved, the new fence and gate will help the users of the Boathouse feel safe and the new lights would also provide better visual access for the public who are allowed to walk and cycle along the path.

The new fence would be painted green so that it does not ‘standout’ amongst the landscape.

  • Wickes Building Supplies Ltd, Botley Road, Oxford, OX2 0HA

Oxford Mail: Wickes in Oxford Wickes in Oxford

Planning reference: 21/03443/FUL

Building supply shop Wickes has applied to the council to make changes to its retail store in Botley Road's retail park.

If approved, the store will have new cladding at the front, a showroom window, new Click and Collect doors (replacing fire exit doors) and a covered trolley park.

There will also be changes to the car park. However, the developers say there will be no changes to the 'landscaping' of the area or the access to the shop for customers or deliveries.

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