Plans to expand the Red Hall at the heart of Oxford North have been backed by Oxford City Council.
Oxford North is the new innovation district being created by Thomas White Oxford, the development company of St John’s College, and planning permission for the latest improvements was agreed on Tuesday.
The £700m global innovation district is being built on 64 acres of land at Oxford northern boundary.
READ AGAIN: ITV Endeavour: the final viewing figures
In March 2021, Oxford North's Red Hall was granted planning permission as part of the first phase of development to deliver one million sq ft (92,903 sq m) of laboratory and workspaces, 480 new homes, hotel, nursery, cafes, bars, three public parks and infrastructure.
Now it has been agreed that there will be improvements to the building including a cafe-bar, retail units, community space, co-working spaces, and additional meeting and workspace intended to accommodate a range of science and innovation start-ups and SMEs.
David Camp, chief executive officer, Stanhope plc, said: “By expanding the Red Hall in the first phase and delivering amenity from day one that we open our doors, we can ensure that we are providing an exciting new place for companies and their staff at all stages of their growth to be based and a place for the local community to use and visit.
READ AGAIN: Scales of Justice: results from magistrates' court
“This approval from Oxford City Council means that we can start construction of the first phase of new low carbon lab, workspaces and amenity and continue to create construction jobs and vital new science and innovation space for Oxford.”
The enhanced Red Hall, designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, has retained the external materials and detailing of the previously consented building and will now provide an additional 21,539 sq ft (2,001 sq m) within a three floor 'wing' to the north-east of the building to connect it to a new market square and central park.
The building will now total 61,462 sq ft (5,710 sq m) over five floors.
READ AGAIN: Council replacing Gloucester Green businesses
A portal-framed opening onto the market square will create a series of frontages and spill out spaces for ground floor public uses to interact with the market square.
To enable sustainable and carbon efficient occupation, a phase-wide energy sharing loop network will serve the Red Hall and other phase 1a buildings and include efficient lighting, high levels of fabric performance and optimised ventilation to incorporate heat recovery and solar PV technology.
This will achieve a 43.7 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared with 2013 Building Regulations.
With infrastructure work due to be completed by April 2023, construction work is due to start in summer 2023 on the Red Hall, along with two lab-enabled buildings, to target practical completion early in 2025.
Read more from this author
This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel