A microbiology laboratory in Bicester with 85 staff has made an application to expand its premises.

Cherwell Laboratories Ltd is seeking to take over the currently empty warehouse unit at 41 Murdock Road, Launton Business Centre, for the manufacture of prepared microbiological material.

The business produces products for environmental monitoring and to help verify sterilisation processes in pharmaceutical and associated industries.

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Its head office is already at the business centre.

The prospective new space comprises a large warehouse building, with office space over two storeys, a detached storey boiler room and secure parking and turning areas.

Proposals include “very limited” external alterations, which the developer claims are in keeping with the existing building and will “cause no harm to the character of the surrounding area, which is commercial in nature.”

Also proposed are a new glass-fibre reinforced polyester enclosure, a smoking shelter and cycle shelters.

According to the business these would be contained within the site and are screened from the wider area by existing boundary walls and fences.

It is also claimed the proposal will have no adverse impact on surrounding land uses which are all commercial, or industrial in nature.

There is a single tree within the application site, which is deemed to have become “overgrown” and is “causing damage to the building.”

The application proposes the removal of the tree and the planting of three smaller Rowan trees to fill the gap.

All existing grassed verges will be kept and the business claims no further landscape changes would be made.

There are no known protected species within the site, and no demolition is proposed.

The business said it is content to install bat and bird boxes onto the building to provide ecological enhancement in accordance with Cherwell’s local plan policy.

The transport statement for the application concludes adequate parking and turning facilities are provided and that there will be no harm to highway safety as a result of the proposal.

First developed following the approval of outline planning permission in 1964, the industrial estate soon started to take shape with further planning permission for warehousing given in the 1970s.

The warehouse was then constructed and was most recently occupied by The Light Bulb Company, before it moved to a different location in Bicester.

Cherwell Laboratories Ltd was founded in 1971 and started as a veterinary diagnostic laboratory. The business now has a workforce of over 85 staff and around 3,400 square metres of manufacturing and warehousing space.

The business said the site at 41 Murdock Road provides the ideal space to meet their requirements.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1