Bicester Village has submitted plans to knock down a former trading estate next to the designer outlet but questions have been raised over the site’s unclear future.

The former McKay Trading Estate sits on Station Road near the railway station and is subject to demolition, however, the site's future is still up in the air.

The site was taken over by Value Retail – which owns Bicester Village – in 2016, for a reported £7.85m, and plans were quickly approved to demolish the site to make way for Bicester Village offices but this never came to fruition.

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New plans have now been submitted which would see six of the seven vacant units knocked down, but according to planning documents, no decision has been made on what the area would be used for.

A spokesperson for Bicester Village has said the buildings are in a "state of disrepair" and the demolition of the site would "enable a more productive use".

Oxford Mail: The site from above

This has caused criticism towards Bicester Village’s already approved plans to redevelop Oxford Road Sports Ground with a local campaign group asking why this site couldn’t have been used instead.

The approved development plans will see the designer outlet build a new car park and public park on Oxford Road Sports Ground as well as extending the village on the western side.

Roger Wise on behalf of the Save Oxford Road Sports Ground said: “The loss of the Oxford Road Sports Ground in its capacity as a vital open green space, which had served the local community in the pursuit of sport and recreation was a devastating blow.

“With the news that the McKay Trading Site is to be demolished, the question should be raised would this not have been a more suitable location for the now approved new multi-storey, rather than losing the Oxford Road under an avalanche of steel, concrete, and tarmac.”

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Oxford Mail:

If demolition plans are approved, the site would be surrounded by hoarding boards until a decision on its future is made.

Ian Middleton, the Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate for Bicester & Woodstock, said: "If they are clearing it now it’s apparent that they are looking to redevelop it in some way.

“The original plan was for office space for Bicester Village, but it seems like they haven’t really needed it if they’ve managed for eight years without it.

“The industrial buildings that are on there now are quite old and inefficient so they’d be unlikely to be let again for warehousing or light industrial so it seems sensible for the site to be cleared.

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“What is clear is that Bicester doesn’t need any more industrial sheds and, being so close to the station, this site would be an ideal location for some socially rented homes for key workers giving them easy access to Oxford and beyond via the railway.

“I suppose other uses might be for additional parking for Bicester Village, although that would be the last thing Bicester needs, especially on top of the multi-storey car park that’s already planned."

A spokesperson for Bicester Village said: “The majority of buildings which previously formed part of the McKay trading estate are in a state of disrepair and have been unoccupied for some time. 

“The proposal is to retain the first building, adjacent to London Road, and to demolish the remaining buildings, due to their condition and to enable a more productive use of the area in the future.   

“This will follow the usual planning process”.