Two new laboratories are set to be approved for Oxford Business Park.

Oxford City Council's planning committee will decide the schemes, from applicant Advanced Research Clusters GP (ARC), for John Smith Drive. 

One will replace an existing building at Plot 5000 while the other is a Reserved Matters Application for Plot 2000.

Both will be decided by planning chiefs tomorrow (Tuesday, September 17). 

Plot 5000 includes a total of 147 car parking spaces, five of which are blue badge, as well as 123 cycle parking spaces.

The park, now known as ARC, includes more than 35 science and innovation businesses, covers 88 acres and has more than 3,500 members on campus.

READ MORE: Plan to build another lab in area 'undergoing significant change'

Oxford is expected to have its stock of office and laboratory buildings soar over the next few years as developers work to complete more than 700,000 square feet of new space.

CoStar, a commercial real estate research company, said more business and life science space is being built in Oxford, as a percentage of its existing stock, than any other place in the country outside of London.

Illustrative masterplan (Image: Oxford City Council.) No public comments in support or objection of either scheme have been submitted.

However, Oxford Preservation Trust has raised some concerns. 

Laura Warden, senior planner at the trust, said: “OPT feel that the description of the proposed new building as 'ground plus four-storey building, with an additional rooftop space' as somewhat disingenuous.

"The proposed building is in fact a six to seven-storey building with the addition of flues above the proposed rooftop plant. It is clearly a large-scale building, twice the size of that which currently sits on the site.

“Whilst OPT acknowledge that the business park is an area that has been identified as one that can accommodate larger scale development, it is important to fully consider and understand the potential impact these significantly larger buildings will have on not only the immediate locality, but also from views from further afield.

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“OPT would however urge the council to consider whether a masterplan would be beneficial for the wider business park site.

"There is clearly a desire to build larger, taller buildings which will often include proposed significant amounts of plant and flues at rooftop level.

"What would the impact be on views if all the plots across the business park were redeveloped with buildings of this size or bigger.”

Proposed development (Image: Oxford City Council.)In the planning officers' report, it said: “Officers consider that the proposed development would respond appropriately to the site context and Local Plan policies and Oxford Business Park site allocation.

“The proposal would provide enhanced pedestrian connectivity and improved wider transport infrastructure through financial contributions and it is considered that there would be no harm to the highway network as a result of traffic generation. 

“The development would result in a net gain in tree canopy cover through new and retained soft landscaping.”