Reading and Oxford top the table

The latest Good Growth for Cities Index has shown Reading and Oxford extending their lead at the top. The two are now pulling clear of the rest of the country on economic fundamentals. The index shows how elements such as like rising employment, new business formation and increasing skills can improve quality of life measures, such as work-life balance, property prices and health. The report, published by PwC and Demos, states: “Reading, with Oxford, remains at the top of the index. A

Oxford Brookes plans 750 homes on Wheatley campus

Plans have come forward for 750 homes on the site of Oxford Brookes University’s Wheatley campus. The university is moving its schools of business and technology from the 53-acre site to Headington and has now submitted a scoping opinion request to South Oxfordshire District Council for the housing to ask if an Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is needed ahead of a planning application. The site is on Green Belt land but those boundaries are likely to be redrawn within the Local Plan which

FTC members given glimpse behind the scenes of the LEP

Delegates at November’s First Tuesday Club learned how a Thames Valley Berkshire LEP project will add weight to its influence in driving forward improvements across the region. The LEP’s head of stakeholder engagement, Bill Hicks explained the LEP’s role in understanding the area’s barriers to growth and then making things happen at the November 1 meeting which was sponsored by Barton Willmore. And he outlined a significant internal research project called the Spatial Economic Narrative (SEN),

The Mall, Camberley bought by council for £86m

The Mall shopping centre in Camberley is to be bought by Surrey Heath Borough Council as part of a £110 million investment in the town centre. The council is to acquire The Mall and various other property from Capital & Regional for around £86m, and says further key town centre acquisitions are in the pipeline. The council has been boosted by its successful acquisition of 47,000 sq ft of offices at Ashwood House in 2015 for redevelopment and the opening of The Atrium retail centre. Leader of

Film studio plan for Arborfield Garrison

Plans have been lodged to turn a section of Arborfield Garrison into a film studio for nine years before the site is redeveloped for housing. Crest Nicholson and the Defence Infratructure Organisation (DIO - Part of the MoD) have jointly made the change of use application to Wokingham Borough Council through agents Savills. It seeks to use the existing buildings within the Hazebrouck Barracks and its grounds for ‘various’ media and production companies. The application involves no new

BT plans 674 student rooms at Oxford

A planning application for 674 student rooms is expected to be submitted to Oxford City Council in the next few weeks. The scheme has been drawn up for the former Cowley Barracks, a 3.9-acre site off Hollow Way and James Wolfe Road. It closed as a barracks in 1959 and was last used by BT which is now developing the site. A consultation in October drew concerns over a clause in students’ tenancy agreements, banning them from owning cars. Councillors have said that would be unenforceable and

Up to 1,500 homes proposed across South Oxfordshire

Plans for up to 750 homes have been submitted across South Oxfordshire in four separate developments - and a further 750 is earmarked in a future application. Plans for up to 180 at Benson have been submitted to South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) by RJ&S; Styles through agent West Waddy ADP. That scheme is on land south of Watlington Road. Forty per cent of the homes, which range from one to four bedrooms, will be affordable. In another scheme Rockspring Barwood Didcot Ltd has through

Gladman Developments submits plans for 245 homes at Emmer Green

Gladman Developments has submitted its proposals for 245 homes at Emmer Green. The Congleton-based developer held a public consultation at Highdown School in September for its plans, - initially for 270 homes - but reduced the number following feedback. The development, which includes 40 per cent affordable homes, is on a 13.48 hectare site just within the South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) side of its border with Reading. It stretches from Peppard Road to Kiln Road and adjoins existing

Second attempt to convert Nielsen House to flats

Developers wishing to turn an office building in Headington into 93 apartments have made a second attempt. Headington Developments has applied, via agents Framptons, to convert Nielsen House and an annex building into a mix of one and two bedroom apartments through Permitted Development rules. The plans for the buildings in London Road, Headington, were refused earlier this year because insufficient information had been supplied to Oxford City Council regarding contamination and flood risk.

New consultation over 1,500-home Pyestock village

Updated plans for a mini-town of around 1,500 homes on land at Fleet go out to public consultation this month. St Edward Homes, a joint venture between Berkeley Group and the Prudential and the developer behind Green Park Village in Reading, is proposing a residential scheme at Hartland Park, a 135-acre site in Pyestock, previously home to the National Gas Turbine Establishment where jet engines were made post war. It was decommissioned in 2000 and sold for redevelopment. Planning permission