New vision for Oxford landmark set for green light

Plans for the conversion, redevelopment and extension of a former Oxford power station into a new education centre have been recommended for approval.Saïd Business School’s naming founder, Wafic Saïd, has gifted £15m to support the redevelopment of Osney Power Station into a leadership centre for executive education.The old power station, which stopped generating electricity at the end of the sixties, is located on the banks of the River Thames to the south of Botley Road and lies approximately 500m from the main Saïd Business School.A report into an application to convert and extend the power station has recommended councillors back the project at a meeting next week.Four teaching rooms would be incorporated alongside breakout areas, kitchen, restaurant, bar facilities, a terrace overlooking the River Thames, gym and an internal courtyard garden.The proposed development, which would be run by the Said Business School, involves the retention, refurbishment, alteration, conversion of the existing building alongside extensions in order to provide 121 ensuite bedrooms.The presented design has evolved to mitigate the impact of the changes that result from the proposed use of the building and to preserve the contribution that the building makes to the story of OxfordOfficers consider that the proposal would accord with the development plan in place and on balance recommend that planning permission should be granted.The application is subject to a legal agreement to cover affordable housing contribution and a variation of the traffic order as requested by Oxfordshire County Council.Osney Power Station was built at Cannon Wharf in 1892. After it stopped generating electricity the site was taken over by Oxford University’s Engineering Department and today is largely unused except for a small part of the building which is used as storage for Pitt Rivers museum.John McAslan + Partners, which led the redevelopment of King’s Cross station, is working as the project architect.The target date for the start of main works is early 2020 with building predicted to take approximately two years.