18/02982/FUL

The Old Power Station 17 Russell Street Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 0AR

4 December 2018

The conversion, redevelopment and extension of Osney Power Station to a Centre of Executive Education to be run by Said Business School. 

Whilst the Oxford Civic Society recognise the contribution to the preservation of an historic building this proposal for the Said Business School should make, and the efforts that have been made by the design team to minimise the impacts on Arthur Street in particular, by the proposed location of the main entrance, likely 24hour pedestrian flows and related noise and light issuing from the building will remain a concern for the entire dense residential street setting. The ‘Executive Summary’ of the submitted ‘Design and Access’ document makes no direct qualitative reference to the scale and limitations of the route to and around the building via Mill, Russell and Arthur Streets. We strongly recommend that these issues be thoroughly tested through the planning process.

Given the impact that this development will undoubtedly have on the local resident and nearby communities, Oxford Civic Society would equally recommend that the University consider positively the notion that some pro bono provision be incorporated into (probably) the ground floor planning, in a manner to enable and connect the global with the local – maybe a resource centre and public exhibition area? This, we respectfully suggest might be seen as a public good for Oxford as well as a noteworthy initiative globally.