Over 1,000 new jobs could be created in and around Bicester, as a major planning application has been submitted to Cherwell District Council.
Symmetry Park, Oxford North – a 160-acre warehouse and logistics site on land north of the A41, roughly one kilometre south of Launton – could become the new headquarters of medical technology firm Siemens Healthineers.
A full planning application for a £200m research, development and production centre has now been submitted to Cherwell District Council (CDC). This comes after developers Tritax Symmetry finalised environmental impact reports with CDC in October last year.
Siemens Healthineers has operated from its facility in Eynsham since the 1980s, but now, as the need for more production space arises, they plan to expand.
The 31-hectare plot, which would be accessed from the A41, includes a 56,000 metre square development and production facility, a building for use as an energy centre, loading bays, service yard, waste management area, external plant, parking for electric cars, landscaping and outdoor space for staff recreation and games area.
The development would be around three times larger than the premises in Eynsham, and if the plans are approved, it could bring a range of economic benefits to the area.
Including a capital investment of around £80m into the economy.
By 2040, the investment by Siemens Healthineers is projected to add a net additional £820m to the Gross Value Added of the Oxfordshire economy.
It will also add a further £360m to the Gross Value Added of the UK economy.
The proposal is set to create an estimated 1,350 jobs once operational – 792 new ones and 553 retained - of which 90 per cent would be Oxfordshire residents.
The construction work alone will create roughly 670 jobs.
The building will meet net-zero carbon in construction standards, in line with guidelines detailed by the UK Green Building Council’s framework.
Which will include a significant amount of solar photovoltaic (PV) coverage on the roof.
Ralph Seidler, Managing Director of Siemens Healthineers Magnet Technology, Oxford, said: “Increasing demand for our superconducting magnets has meant we have outgrown our existing development and manufacturing facilities in Eynsham, located 13 miles away from Symmetry Park.
“Realising we needed a larger facility, we carried out an extensive search across the UK; this site is the only location that can meet our requirements.
“Subject to a positive planning outcome we will commence a phased transition from Eynsham to Oxford North, with changeover anticipated to complete by 2030, subject to the variable demand for product lines developed in the facilities.”
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok
Got a story for us? Send us your news and pictures here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here