Oxford City Council has approved planning permission for Oxford Saïd to develop Osney Power Station into a new residential teaching facility for the School.
The Global Leadership Centre will become a unique catalyst for transformative learning and development, bringing leaders from business, government and civil society together with academics from across the University of Oxford.
‘I am thrilled with the news that the planning application for our new Global Leadership Centre has been approved,’ said Peter Tufano, Dean of Saïd Business School. ‘This is a major step towards our purpose to find answers to some of the biggest challenges facing economies, people, the planet today. As a business school in the heart of the University of Oxford we are able to draw on expertise from academics across a wide range of disciplines, whether in the sciences, technology or philosophy, to help business leaders reconsider their purpose and transform their businesses.’
The School had been asked to respond to some concerns from local residents when city councillors deferred the planning decision in July. 'We worked closely with our architects and advisors to address the previous questions raised by the planning committee and refined our proposals accordingly,' said Sara Beck, COO. 'We are firmly committed to being a considerate neighbour and for the School to make a positive contribution to the local community.' In approving the application councillors commented that 'it was a ‘wonderful way of maintaining this building’.
Located on the River Thames in Central Oxford, just three minutes’ walk from the School’s Park End Street site, Osney Power station opened in 1892 and powered the first electric lightbulb, changing lives in Oxford. The building is not listed but is of considerable character which will be respected and retained by the project architects, John McAslan + Partners (JM+P), which also led the redevelopment of King’s Cross station.
The approved scheme includes:
- An ‘agora’ - a large convening space
- Flexible classrooms with associated breakout spaces
- Dining space for up to 160
- A leisure facility with a gym and exercise studio
- A library area
- 121 bedrooms for executive education clients attending residential programmes in the building.
In April 2019, Oxford Saïd’s naming founder, Wafic Saïd, signed a Deed of Gift for £15m to support the £60m redevelopment of Osney Power Station. ‘It is a pleasure and a privilege to support the School as it embarks on the next chapter of its remarkable story with the Global Leadership Centre, which is a sign both of the School’s achievement to date and of an even more exciting future,’ he said.
The target date for commencement of main works is early 2020 with building predicted to take approximately 24 months.
Follow the progress of the build @OxfordSBS #OPSbuild