Why we've got grand designs on a big move away from County Hall
Oxfordshire County Council
Working in partnership to make Oxfordshire a greener, fairer and healthier county.
County Hall in Oxford is officially being marketed for sale following decisions taken by our cabinet in January 2024 to move our headquarters to Speedwell House in 2027.
The building primarily comprises office accommodation and was completed in 1973.? Old County Hall dating from 1841 comprises the Council Chamber and Coroner’s Court and is listed Grade II*.
The sale offers the opportunity for us to move into modern, net-zero accommodation enabling County Hall to be re-imagined by a new owner as part of the regeneration of the West End of the city centre of Oxford.
Receipts from the sale of County Hall will pay for the upgrading of Speedwell House with decisions to be taken on how any surplus would be deployed.
The decision to move from County Hall was taken in January 2024 and since then a lot of technical and professional work has been ongoing to progress the matter.
The milestone of marketing County Hall to potential buyers has now been reached.
County Hall is in a prime location in one of the world’s most famous cities and a wide range of interest from the UK and across the world is anticipated.?
The council believes its decisions relating to County Hall and Speedwell House will improve the delivery of services and will help with the physical, social and economic regeneration of Oxford.
The marketing approach to County Hall will not dictate or pre-determine the future use of the buildings and will be designed to encourage as wide a range of interest as possible.
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Old County Hall is included in the marketing of the site and allows the council to assess market interest and to make an informed decision about the future of the building.
All offers received will be reviewed in detail with a shortlist of potential purchasers to be selected and interviewed to determine the deliverability of proposals.
Decisions are expected to be made towards the end of 2024.
Under approved plans the county council will move its headquarters to Speedwell House on Speedwell Street. These offices had for many years provided city centre office accommodation for the council in addition to County Hall. Work is being completed to strip out the building.
This means work can commence in the middle of 2025, with the intention to create new net zero headquarters for the council, using sustainable technologies including air source heat pumps.
The Speedwell House offices will be designed to maximise natural light and make best use of technology. The building will be extended, and extra floors added to the current building.
Concept designs of Speedwell House include a new Council Chamber and Coroner’s Court in a building that is modern, fit for purpose and accessible.
There will only be minimal car parking at the site (for those with disabilities), with electric pool cars, secure bike storage and changing facilities provided for employees to support sustainable travel to and from work.
The building is close to the city centre with easy bus and train access and close to Thames Valley Police offices, the Magistrates Court and Crown Court with potential for shared use to save money for the taxpayer.
There will be an ambition for a 20 per cent biodiversity net gain.
HR professional MCIPD
1 个月Wondering which bit of the University will buy it
NCFE Level 3 Trainer/Assessor/Lecturer at Grant Engineering (UK) Ltd
2 个月Oxford as we all know is a beautiful City, and the plan to sell County Hall doesn’t surprise me, as the offices are right in the centre of the beating heart of the City. So, this has the potential to attract investors from around the world. I personally believe it could be a fantastic opportunity as a high end hotel with a number of shops and restaurants, which would give visitors to the City more choice in these areas. Alternatively, it could also be used as an accommodation facility to provide students with on the doorstep access to the Universities. So, whatever happens to County Hall is good for the investor and Oxfordshire County Council, as both can make further investments into sustainability with the buildings as we move closer to the net zero future.
IT Manager - Blue Earth Diagnostics
2 个月Surprised to hear this includes moving Coroners court - what shame the listed court has a fascinating history associated with it. The Council Chamber has been long overdue - best of luck with your Speedwell neighbors
Owner at Bloxham Stabilisation Company LTD
2 个月You must hive off the old courthouse as this is part of the Oxford history is it not. Plus the council chamber. Have you thought this out or do you people just don’t care about history.
Rail Development Lead at Oxfordshire County Council
2 个月While I'll be sorry to leave County Hall, I'm excited about the plans for our new Speedwell eco-campus Chris Dyer MRICS MAPM NECReg BSc (Hons) DipSP Vic Kurzeja