A leading UK property consultancy has been hired to provide strategic, development, and leasing advice for the expansion of an Oxfordshire science and business campus.
The commission, from the joint venture owners of Oxford Science Park, comes after a recent Carter Jonas survey claimed that last year’s office take-up in the county totalled 425,000 sq ft, a 128 per cent increase on 2013. The agency also revealed that Oxfordshire now has just 744,000 sq ft of office space currently available.
Now the park — owned in partnership by Magdalen College, Oxford, and M&G Real Estate — has appointed Carter Jonas to oversee the delivery of up to seven further development plots, with the potential to offer 250,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Located four miles south-east of Oxford City centre, the business estate already has more than 60 companies occupying over 530,000 sq ft of laboratory and office accommodation. There is also a range of on-site facilities including a conference centre, nursery, shop, restaurant and business services supporting its long-established tenants such as American medical technology company Becton Dickinson, the domain name registry Nominet and Sharp Laboratories of Europe.
“Following a competitive process The Oxford Science Park joint venture is pleased to appoint Carter Jonas to the agency instruction for the next phase of development at the Science Park,” said Magdalen College bursar, Rory Maw, in a statement.
“It is a consultancy which brings an energy and vision aligned with our longer term aspirations, as we seek to reinforce our position as the premier business and science location in Oxford.”
Responding, Carter Jonas’s head of commercial Scott Harkness, said: “The brief was for a property consultancy which could work to promote Oxford Science Park’s design and build opportunities, ultimately aiming to attract further new occupiers and to ensure that this thriving business park is firmly on the map.
“I am confident that the current lack of choice and opportunity for businesses wanting new commercial space within the immediate Oxford area, as recently confirmed by our research, means that Oxford Science Park is well positioned to address the shortage of supply … It has a well-established and enviable reputation as a successful business location and has the land to accommodate companies needing to relocate or expand.”
Harkness, whose firm has 35 offices across England and Wales and is currently working with 45 different science and business parks, added: “We are extremely well placed to meet Magdalen College and M&G Real Estate’s brief and have not only the national but local knowledge and skills to ensure that they achieve their goals.”
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