Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility
On 2 June 2025 the University of Oxford's application for a new development of a Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility at the Churchill Hospital was formally APPROVED with 23 conditions. This development is just just 82m from the Lye Valley SSSI's fen’s high-level west side springs, and had been approved by the Oxford City Planning Committee in February.
“Erection of a modular manufacturing building (Use Class E). Extension to service road. Installation of
generatorsprinkler with palisade fencing, electrical transformer, vehicle barriers, bollards and lampposts. Provision of car and cycle parking, loading area, fencing and landscaping”.
On 18 March 2024 the University changed the word “generator” in the above description to “sprinkler” and it substituted 22 documents seeking to address the concerns of the Friends of Lye Valley, Natural England, and others
On 19 April 2024 the Friends of Lye Valley made a second objection to this planning application:
- Second objection made by the Friends of Lye Valley (eleven-page PDF)
This stated that there were points in their previous objection that had just not been addressed. That earlier objection requested the following information:
1. Full details are needed of the type and locations (and maintenance) of the infiltration SUDS system to be used to re-assure us that there will be no damaging future effects on the hydrology and water chemistry of the springs supplying the nearby western slopes of Lye Valley SSSI alkaline fen, only 82m away.
2. Additionally we would like full details of any foundations to reassure us that there will be no intrusion into the complicated natural geology of sands and hard limestone layers, and thus no damage to the special perched aquifer that exists on the western side of the valley and feeds high level spring/seepage zones in the fen.
3. Details of the heat pump types to be used in the development are needed. Ground-source or water-source heat pumps are not acceptable due to potential damage to the complicated natural geology of perched aquifer in the Beckley Sands which supplies spring water to the west side SSSI fen.
4. Details of sewerage system changes are needed to assure us there will be no increase in volume of sewage directed to sewers that run through the SSSI North fen and South fen units of the SSSI.
5. Details of paving and access road surfacing are needed to re-assure us these will be fully permeable with annual maintenance schedules to ensure rainfall penetration to the aquifer.
6. We would like to know if reptiles have already been translocated away from the proposed development site before this application is agreed and if so how many lizards?
7. We would like to know what measures are to be taken to reduce light pollution to the dark zone of Lye Valley for glow-worms, moths and bats.
8. The only parking we would be happy to see on site would be that for delivery and emergency vehicles.
In May 2024 the University added a technical note responding to the assertions made by the Friends of Lye Valley in their objection to the plans: See the Cover letter under the Documents tab in the planning application for a detailed explanation of the changes made in May .
In August 2024 fourteen revised drawings were added to the planning application:
- Oxford Mail, 19 August 2024: “Design plans submitted for new Headington hospital building”
In December 2024 further revisions were made.