Business park set for former RAF base site

The business hub is expected to be used by pioneering motorsport companies

The construction of a new £50m business park on the site of a former World War Two RAF base will start in the spring, developers have said.

Plans for the seven buildings in Bicester, Oxfordshire, have been given the go-ahead by Cherwell District Council.

The site, named Innovation Quarter by property developer Bicester Motion, is expected to be the headquarters for racing and motorsport companies.

The first two buildings are expected to be completed by spring 2025.

Bicester Motion bought the abandoned 444-acre former RAF base in 2013

The site is in the heart of Motorsport Valley in Oxfordshire, which is already home to more than 50 companies that design cutting-edge technology.

Companies in Innovation Quarter would have access to vehicle tracks and an airfield for testing, the developer said.

Bicester Motion also said it was committed to strengthening infrastructure in the area, including for cycling and improved transport links to Bicester North station.

Dan Geoghegan, the developer's chief executive, said they had been working to design a site that could house aviation engineering, events, culture, design, research and manufacturing.

The site is in the county's Motorsport Valley

“We acquired the abandoned former World War Two RAF base in 2013 and since then have been creating the pre-eminent destination to experience the full breadth of automotive and aviation engineering, events, culture, design, research, and manufacture," Mr Geoghegan added.

“This sector is booming, with both start-ups and mainstream manufacturers racing to develop new technologies and transportation options.

"We are resolute in our focus to deliver a unique home and space for future innovating mobility pioneers, putting Bicester on the technology map, and boosting the economy in creating jobs both through construction and specifically within the future companies which join our thriving estate."