Oxford United’s project team continues to work extensively on preparing a detailed planning submission for the exciting new stadium development.
The club’s aspirations are to build a new, modern, eco-friendly stadium which is a significant community landmark that contributes meaningfully to the economy and society of Oxfordshire. This is a once in a generation opportunity to provide a new home for sport, entertainment, business, community, education and tourism which the whole county can be proud of.
Last year Oxfordshire County Council agreed a deal in principle to lease the club an area of land known as ‘The Triangle’ in Kidlington. Since then, the club has continued working closely with the county council, Cherwell District Council, consultants, various stakeholders and the wider community.
The public consultation saw a huge level of engagement from the community, fans and people from afar. During the public consultation period, our project team attended more than 150 meetings, 1.5 million people visited the stadium website and more than 70,000 people engaged with the project. We have received hundreds of positive and constructive responses and want to make sure we incorporate feedback before finalising our plans.
This is a unique opportunity for the club, and we want to develop a stadium that puts the visitor experience at its heart. This means listening to feedback from everyone and being agile in our approach.
Carefully reviewing the detail and ensuring we get the planning application correct is essential and, based on the extensive response received, this has taken slightly longer than anticipated.
We have adjusted our designs in response to the consultation and will be releasing these soon. We are committed to delivering a new, modern, sustainable stadium which is a significant community landmark – this is about getting the right facility for everyone.
The submission of our planning application, along with the release of further details on the updates we’ve made to our plans, will follow in due course. This includes our improved accessibility strategy, and news of exciting developments around the club’s net zero ambitions.
The new 16,000-seater stadium, which will include a 180-bed hotel, conference and event space, along with a health and wellbeing centre, will deliver significant economic and social benefits to Oxfordshire. They include creating new jobs, boosting tourism, improving transport links, enhancing green spaces, and supporting local charities and schools.
A successful planning application is a significant milestone and critical to the success of the project. Submitting our application at the earliest opportunity remains the focus of the club and project team. The board and CEO of the club are supporting and driving this project forward as we continue to seek a route to delivery for the 26/27 season.