OUR VISION

In 2011 the Bicester Heritage site (formerly RAF Bicester) was designated as a ‘Strategic Development Site’ and was adopted in the Cherwell Local Plan 2015 for ‘Tourism Development’ providing support for heritage tourism uses, leisure, recreation, employment and community uses including the development of hotel and conference facilities.

Our vision is to establish one of the world’s leading automotive destinations, by creating an international centre of excellence for automobiles, past, present and future. Strategic plans are being developed in order to deliver a landmark tourism development at the site, which will become a destination for leisure and skills, automotive innovation and technology, exhibitions, cultural events, and experience centres.

The site, firmly embedded within the UK’s ‘motorsport valley’, is already an economically important centre for the local community, a national destination for families and enthusiasts and a global centre of excellence for automotive conservation, engineering and development.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

THE COMMAND WORKS

Bicester Heritage’s planning application to construct a new employment space south of the historic Technical Site near Skimmingdish Lane received unanimous approval from Cherwell District Council and the development named The Command Works took just 18 months to complete.

Designed and constructed sympathetically, each new building is different in shape and layout, with a carefully selected colour palette and range of materials specifically chosen to align with our historical buildings. The Command Works not only fits seamlessly within the existing buildings it also adds to the historical site creating a wonderful juxtaposition of traditional and modern business spaces.

Located at the south-western previously ‘degraded’ edge of Bicester Heritage, which was an overgrown area of the site and in desperate need of attention. The design and layout were subject to extensive pre-application discussions with Cherwell District Council to ensure that the proposals were properly informed, understanding the site’s heritage significance, character and appearance to ensure that this was preserved.

The designs sought to provide a sense of continuity – not to mimic the past but to include references and design cues that will help the new buildings assimilate with their surroundings. Thus, the designs include a range of building heights and materials to create an informal, varied and dispersed character to the new structures.

The Command Works was developed in collaboration with Bicester Heritage’s consultants, Ridge LLP and Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd, extending the existing technical site, creating new business opportunities and increasing the number of highly skilled specialists on the site.

With the majority of the new buildings now let, we look forward to watching their internal fit-out works take shape in the coming months.

Any enquiries relating to the new technical site should be sent to the following email address: sjc@bicestermotion.com

The Innovation Quarter

 

The Innovation Quarter will offer access to real-time tech development and testing through a dynamic collection of businesses each focused on the latest advances in engineering expertise.

Housed in cutting edge, high-performance buildings, these industry-leading enterprises will be able to showcase their technology to visitors, thereby introducing us all to the future of mobility.

Visitors to the Innovation Quarter will be able to engage with the latest activity and displays from the specialist businesses on a daily basis. Behind the scenes tours can be arranged by appointment and open day events will be held throughout the year.

The Hotel

 

Our recent planning application to develop a landmark 344-bedroom hotel, leisure and conference centre on the border of the Technical Site and airfield received unanimous approval from Cherwell District Council.

The hotel design was created by world-leading hotel specialists Dexter Moran Architects and developed over a period of two years in full consultaion with Cherwell District Council.

The proposal provides a modern luxury hotel and leisure and conference function within the same footprint as one of the existing Grade II listed 1936 C-Type hangars. The design responds in a contemporary manner to the site’s rich and unique story, drawing inspiration from its historic position at the forefront of aviation, engineering, and innovation while complementing the existing period buildings.

Within these conservation-led environs, the hotel’s design is a modern interpretation of the form of the adjoining listed hangars and features a signature entrance atrium designed to showcase automotive themed exhibitions and displays. The building will largely be clad in brickwork, with aluminium and mesh elements reminiscent of the camouflage nets used during the site’s wartime past, in the hands of the RAF.

Providing 344 hotel and aparthotel rooms, and with extensive facilities including food and beverage, leisure and conferencing, this new hotel will contribute greatly to the Bicester and Oxford area hospitality provision while enhancing the activities of Bicester Motion and its future to create a world-leading automotive destination.

The hotel development at Bicester Heritage has been demand-driven with the intention that this new development contributes to regional employment, economy, tourism and amenities. This conservation-led development would further deliver on the Cherwell Local Plan Tourism Development designation for the site first laid out in 2011 and adopted in 2015, wherein the former RAF Bicester site is identified for Strategic Development.

Subject to planning we hope to commence development in 2021.

Any enquiries relating to the hotel should be sent to the following email address: hotel@bicesterheritage.co.uk

Latest News