Oxford Brookes University's Harcourt Hill Campus Is the Home of The

1 - HARCOURT HILL CAMPUS Supported by:

December 2012

Campus Looking East

Oxford Brookes University’s Harcourt Hill campus is the home of the School of Education. The original Westminster College, founded in 1851, has had a home in Harcourt since the 1950s and was merged with Oxford Brookes University in 2000.

The School of Education is highly regarded and trains hundreds of primary and secondary school teachers each year, many of whom stay in Oxfordshire to work.

The campus plays a vital role in University and community life - it offers local employment opportunities, supports a frequent bus link to Oxford and enables local access to excellent sporting facilities.

We have carried out some development on To do this we have been developing and changes that have been made as a result the campus, recently opening new halls of consulting on a ‘Masterplan’ for Harcourt. of the previous consultation, more clarity on residence. These provide over 300 rooms and This will provide a long term framework for some of the questions raised in the latest communal social areas. development of the site over the next 20 exhibition and provides another opportunity years. to hear your thoughts on our plans. However, if students, staff and the community are to continue to benefit from the campus, The Masterplan will inform a significant Once we have heard your comments, we further investment is required. This is review by the University of the future of are intending to submit the final Masterplan because there have been significant changes its whole estate and will enable any future and supporting documents for this campus in higher education, and also because many building decisions to be made in a coherent to the Vale of White Horse District Council of the buildings are reaching the end of their and consistent manner. for its formal adoption as a Supplementary useful lives. This makes it a good time to Planning Document. consider a long term plan for improving other We exhibited initial plans for this in 2007 fundamental aspects of the estate, including and, more recently, in October 2012. the wider campus layout. This exhibition gives some detail on the 2 - WHAT IS MASTERPLANNING?

December 2012

The Harcourt Hill Campus The Masterplan does not commit the These and other issues would be the has developed in a University to building all or even some subject of future planning applications of the proposals. If agreed, it will mean and, should our proposals progress piecemeal fashion. The new individual buildings can be designed to this stage, the University will have result is a campus that and placed logically should the University to provide far greater detail on the lacks a strong sense of decide to invest in parts of the site. design of proposed developments, predicted usage and, if necessary, how identity or place. The The Masterplan does not replace the additional student and staff numbers Masterplan seeks to planning approval process that individual can successfully access and use the address these issues by new developments must go through. As campus. such, it is not required to include detailed providing a vision of how it predictions on additional usage of the could be developed in the site or the transport requirements it could long term. entail.

Harcourt Hill campus today 3 - THE PROPOSED MASTERPLAN

December 2012

The main developments of the Masterplan include improved academic buildings, a new welcoming campus entrance and better vehicle circulation around the site.

It is deliberately planned to ensure views from Oxford into the Green Belt are not impacted and the heritage Site Strategy Diagramof the site is respected and enhanced. Key Routes & Linkage Buildings Retained Proposed Buildings 1 Proposed Bus Stop ‘One Way’ Vehicle Circulation Route Sports Centre Student Accommodation

2 Proposed Pedestrian/Cycle Access Pedestrian Circulation Route New Student Accommodation Academic Buildings

3 Proposed Vehicle Entrance Yellow Sphere - Campus focal (Heart) Academic Buildings

4 Proposed Vehicle Exit Green Buffer and Linkage

5 Piazza

6 Additional Car Parking Area

7 Existing Car Parking Area

8 Harcourt Hill

9 Residential Properties 10 10 Sports Field 3

2 7

2 1 2 4 9 5

7 8 6 4 - OUTCOMES OF THE OCTOBER 2012 CONSULTATION December 2012

The October consultation provided useful feedback. Consultation What change was made Where to find Here are some of the issues response the change raised and the University’s Concerns regarding Text in Masterplan provides a clearer Justification the numbers of explanation of estimates on potential student Statement – Dec response, including the 2012 additional students numbers. Justification statement produced changes that are now and staff who could which includes rationale for the possible Dec 2012 be attending the increase in the capacity of the site Masterplan - pages proposed to the Masterplan. campus 2 - 5 and 17 - 19 Please see the Consultation Concerns regarding Transport Strategy updated to include a Transport Strategy – Statement and Consultation the transport brief for a Transport Area Level Impact updated Dec 2012. implications of the Assessment (ALIA) which will look at Summary November 2012 proposals transport issues such as parking and for full details. access and how these will affect the local area should future planning applications be pursued

More details regarding Text in Masterplan amended to confirm that Masterplan Dec drainage required a full sustainable drainage scheme (SUDS) 2012 – page 26 for the wider site including roads, car parking and buildings will be developed

Explain why Text in Masterplan amended to provide Justification the University further clarification as to what a Masterplan Statement – Dec 2012 is developing a is, its benefits and the purpose of developing Masterplan Dec Masterplan for the a Masterplan for the campus. Justification 2012 - pages 2 - 5 campus statement produced

Provide more Landscape Strategy and Tree Strategy Landscape Strategy information regarding produced. Phase I Habitat Survey produced and Tree Strategy – Dec 2012 landscape and Phase I Habitat ecology Survey – Oct 2012

Provide more details Amended text and images in Masterplan Masterplan Dec regarding the chapel to emphasise that the chapel will remain 2012 – pages 19, 27 and 44 and the heights of the visually prominent feature and that new new buildings buildings will not exceed existing roof heights

Concerns regarding Text amended in Masterplan to provide Masterplan Dec the impact of further clarification of the services on campus 2012 – page 16 additional students on that could be available to students and the local services use of services by students more widely in the local community

Ensure local Consultation Strategy produced to explain Consultation community are how consultation with the local community Strategy - Dec 2012 engaged and the District and County Councils will be maintained

Provide design Additional section in Masterplan providing Masterplan Dec principles for future design principles showing issues to be 2012 – pages 26/27 planning applications addressed and further information required at the planning application stage 5 - OUTCOMES OF THE OCTOBER 2012 CONSULTATION December 2012

As a result of these • Harcourt Hill Masterplan • Transport Local Area Impact changes we have 2012 (produced September Assessment Technical Note produced new documents 2012, updated December (produced December 2012) and updated existing 2012) documents to ensure that • Justification Statement our proposals are clear and • Heritage Statement (produced December 2012) justified, these documents (produced September 2012, include: updated December 2012) • Consultation Statement (produced November 2012) • Sustainability Appraisal (produced September 2012, • Consultation Summary updated December 2012) (produced November 2012)

• Transport Strategy • Consultation Plan (produced (produced September 2012, December 2012) updated December 2012) • Phase I Habitat Survey • Consultation Strategy (produced October 2012) (produced December 2012) • Proposed and Existing Floor • Landscape Framework Space Technical Appendix Strategy and Tree Strategy (produced December 2012) (produced December 2012)

One of the key issues Initial analysis suggests that the maximum the balance between full and part capacity of the site could range from time students, postgraduates and raised during the October an additional 1,000 students and some undergraduates, programmes consultation was the additional staff (based on current University provided and methods of teaching will potential increase in staff occupation levels) through to an additional change. 3,000 students and 350 staff (based on a and student numbers at the more intensive use of the site). Should the University decide to Harcourt Hill Campus. build any part of the plan, as part of However, accurate predictions at this the planning process it will have to stage are impossible. This is because a provide far more detail on this issue, Masterplan is a long term document and and in particular the measures it will not all of it will necessarily be carried out. put in place to accommodate and In addition, with the Higher Education transport additional students. sector facing such challenging times, 6 - MASTERPLAN DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES December 2012

Sustainable In response to the comments The Masterplan document Transport, Access received the Masterplan now sets out full details of and Parking incorporates a number of these, in summary they The1 Masterplan will require a clear ‘Development Principles’. include: strategy to manage travel to the Should detailed planning campus, including parking demand, applications come forward, and promote more sustainable forms of transport. This will include improving they will need to comply with and increasing the bus service to the these principles. campus, assessing the requirements for additional parking and promoting an increase in pedestrian and cycle journeys.

Landscape and Visual Sustainable Planting Impact Drainage

2Providing a landscape and tree 3Detailed visual impact assessments 4A detailed sustainable drainage strategy for the campus that integrates will be prepared to demonstrate that scheme for the wider site, including development into the landscape. development can be accommodated roads, car parking and buildings will be Landscape enhancements will include without harm to the Green Belt, the developed alongside future planning the development of the Green Buffer existing chapel building and important applications. adjacent to Harcourt Hill incorporating views of the site from Oxford. avenues of trees and soft landscaping.

Design

5The preparation of a design framework and code that future planning applications should adhere to. 7 - NEXT STEPS

December 2012

Oxford Brookes is Our consultation period runs from ▪▪In hard copy at the Harcourt Hill 8 December – 21 December 2012 Campus reception committed to developing and you can access our Masterplan its plans in full consultation and supporting documents in the If you wish to make any comments with students, staff and the following locations: please fill in a feedback form and place it in the box provided. local community. We are ▪▪At www.westwaddy-adp. keen to hear your thoughts co.uk (West Waddy ADP are Alternatively, comments can be before we finalise our the University’s town planning submitted at www.westwaddy-adp. consultants) Masterplan. Thank you for co.uk, by emailing consultation@ ▪▪In hard copy at Botley Library westwaddy-adp.co.uk or by letter to attending our exhibition. West Waddy ADP, 60 East St Helen ▪▪In hard copy at the Vale of the Street, Abingdon, OX14 5EB. White Horse District Council offices

The Masterplan process: For further information, please contact:

The Masterplan is The Masterplan is produced to provide a consulted on with Alan Divall long term framework the local community. for future development. Comments are ...by phone considered and 01235 523139 the Masterplan The Masterplan is is amended if submitted to Vale of ...by email appropriate and White Horse District necessary Council for adoption [email protected] as a Supplementary Planning Document. ...or online at www.westwaddy-adp.co.uk

The planning process: The University will consult on any If planning consent is received future development and will have the University will keep the Should the University decide to provide far greater detail on local community informed and to fund elements of the usage of the site and transport. give opportunities for feedback Masterplan, as part of its Where appropriate, it will amend throughout the development consideration of its wider and improve its proposals in process and beyond. estate, planning applications response to feedback. will be developed and carried out in accordance with the Full details of the process District Council’s Statement of The University will then make a formal the University will follow Community Involvement and planning application to the planning authority are available in the the Masterplan’s Consultation for its active consideration. The Council will Consultation Strategy Strategy. hold its own period of consultation. document.