At the launch of the Magnet some five years ago, it was hard not to be swept away with the sheer enthusiasm of those gathering at the unveiling.

The idea of having a £35m Science Discovery and Innovation Centre, celebrating the scientific and technological achievements of the county, was an attractive proposition.

It would attract some 150,000 visitors a year and would be a jewel in the West End of the city, fittingly sited next to Oxford Castle and the newly-opened heritage centre: wonderful monuments to science and history sitting side by side.

It would be a wonderful gift to the city from the charity created by Sir Martin and Audrey Wood, the founders of Oxford Instruments, a couple dedicated to science education and application.

The unloved Macclesfield House would be swept away and the plans would be produced by Foster and Partners, world-famous architects. But there was always a weakness at the very heart of the scheme: location, location, location.

Squeezing a planetarium, visitor centre, educational facilities and 50 small businesses was going to be challenging to say the least, even for Foster’s brilliant team of designers.

The presence of the Oxford Mound also meant it was triangular shaped, while the requirement of demolishing the 100-year-old register office was also going to upset conservationists, as well as those with happy memories of the building. There was only one answer of course and that was to build upwards.

The first images of the cut diamond-shaped planetarium were genuinely striking. This would be a building people would remember; however, from many places views of the Castle Mound, one of Oxford’s most historic sites, would be blocked. It proved too high a price to pay.

The end of last year saw desperate efforts to compromise and reduce the height of the Magnet, with plans redrawn to house the planetarium in a basement. But Science Oxford has decided it can do no more, leaving us with groans of disappointment and probably Macclesfield House still in place. We must hope that the experience has not left the charity totally exhausted and disillusioned after so much time, care and expense. The only hope is that an alternative site might be found.

Normally that would be an impossibility in Oxford’s city centre. However, one nearby quarter of the city, Oxpens, is set to see a major regeneration, with new homes, a hotel and student flats. A masterplan has already been drawn up but what could be more suitable than a beacon of knowledge at its heart, as well as a marvellous visitor attraction close to the railway and bus station?

A nice thought, but sadly one unlikely to be realised. The noises coming from Science Oxford suggest that if a new innovation centre is built — and it is now a big if — it is likely to be well away from central Oxford — with the emphasis on start-up business rather than spectacular sky-at-night shows.