Redevelopment of Oxford Brookes University student village begins

Former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, Professor Sir Clive Booth, unveiled the stone at the Clive Booth Student Village in Headington, which will offer accommodation for future students at the university.

It is currently expected that the first phase of the redevelopment will provide new rooms for use in the 2023/24 academic year, starting in September.

Once completed, it will provide around 1,000 new high-quality rooms for the site, where currently about 640 students live.

As well as helping more students to live close to the campus, the redevelopment will provide a wider range of accommodation options to suit personal preferences and budgets.

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Sir Clive Booth, who was vice-chancellor for Oxford Brookes from 1992 until 1997, said: “I was delighted to be asked to lay the foundation stone at Clive Booth Student Village today (15/6).

"As a former Vice-Chancellor or Oxford Brookes, I know the tremendous value the University brings to teaching and learning, research, partnership work, and the wider community.

"The provision of modern accommodation close to campus is an important element of ensuring students can continue to thrive and go on to make a positive impact after their studies.

"I have no doubt that the next generation of students will value the fantastic new facilities and spaces it will bring.”

The university said the redevelopment will also benefit Oxford residents by cutting the number of students who need rented houses.

Vice-chancellor Professor Alistair Fitt said: “The transformation of the accommodation site will provide high-quality rooms and social spaces for our students within a picturesque setting near to our Headington Campus.

"It will also benefit the local community by reducing pressure on the Oxford housing supply by allowing more students to live in student accommodation on our estate.

"We look forward to students moving into the fantastic new spaces over the coming years and it was entirely fitting that this stage of the redevelopment was marked by the man after whom the site is named.”

Oxford Brookes University's plans to demolish and rebuild the 12 student housing blocks was finally approved in 2021 at the third attempt.

Some of the buildings were put up in the 1970s and needed replacing, said the university.

But residents' groups said more students will "cause substantial harm" to the Headington Hill Conservation Area.

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According to architects MICA, the 12 new buildings will be set within a landscaped wooded hillside with outdoor spaces for residents to relax.

James York, Thames Valley area director for construction company Morgan Sindall, said: ”It is fantastic to see such a large, complex and important project for Oxford Brookes University progressing.

"It is a testament to the tenacity of their team and the collaborative approach we have all had since we were engaged through the Southern Construction Framework.

"Seeing teams work together towards one goal like this makes me extremely proud, this progress is a due to a combination of the hard work of our team on site, a brilliant client team, and the guiding principles of the framework.”