Pub and cinema first to be restored in science lab plan

The restoration of a Grade II* listed pub and the building of new leisure facilities will form the first phase of the regeneration of a popular leisure complex, its developers have said.

Pioneer Group and landowner Firoka Group's resubmitted plans for the Ozone Leisure Park in Oxford include a five or six screen cinema and bowling alley alongside its previously announced new science laboratories.

Plans to demolish facilities at the Grenoble Road site next to the Kassam Stadium, including the Vue Cinema and Hollywood Bowl, were widely criticised.

The project is expected to be delivered in phases, with the dedicated leisure building and restored Minchery Farmhouse pub to be provided in Phase One.

The pub closed 13 years ago and is on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register.

The developer said Minchery Farmhouse would be "carefully restored and brought back into use as a high-quality pub and social venue, creating a vibrant focal point for the wider development and helping preserve the building for future generations".

The entire development will support at least 1,700 jobs in the city, Pioneer Group said.

• Lab facilities for the life science sector
• Dedicated leisure building
• Cafes, restaurants and shops
• Central square for food markets, performances and community events
• Cycle parking and bus stop
• Additional funding to support the Cowley Branch Line
• 3.2 acres of new public open space and the planting of 231 new trees

Resident Natalie Webb said the plans sounded "fantastic" as the original proposals were "considerably smaller".

"The actual facility itself is the only thing within the area that anybody has to do," she explained.

"There are very, very limited [activities] for teenagers to do in the area, and losing any aspect of that would be detrimental."

She added: "There's always scepticism when it comes to anything to do with Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys.

"The area itself is earmarked for lots of positive things but when it actually comes to the reality of it, everything is always scaled back and changed in varying different ways."

Another resident, Andy Beale, said the plans were "too good to be true".

"They didn't come out with this plan at the start… most of it was for the people working at the science park, it was always based around that, not for the residents that live around Greater Leys, Blackbird Leys, Littlemore, the Rose Hill area to visit.

"If all of that goes ahead it'll have my backing 100% and we'll use the place."

A spokesperson for Firoka Group said the re-submission of the plans to Oxford City Council marked an "important milestone in securing the long-term future of the park".

"The current facilities are no longer sustainable in their existing form.

"With several tenancies reaching the end of their terms, this is a pivotal moment to reinvest in the site and ensure its long-term success," the spokesperson claimed.

James Latham, director at Pioneer Group, said the site had "long been an important destination for the local community".

"We are pleased to be building on that legacy through these updated proposals, particularly with the introduction of new world class science facilities.

"This will bring new investment and a wide variety of jobs to the area, strengthening the site's role as a key part of Oxford's wider economy while continuing to serve the needs of local people."