New Launch - India Real Estate Report 2026.
Bicester Motion has submitted four outline planning applications to Cherwell District Council, opening the first formal chapter of a proposed €1.17bn, 10-year masterplan for its 1.8 million m² estate in Oxfordshire.
The site sits at the heart of Motorsport Valley and the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, and has spent the past decade transforming from a former RAF base into a working campus for automotive, motorsport and mobility technology businesses.
What the First Phase Proposes
The four applications, designed by masterplanner and architect Ridge and Partners, were shaped by a public consultation process. Together they would deliver approximately 133,780 m² of new commercial floorspace across distinct zones:
- The Rushes: 44,154 m² public-facing destination for demonstration and customer engagement, evolving a previously consented 22,296 m² scheme
- Command Works Phase 2: 15,514 m² of flexible employment space adjacent to Mercedes-Benz-owned YASA's new headquarters at The Ranges
- The New Technical Site: 47,021 m² of research, development and scale-up space, still being finalised for submission
- Motion Living: around 200 low-rise apartments across 26,930 m², including affordable housing, creating a live-work community on site
The Economic Case Behind the Plans
If approved, the wider masterplan is projected to add €1.39bn in gross value added to the UK economy every year once operational.
It is also expected to generate approximately 5,600 construction jobs during the build-out and a further 7,600 permanent roles once the site reaches full capacity.
The plans build on €117m already invested over the past decade to restore the former RAF Bicester Aerodrome, which is currently home to more than 50 mobility businesses and over 500 employees.
Also Read: UBM Development Returns to Smíchov With Office Move
Positioned at the Centre of a Larger Corridor Story
The timing of the submission is deliberate. In March 2026, the Chancellor doubled committed government funding for the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor to €936m, as part of a push to position the corridor as Europe's answer to Silicon Valley, spanning advanced manufacturing, AI and life sciences. Bicester Motion sits squarely within that corridor.
With an electric motor manufacturer already anchoring its estate, the masterplan is positioned to attract a growing share of the public and private capital now being directed toward the region.
Daniel Geoghegan, CEO of Bicester Motion, said the applications represent the next step in realising the estate's long-term vision providing the framework for businesses to establish, scale and remain in Oxfordshire, while continuing to respect the heritage and landscape that give the site its character.
Liz Sparrow, lead architect at Ridge, described the design as working carefully with the former airfield layout to create four distinct but connected areas that function as a single ecosystem, bringing together workplaces, accommodation and spaces to invent, build, test and showcase transport and mobility technology.
Enjoyed this update? Visit PropTech Pulse for more real estate news, investment insights and property market trends.
