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A sale of a 221-acre plot of farmland next to the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Chilton, has now been completed.
The purchase is expected to deliver on The Crown Estate’s objective to create “world-class” lab space for the benefit of the UK.
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The acquisition of land to the east of Harwell, known as Harwell East, is projected to have a gross development value of £4.5bn.
It could feature office, laboratory and advanced manufacturing space and up to 400 homes, increasing national Gross Domestic Product by an estimated £2.5bn and generating 30,000 jobs nationally, the Crown Estate said.
Mocky Khan, district councillor for Didcot South, a former town mayor, said he expected the investment to benefit Didcot.
He added: “I’m all for enterprise and new investment coming to the surrounding area.
“In terms of science and technology, Harwell campus is at the cutting edge, and Didcot’s local economy benefits.
“People who come to work at Harwell could end up living at Great Western Park or Ladygrove.
“In terms of enterprise and technology we should be very proud of what is happening at Harwell, Milton Park, and Culham – all three are an easy commute from Didcot.
“This Crown Estate investment is likely to bring jobs to the area. It would have carried out due diligence and deemed it worthwhile to make this investment.”
The purchase price was uncovered through a Freedom of Information request made by this newspaper after the estate declined to reveal the price when it revealed the acquisition in the autumn.
Vaughan Humphries, chairman of Harwell Parish Council, said the council has not yet been given any details about valuations, negotiations or the Crown Estate’s commercial arrangements.
“The parcel in question straddles parish boundaries, with a substantial portion lying within Chilton, so they will naturally have a major interest in whatever comes forward,” he added.
The parish council leader said: “The site as a whole sits within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, which means any major development would have to meet a high bar in planning terms, particularly around landscape impact and public interest requirements.
“At this stage no planning application, masterplan, or formal proposal has been submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council, and the land is not allocated in the current Local Plan 2031.
“Until something concrete is lodged with the planning authority, it would be premature for the parish council to speculate on possible uses, or on where any housing, laboratories, or employment buildings might be located.”
Mr Humphries said Harwell is “generally supportive” of local enterprise and the wider Science Vale economy, adding that he recognises the “national role both the existing Harwell campus and the Crown Estate play”.
“Any future proposal, however, would need to be assessed carefully and transparently once details are available, including infrastructure capacity, transport impacts, environmental considerations, and how the scheme responds to the landscape setting,” he added.
