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A sale of a 221-acre plot of farmland next to the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus near Chilton, in the south of the county, was completed on Wednesday, October 8.
The purchase is said to deliver on The Crown Estate’s objective to create “world-class” lab space for the benefit of the UK.
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 up to 4.5m sq ft of 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.
Its 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.
But the Crown Estate declined to provide any independent valuations of the land it sought beforehand.
“We do hold information relating to these questions but have concluded that the exception at Regulation 12(5)(e) of the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) applies to it, and that the balance of public interest weighs in favour of non-disclosure,” it said.
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Vaughan Humphries, chairman of Harwell Parish Council, said the authority has not 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 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 the 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.”
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He said Harwell is “generally supportive” of local enterprise and the wider Science Vale economy, saying 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,” Mr Humphries added.
“We have recently begun considering whether to start work on a Neighbourhood Development Plan.
“The Crown Estate’s acquisition is one of several factors prompting that discussion, as a neighbourhood plan would give residents and local businesses a clearer voice in shaping long-term development.
“That process, if taken forward, would help ensure any future proposals are grounded in evidence and community engagement.
“We will continue to monitor the position, liaise with neighbouring parishes, and share information with residents as soon as anything formal emerges.”
