Electricity Substation The Observatory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RQ Data via plota.co.uk

26/02331/FUL - Full Application Registered
Utility infrastructure

Proposal

Installation of new emergency escape door to east elevation of sub-station to provide means of escape into University Parks. Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
29 Sept 2026
✓
Validated
12 Oct 2026
✓
Consultation
16 Oct 2026
Decision
Expected by 7 Dec 2026

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision between 29 Nov 2026 and 7 Dec 2026, from Oxford's recent utility and infrastructure works.

Comments are open until 16 Nov 2026

Comment on this application ↗

Documents 3

Statements & assessments 1

PDF Design and access statement Other · 29 Sept 2026 View ↗

Application forms 2

PDF Application form redacted Application Form · 29 Sept 2026 View ↗ PDF Cil form Other · 29 Sept 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 10

Registered park or garden: The University Parks, Oxford
Nationally designated heritage. Its significance and setting carry great weight.
Registered parks and gardens, battlefields, world heritage sites and protected wrecks are designated heritage assets: harm needs clear and convincing justification.
Historic England ↗
Central conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Council document ↗
Article 4 direction
Houses in Multiple Occupation Article 4 Direction. Named permitted development rights are withdrawn here.
An Article 4 direction withdraws particular permitted development rights, so work that would normally need no application needs one here. Not every council has published its directions.
Air quality management area: The City of Oxford
The council has declared the area as failing an air quality objective.
Schemes that add traffic, parking or combustion plant are assessed against the area's action plan and may need an air quality assessment.
Council record ↗
Habitat network: Wood pasture and parkland
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
2 listed buildings within 150 m of the postcode pin; SSSI about 387 m away: New Marston Meadows SSSI; Inside the Oxford built-up area; Green belt about 23 m away: Oxford; National infrastructure project about 1202 m away: East West Rail - Bedford to Cambridge and Western improvements, at pre-application.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 17 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Planning Inspectorate and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Other new applications on this street

11 Sept 2026Approved

Rhodes House South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RG

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24/01821/CND5
3 Jul 2026Approved

Life And Mind Building South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3EL

Installation of freestanding bronze sculpture.

26/01617/FUL
3 Jul 2026Approved

South Lodge South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RF

Works to various trees as specified by University Of Oxford Parks Department in ...

26/01619/CAT

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37 St Giles' Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3LD

Erection of a temporary building and provision of cycle stores to the rear garde...

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Important details

Council
Oxford
Application type
Full Application
Postcode
OX1 3RQ
Received
29 Sept 2026
Validated
12 Oct 2026
Ward
Holywell Ward
Case officer
Show
Target decision
7 Dec 2026
Decision level
Delegated decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
Ashling Wall

Decision outlook

Day 16 of the 56-day target. Oxford usually decides utility and infrastructure works by day 53.

Day 1640 days to the 56-day target
75%decided within 8 weeks
97%approved
99decided in the last year

Plota live figures for utility and infrastructure works decided by Oxford in the last twelve months, from validation. Oxford decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

1 neighbour consulted · Last counted 24 Oct 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-15254165
Planning Portal ref
PP-15254165
Neighbours
16 Oct 2026
Consultation
16 Oct 2026
Comments by
16 Nov 2026
Site or press notice
22 Oct 2026
Statutory expiry
7 Dec 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

25 nearby applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2024 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Demolition of part of the third floor and construction of new rooftop extensions. The ref…
24/01821/FUL
2024 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Demolition of part of the third floor and construction of new rooftop extensions. The ref…
24/01821/FUL
2024 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Works to various trees as specified by Tree Frontiers Ltd in the Central Conservation Are…
24/01449/CAT
2024 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Works to various trees as specified by Tree Frontiers Ltd in the Central Conservation Are…
24/01449/CAT
2023 Approved
Site North Of Department Of Plant Sciences South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire
Installation of 1no. flue, associated plant and security fencing, to rear elevation. Anci…
23/01473/FUL
2023 Approved
Site North Of Department Of Plant Sciences South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire
Installation of 1no. flue, associated plant and security fencing, to rear elevation. Anci…
23/01473/FUL
2023 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Alterations and replacement of fenestration.
23/00831/FUL
2023 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Alterations and replacement of fenestration.
23/00831/FUL
2022 Approved
Rodney Porter Building South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RQ
Installation of 2no. extract flues.
22/01121/FUL
2022 Approved
Rodney Porter Building South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RQ
Installation of 2no. extract flues.
22/01121/FUL
2022 Approved
University Physical Chemistry Laboratory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3QZ
Fell 1no Lime tree as specified by Tree Frontiers Ltd in the Central conservation area.
22/00670/ENT
2022 Approved
University Physical Chemistry Laboratory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3QZ
Fell 1no Lime tree as specified by Tree Frontiers Ltd in the Central conservation area.
22/00670/CAT
2022 Approved
University Physical Chemistry Laboratory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3QZ
Fell 1no Lime tree as specified by Tree Frontiers Ltd in the Central conservation area.
22/00670/ENT
2022 Approved
University Physical Chemistry Laboratory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3QZ
Fell 1no Lime tree as specified by Tree Frontiers Ltd in the Central conservation area.
22/00670/CAT
2021 Approved
The Sherrington Building Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Replacement of windows to the North elevation with new double glazed (part retrospective)…
21/00165/FUL
2021 Approved
The Sherrington Building Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Replacement of windows to the North elevation with new double glazed (part retrospective)…
21/00165/FUL
2019 Approved
Rex Richards Building South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3UB
Erection of a new external air handling unit to serve a new energy storage materials lab…
19/01233/FUL
2019 Approved
Rex Richards Building South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3UB
Erection of a new external air handling unit to serve a new energy storage materials lab…
19/01233/FUL
2018 Approved
The Observatory South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3RQ
Installation of a welfare compound and erection of modular buildings for a temporary peri…
18/03383/FUL
2018 Approved
Rex Richards Building South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3UB
Erection of a new external air handling unit to serve a new energy storage materials lab…
18/02461/FUL
2017 Approved
Department Of Physiology Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3PT
Installation of roof plant units and corresponding duct work. (Amended plans)
17/02792/FUL
2017 Approved
Biochemistry South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QU
Installation of new chiller plant to first floor roof of link building, and installation…
17/02532/FUL
2017 Approved
Biochemistry South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3QU
Installation of new chiller plant to first floor roof of link building, and installation…
17/02532/FUL
2017 Approved
The Observatory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RQ
Replacement of ventilation unit on roof with insertion of 2No. rooflights. Replacement of…
17/00068/FUL
2017 Approved
The Observatory South Parks Road Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RQ
Replacement of ventilation unit on roof with insertion of 2No. rooflights. Replacement of…
17/00068/FUL
Oxford
Planning Authority Score
1.8/10
Poor
#277 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Oxford is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #261 out of 296. The council extends the time limit on 57% of applications - one of the highest rates in England. Expect your application to take longer than the standard deadline. Householder applications are slightly less likely to be approved here (89%) than the national average (90%).

Frequently extends decision deadlines
expect longer than the statutory limit
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Oxford decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
88%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #159 of 296
89%
Householder approved
Below avg (90%) #205 of 296
43%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #261 of 296
57%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #259 of 296
61%
Minor dwellings approved
64 decided (1-9 homes)
100%
Major dwellings approved
5 decided (10+ homes)
75%
Change of use approved
117 decided
1,150
Total decisions
140 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings