Oxford Warneford Hospital development plans approved

The transformation of the Warneford Hospital site in Headington has been given the green light by Oxford City Council at its planning committee on Tuesday, April 21.

Plans to develop the site were submitted last summer to build a brand-new mental health hospital to replace the current 200-year-old hospital, which is no longer deemed fit for modern services.

A computer-generated image of Warneford Park (Image: Cityscape Digital for Eric Parry Architects)

However, permission is not officially issues yet until the details of the S106 agreement and conditions are agreed with the council.

Other changes, delegated to David Butler, director planning and regulation at Oxford City Council, include amending plans to show a revised pedestrian from the north gate.

The plans, developed in partnership with the University of Oxford and a local benefactor, were drawn-up by a team led by Eric Parry Architects.

The new hospital will prioritise modern inpatient care with therapeutic spaces designed to connect patients with nature and promote wellbeing.

This will support community mental health services across Oxfordshire and beyond.

A computer-generated image of Warneford Park (Image: Cityscape Digital for Eric Parry Architects)

A world-class research facility will aim to tackle brain and mental health issues by discovering new forms of treatment and therapies.

The existing historic Grade II listed Warneford Hospital building will be converted into a postgraduate college, the first in Headington.

In addition, a vitalised landscape will create a fresh environment for healthcare, medical research and education.

A computer-generated image of Warneford Park (Image: Cityscape Digital for Eric Parry Architects)

Bringing together science and clinical care on one site could see the benefits from mental health research translated into clinical practice.

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State-of-the-art facilities are said to attract top-class specialists, graduate students and post-doctoral researchers who will enrich research and innovation, who will focus on preventing, diagnosing and treating mental illness early.

A computer-generated image of Warneford Park (Image: Cityscape Digital for Eric Parry Architects)

Last year, Dr Karl Marlowe, consultant psychiatrist and chief medical officer at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, said the transformation would create a “nationally important” centre for mental health care and research.

He said: “Hospital patients will benefit from the latest research in a therapeutic environment, whilst researchers will gain real-world insight from clinical practice and graduate students will learn in an authentic and integrated medical research campus.”

The planning decision marks a milestone for the project.

Subject to funding and further detailed design work, construction could begin as early as 2028.