Bicester Motion has submitted its first phase outline planning applications to Cherwell District Council, marking the opening move in a proposed €1.17bn gross development value, 10-year masterplan for its 1.8 million m² future mobility estate in Oxfordshire. Sitting at the heart of Motorsport Valley and the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, the site has spent the past decade transforming from a former RAF base into a campus for global automotive, motorsport and mobility technology.
The four outline applications, designed by masterplanner and architect Ridge and Partners, were shaped by a public consultation that invited local residents, businesses and stakeholders to help decide what comes next. Together, they would deliver approximately 133,780 m² of new commercial floorspace: The Rushes, a 44,154 m² public-facing destination for demonstration and customer engagement that evolves a previously consented 22,296 m², Command Works Phase 2, 15,514 m² of flexible employment space next to Mercedes-Benz-owned YASA's new headquarters at The Ranges, and The New Technical Site, 47,021 m² of research, development and scale-up space still being finalised for submission. Around 200 low-rise apartments, including affordable housing, would also be built across 26,930 m² under the Motion Living proposals, creating a live-work community for the people the campus is trying to attract and keep.
If approved, the wider masterplan is expected to add €1.39bn in gross value added to the UK economy every year, while generating approximately 5,600 construction jobs and a further 7,600 jobs once the site is fully operational. It builds on €117m already invested over the past decade to restore the former RAF Bicester Aerodrome, which is today home to more than 50 pioneering mobility businesses and over 500 employees, proof that the model already works before a single new building goes up.
Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive officer of Bicester Motion, said: "The submission of these first phase outline planning applications marks an important milestone in the continued evolution of Bicester Motion. The positive engagement we received throughout the public consultation demonstrated strong interest in our long-term vision, and we are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their feedback. That input has helped shape these proposals and will continue to inform future phases. Over the past decade, we have carefully restored Bicester's remarkable former RAF base while creating a thriving community of innovators, engineers and pioneering businesses. These applications represent the next step in realising that vision, providing the framework for businesses to establish, scale and remain in Oxfordshire, while continuing to respect and enhance the heritage and landscape that make Bicester Motion unique and creating and boosting local skills and jobs."
Liz Sparrow, partner and lead architect at Ridge, added: "Ridge has been working with Bicester Motion to shape the long-term vision for over a decade, and it's a real privilege for us to be part of this important next milestone. Our proposed design – which works carefully with the former airfield layout and wider landscape – creates four distinct and connected areas that work together as a single ecosystem. This integrated approach brings together workplaces and accommodation with places to invent, build, test and showcase automotive and aviation technologies. This will help Bicester Motion to build on its position as one of the UK's leading places for transport and mobility innovation, while respecting the elements that give the site its distinctive character."
The timing plays into a much larger story. In March 2026, the Chancellor doubled the government's committed funding for the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor to €936m, 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, and with an electric motor manufacturer already anchoring its estate in Mercedes-Benz-owned YASA, its masterplan is positioned to capture a growing share of the public and private capital now being directed toward the region.
The outline applications will now be considered by Cherwell District Council as part of the statutory planning process, with detailed designs to follow through future reserved matters applications. Ridge, Edgars, Nicholsons, Stantec, Motion, Aurochs Ecology, Worlledge Associates and LDA Design acted on behalf of Bicester Motion.
People mentioned
- Daniel Geoghegan – Chief Executive Officer, Bicester Motion
- Liz Sparrow – Partner and Lead Architect, Ridge and Partners
Companies mentioned
- Bicester Motion – applicant, owner and operator of the estate
- Cherwell District Council – local planning authority considering the applications
- Ridge and Partners – masterplanner and architect
- YASA – electric motor manufacturer owned by Mercedes-Benz, based on the estate
- Edgars – adviser to Bicester Motion
- Nicholsons – adviser to Bicester Motion
- Stantec – adviser to Bicester Motion
- Motion – adviser to Bicester Motion
- Aurochs Ecology – adviser to Bicester Motion
- Worlledge Associates – adviser to Bicester Motion
- LDA Design – adviser to Bicester Motion
