Macclesfield House, a 1960s office building located at the junction of New Road and Tidmarsh Lane next to Oxford Castle, was identified in Appendix 2 (143KB) of the West End Area Action Plan as a major development opportunity within the West End. The site is integral to the West End Partnership's aspiration to create a more attractive and functional western approach to the city centre, which includes improvements to Oxford Railway Station and Frideswide Square.

In 2010, Science Oxford, the charitable organisation behind the science engagement facility Science Oxford Live, bought the site from former owner-occupier, Oxfordshire County Council, with a view to opening a multi-million pound centre for science and enterprise. The centre is set to become a major tourist destination when it opens in 2015, attracting as many as 100,000 visitors a year. For Oxfordshire County Council, establishing science within Oxford's cultural landscape is at the core of its long-term plans for the city.

The site's proximity to the Castle Mound means this part of Oxford has been integral to our military and industrial history since Saxon times. The architects who have been appointed to design the centre, Foster + Partners, will take into account the character of the area, fostering a sense of continuity with the past and ensuring views of the Castle are enhanced.

Please visit our Science Oxford page for more information about these exciting plans. You may also be interested in reading the Historic Context Study and Conservation Plan, commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Preservation Trust and Nuffield College to guide and inform development here and at the nearby Worcester Street car park.

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