Staff at Milton Park near Didcot have been celebrating the latest phase of the Park Drive East development.

Park Drive East comprises three buildings (141, 142 and 143 Park Drive) over 110,000 sq ft and is one of the region’s largest speculative office and laboratory developments.

Earlier this month MEPC staff and their guests celebrated the £24m investment nearing completion.

During the day, goggles were handed out to visitors allowing them to visualise Park Drive East in virtual reality.

The event concluded with a talk by former physiotherapist for British Cycling Phil Burt, who provided insights into how he and his team used science, technology, and innovation to help optimise the world of British Cycling.

Philip Campbell, commercial director for Milton Park at MEPC, said he was delighted to attend the official launch of the Park Drive East development.

He added that 143 Park Drive has already been let to Oxford Immunotec, a global NASDAQ-listed high-growth diagnostics company, originally an Oxford University spin-out.

Mr Campbell said: “Oxford Immunotec has been at Milton Park for 10 years so this is an occupier expansion for a growing company which is consolidating two facilities in one.

“We are progressing well with discussions with companies regarding 142 and 141 Park Drive East. Milton Park is in a great part of the world with great transport connections to Didcot Parkway and the A34.

“We are at the heart of the innovation engine, which underpins a huge amount of economic activity in the county.

“This includes university spin-outs and hospital and science projects at facilities including Culham and Harwell Oxford.”

Mr Campbell said Milton Park had benefited from featuring in the Science Vale Enterprise Zone, launched by the Government in August, 2011.

He added: “The Enterprise Zone simplified the planning process and this has helped to accommodate science and tech companies which need to grow fast.

“Milton Park is now quite full but there is still plenty of space available for new companies.”

141 Park Drive East offers 42,000 sq ft of high-quality accommodation.

It has been delivered to provide a high degree of flexibility for both office and laboratory users which is not usually seen in ‘speculative’ buildings.

This is in order to accommodate continuing demand for best-in-class, well-located office and laboratory space in the region, particularly from innovative occupiers, including science and technology businesses embarking on R&D activities.

Construction work on the three buildings started in February last year and, in early summer 2017, MEPC signed a pre-let agreement with existing occupier Oxford Immunotec.

Occupiers making an early commitment to the development can apply for business rate discounts of up to £275,000 as part of the Science Vale Enterprise Zone.

Mr Campbell said earlier: “In recent years, Milton Park has seen almost full occupancy, and Park Drive East has been built to help meet the growing demand for science and business space at both Milton Park and in the wider Oxfordshire area.”

David Beckett, Partner at SRA, the architect for the scheme, said MEPC understood the value of ‘providing attractive and adaptable workspaces that fully cater for the broad range of operational needs of its occupiers’.

He said 141 was a prime example of this ethos, as it has been designed to provide a range of suites from 5,000 sq ft up to 41,000 sq ft to meet the needs of hi-tech science and technology companies.

As well as achieving BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), ‘Excellent’ environmental accreditation, 141 Park Drive East has also been designed to reflect the British Council for Offices Best Practice.