The demand for Abbott Diabetes Care’s innovative range of testing and diagnostic products has risen in recent years as a result of product development and the pandemic. Whilst the existing facility has also undergone growth in recent years, commercial success continues to drive demand for new and larger facilities at Witney. 

Having already successfully achieved planning permission for a canteen extension, a multi-use gaming area and two car park extensions,  MDP have now achieved planning permission for extensions to buildings known as Evenlode and Wychwood.

The proposals comprised of the demolition of an existing single storey building connected to the Wychwood building, to allow for an extension to the existing buildings on the site, along with associated services infrastructure. The approved extensions are located on the eastern side of both the existing buildings and consist of 3 storey structures containing manufacturing and testing labs, plant, office and new staff welfare spaces including a significant investment in new mindfulness and ecology areas outside. 

The vision for the project is:
  • Creating a modern, resilient and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
  • Creating a work environment fit for the 21st century workforce through the well-being and modern flexible working initiatives.
  • Creating a centre of manufacturing excellence for medical devices in the healthcare industry.
  • Supporting local and national prosperity in the development of healthcare devices and
  • Harnessing the next generation of Research and Development talent in pursuit of ground breaking development is the healthcare offering through collaboration with industry, academia, science and technology.
In addition to these, the core need of the project is to enable the release of additional manufacturing capacity. 

As well as working with Ridge on the design of the scheme MDP have managed a wider consultant team in disciplines such as Ecology, Flood Risk and Drainage, Transport Planning and Arboriculture as part of the submission.

The application was granted permission in September 2023.
 CGI images showing the scale of the proposals - Wychwood Building
CGI images showing the scale of the proposals - Evenlode
Conditions discharged 2023 - 2024 with support from the following external suppliers: 

Percolation Testing - Nimbus 
Ecological Design Strategy - Arbtech
Workplace Travel Plan Statement - iTransport
Drainage Strategy - SDS Consulting
Picture
Produced on 12th Aug 2019 from OS data.