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Lord Vallance welcomes completion of Nebula development
Published on 5 February 2025
MEPC has announced the completion of its £40 million Nebula development at Milton Park with sustainable construction saving 686 tonnes of CO₂
Comprising seven sustainable research and development (R&D) workspaces totalling nearly 80,000 sq ft, Nebula’s design and build focused on environmentally conscious materials, such as incorporating glue-laminated (glulam) structural timber beams in place of steel, in what is believed to be a UK-first for a R&D workspace.
With construction delivered by Barnwood Limited, Nebula’s use of sustainably sourced and recyclable beams instead of steel has significantly reduced its carbon footprint. The innovative approach has contributed to an upfront embodied carbon saving of 686 tonnes of CO₂ throughout construction, the equivalent of 196 return flights to Hong Kong.
Aimed at science, technology or advanced engineering companies, Nebula’s buildings have internal vaulted roof heights of 8m, providing flexibility for occupiers with requirements for large-scale scientific equipment or advanced engineering instruments. Following widespread interest from a wide variety of companies with R&D requirements, MEPC has revealed one of the R&D workspaces has been taken as a pre-let.
The completion follows the announcement of a refreshed Local Development Order (LDO) at Milton Park. As the UK’s first data-driven, green-focused planning agreement, the LDO is expected to support thousands of new jobs and permit 4.2m sq ft of development. In the coming years, it will streamline planning decisions for its occupiers to just ten days, bringing forward new flexible laboratories, offices and amenities.
It also follows last month’s announcement by the Government of plans to boost infrastructure and attract new investment into the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, to attract up to £78bn into the economy by 2035 and realise its potential as a global centre for science and innovation.
Commenting on the completion, Science Minister and Oxford-Cambridge Innovation Champion, Lord Vallance, said: “Modern, high-tech facilities are essential to taking full advantage of rapidly developing science and technology and in fulfilling our ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor to be an economic engine for the whole of the UK.
“Nebula’s new development of large-scale innovation space will support a range of growing industries, helping businesses to get off the ground and progress, and in turn supporting this Government’s number one mission of economic growth.”
Philip Campbell, commercial director at MEPC Milton Park, said: “Nebula’s completion follows on the heels of the Government’s Oxford to Cambridge announcement and plans to create a “Silicon Corridor” of growth.
“Delivered through our streamlined ten-day planning LDO, Nebula has been driven by the project team’s collective ambition to create a new R&D development which seamlessly blends design and sustainability, creating an attractive work environment for future occupiers to innovate.
“Following this significant milestone, we’re looking forward to opening the doors and showing new and prospective occupiers around this flagship project for Milton Park.”
Nebula’s occupiers will benefit from MEPC’s £7m infrastructure investment to enhance Milton Park’s energy capacity, alongside electric charging provision for up to 32 vehicles.
Alongside the development targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC A energy efficiency standards, surplus wood from the site was also intercepted and donated to RAW Workshop, an Oxfordshire-based social enterprise, where it was recycled into educational materials and new products, maximising Nebula’s environmental and social impact credentials.
Working alongside Milton Park and Barnwood Limited as part of the project team are SRA Architects, ASA Landscape Architects, CBRE (leasing agents), Ridge & Partners LLP (BREEAM, cost management, M&E, principal design, project management), Stantec (civil and structural engineering), Mainer Associates (sustainability consultant), William Downie Associates (utilities) and Cundall (carbon consultant).
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