On behalf of the stadium project team, I wish you all a Happy New Year.
We made tremendous strides last year towards our goal of securing a permanent, sustainable home that protects the long-term future of the Club and delivers a host of excellent benefits to the wider community.
Two major milestones in 2024 were signing a legally binding lease option with Oxfordshire County Council for the land known as the Triangle, alongside completing an exciting community collaboration agreement. The lease option includes provisions to secure Oxford United’s right to play at the stadium, along with safeguards on rent and use of facilities.
The community collaboration agreement formalised the Club’s commitment to social, environmental and economic benefits, as outlined in the seven strategic priorities set by the council. This is an area we continue to work hard on, and we look forward to announcing additional strategic partners and news in due course.
The other key highlight was formally submitting the planning application, as well as providing significant updates just before Christmas. A huge amount of work has taken place to get us to this point, and the result is an ambitious and inspirational project that will be transformational not just for Oxford United, but for the whole of Oxfordshire.
What we are looking to deliver is so much more than a stadium. The plans include a 180-bedroom hotel and 1,000 capacity conference and exhibition centre, facilities that will drive tourism, business and employment. The economic benefits are vast, with almost 1,000 jobs set to be created generating circa £32 million for the local economy annually.
The needs of the community and the visitor experience have also been placed at the heart of the design, with the inclusion of a public plaza, gardens and spaces which can be used to deliver increased education, health and wellbeing programmes.
This will be the most environmentally sustainable mid-sized stadium to be built in the UK. The location, next to Oxford Parkway rail station and close to Park & Ride sites, means we can also deliver a comprehensive travel and transport solution.
Despite the exciting progress made to date, 2025 could be one of the most important years in the history of this great football club. It is well documented that our current stadium arrangement is unsustainable for the Club to survive long-term. We need to secure planning permission to protect the future of Oxford United and bring this vision to life.
It is a pivotal year for Oxford United and we look forward to your continued support both on and off the field.
