All six Castle Quarter consents approved: the old Pizza Express and La Tasca units can become a racing-simulator cafe and a VR venue. Work must start by 2029.
Two units at the Oxford Castle Quarter that have stood empty for years now have planning permission to become visitor attractions. Oxford City Council approved all six applications for the old Pizza Express and La Tasca buildings on 1 and 2 October.
One unit would become a cafe with Formula One racing simulators upstairs. The other would become a virtual reality venue built around the history of the city. The operator has not announced an opening date.
We reported the applications in August, when they went out for comment. This is the outcome.
What was approved
The council’s planning register records every application as approved:
| Reference | Building | What it allows | Decision issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26/01947/FUL | 6 Oxford Castle | Restaurant to mixed cafe and virtual reality entertainment venue | Thu 1 Oct |
| 26/01948/ADV | 6 Oxford Castle | A non-illuminated logo sign and a lit hanging sign | Thu 1 Oct |
| 26/01927/LBC | 6 Oxford Castle | Listed building consent for internal alterations, blinds and signage | Fri 2 Oct |
| 26/01949/FUL | 5 Oxford Castle | Commercial unit to local community and learning use (Class F1) | Thu 1 Oct |
| 26/01950/ADV | 5 Oxford Castle | A lit hanging sign and a lit fascia sign | Thu 1 Oct |
| 26/01931/LBC | 5 Oxford Castle | Listed building consent for internal alterations, new windows and a front door | Fri 2 Oct |
Building 6 is the former Pizza Express. Building 5 is the former La Tasca, next to the stone Warden’s House.
Why the officers said yes
The council published its delegated report on building 5, dated 28 September. It records that no representations were received on that application.
The report says the unit has been empty since the Spanish restaurant and wine bar closed in 2016. It describes the building as “suffering from a degree of neglect”.
The planned virtual reality venue would be “commercial in nature”, the report says. But it would have “an educational and cultural provision at its core through exploration of the history and culture of the city”. That is why the council accepted it as a Class F1 learning use, the class that covers museums and exhibition halls.
The officers’ main points were:
- bringing an empty unit back into use supports the vitality of the city centre
- the replacement windows are confined to the 2000s extension and touch no historic fabric
- the scheme would not cause a material increase in visitors or traffic compared with a restaurant
- with no external plant or late-night activity, it would not harm nearby residents, including hotel guests
The Warden’s House door was saved
The plans first submitted would have replaced a door on the north-east side of building 5. The report identifies it as “the historic front door to the Warden’s House”. It says no justification was given for losing it.
The council asked for revised plans, and the door will now be kept and repaired. The officers said that, done properly, this “would offer an enhancement” to the site.
A condition on the permission requires the applicant to get the council’s approval for the following before the relevant work starts:
- a method statement and schedule of works for repairing that door
- the new door furniture
- the new internal doors and architraves
- the blinds and how they are fixed
- detailed drawings of the new double doors on the front of the building
The three-year clock
The decision notice for building 6 and the one for building 5 both say work must begin within three years. That means by 1 October 2029.
That deadline matters here. The council approved almost exactly the same scheme on 9 August 2022, and it lapsed. The applicant’s covering letter in August said no agreement was reached with the then landowner, Land Securities, within the time allowed.
The landlord has since changed. In May, Oxfordshire County Council announced a deal to buy back the Castle Quarter lease. The applicant, Gateway Attractions, told the city council in August that the county wanted to work with it on the scheme. We could find no statement from either about when work will start.
What it means for you
Nothing will change at the Castle Quarter straight away. The approvals give the operator permission, not a start date.
A few things are worth knowing:
- Opening hours are not fixed by the planning permission. The building 6 notice carries four conditions, and none of them limits hours. The operator’s own management statement in August proposed 8.30am to 11pm on weekdays and 9am to 10pm at weekends.
- Alcohol and regulated entertainment need a separate licence. Any premises licence application goes out for its own public consultation, and residents can comment then.
- Tables outside need the council’s sign-off. Both permissions require details of any outdoor furniture to be approved first.
- Anyone unhappy with a decision has limited options. The right of appeal belongs to the applicant, not to neighbours.
We follow the city’s applications on our Oxford planning news page. For getting into the centre, our roadworks and travel page has the current closures.
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