County Hall sold to investor with plans for a high-quality hotel
09/09/2025
Staff are scheduled to move out in the spring of 2027
Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to move out of County Hall and into new offices at nearby Speedwell House have taken a step forward, with contracts exchanged with the buyers of County Hall. But the timing for the move could be disrupted by a potentially significant archaeological find at the authority’s new headquarters.
The global investor and UK real estate owner and operator, L&G, on behalf of its Managed Property Fund, are purchasing County Hall. They aim to create a high-quality hotel.
Money from the sale of County Hall will be used for the refurbishment and upgrading of Speedwell House, with the council aiming to create carbon-neutral and modern offices there.
The council have agreed they will vacate County Hall in the spring of 2027, but a recent potentially significant archaeological find at the Speedwell site means staff may not be able to occupy that building from that time, meaning an alternative would need to be found. Should this happen staff would be able to use other existing buildings and those of partners, so no additional cost would be expected.
County Hall was built around 1973 but includes the Grade II listed Old County Hall, comprising the Council Chamber and Coroner’s Court, which date back to 1841. The new owner’s plans for Old County Hall include a mixture of restaurant, bar and gallery uses as well as a roof terrace open to the public to enjoy the views across the famous city roofscape.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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