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52-562: Covering nearly three million square feet of floor space across 300 acres, it comprises over 250 organisations employing thousands of people across sectors such as life sciences, energy, space and supporting technologies. Milton Park was formerly a Ministry of Defence military depot during the First and Second World Wars, before it was auctioned in 1971 to become the Milton Trading Estate. In 1984, MEPC plc acquired Milton Park and in 1988,

104-478: A 2023 report from analytics firm Beauhurst, Milton Park companies have secured over 7% of the UK’s total life science investment, with £2.14bn of equity investment generated across 272 occupiers over the past decade. Of these occupiers, 57 were identified as high-growth companies and 12 were spun out from academic institutions. Milton Park has 3,400,000 sq ft (320,000 m) of business accommodation, and houses

156-573: A day nursery. Milton Park is held in the MEPC Milton LP joint venture partnership two long-term pension fund shareholders, Federated Hermes and CPP and is operated by MEPC Ltd, a specialist real estate development and asset operating platform within Federated Hermes . Located in southern Oxfordshire , approximately 12 miles south of the city of Oxford and near the A34 dual carriageway, Milton Park

208-578: A defence policy with four primary missions for the Armed Forces: The review stated the Armed Forces will also contribute to the government's response to crises by being prepared to: Defence is governed and managed by several committees. The following organisational groups come under the control of the MOD. Top level budgets The MOD comprises seven top-level budgets . The head of each organisation

260-568: A government department and has responsibility for the strategy, performance, reform, organisation and the finances of the MOD. The role works closely with the Chief of the Defence Staff in leading the organisation and supporting Ministers in the conduct of business in the department across the full range of responsibilities. The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 included £178 billion investment in new equipment and capabilities. The review set

312-529: A local Oxfordshire company, to collect green waste across the estate and convert it into organic compost for the park’s plants and urban garden plots. It also enforces chemical-free policy to eliminate the use of pesticides, promoting biodiversity. Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Defence ( MOD or MoD ) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom . It

364-620: A local variety of tree, which dates back to 1810 in the nearby Milton Village and is nationally significant for its age, provenance and excellent fruit. Comprising nearly three million sq ft, Milton Park holds a Local Development Order (LDO), which is a simplified ten-day planning policy agreed as part of a partnership with the Vale of White Horse District Council . The 2012 LDO has delivered 14 buildings (laboratory and technology space), 550,000 sq. ft of floorspace and 1,000 jobs. Milton Park’s 2040 Vision sets out plans for how Milton Park will grow over

416-510: A low-cost bus pass, free bike and e-bike hire and a car-sharing scheme. Results from Milton Park’s 2023 Travel Survey show that more than 50% of those that travelled to the Park in 2023 used sustainable modes such as bus, bike, and car sharing, than by single occupancy cars. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, bus usage to and from Milton Park has increased by 18%. Milton Park was used as a testing location for

468-587: A million people along the south coast of England, from Torquay to the New Forest , were exposed to bacteria including E.coli and Bacillus globigii , which mimics anthrax ." Two scientists commissioned by the Ministry of Defence stated that these trials posed no risk to the public. This was confirmed by Sue Ellison, a representative of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down who said that

520-555: A racial discrimination claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD). In November 2019, mixed race soldier Mark De Kretser sued MoD for £100k claiming he was subjected to "grindingly repetitive" racist taunts from colleagues. In October 2009, the MOD was heavily criticised for withdrawing the bi-annual non-operational training £20m budget for the Territorial Army (TA), ending all non-operational training for six months until April 2010. The government eventually backed down and restored

572-572: A system called the Defence Sourcing Portal. A separate internal policy generally operates in respect of low value purchasing below this threshold. DEFCON contract conditions are numbered defence contract conditions are in contracts issued by the MOD (not to be confused with DEFCON as used by the United States Armed Forces , which refers to a level of military "defence readiness condition"). Examples include: A full set of

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624-456: A variety of flexible offices, co-working and meeting rooms including a 145-seat conference facility, the Hive Café, a cycle hub, car parking with EV charging and kitchens with breakout areas. After repurposing an existing building formerly occupied by education technology provider RM , Bee House opened its doors on World Bee Day , 20 May 2022, with a high percentage of embodied energy saved within

676-585: Is neoclassical in style and was originally built between 1938 and 1959 to designs by Vincent Harris to house the Air Ministry and the Board of Trade . A major refurbishment of the building was completed under a Private Finance Initiative contract by Skanska in 2004. The northern entrance in Horse Guards Avenue is flanked by two monumental statues, Earth and Water , by Charles Wheeler . Opposite stands

728-593: Is "in excess of £3.3 billion". The defence estate is divided as training areas & ranges (84.0%), research & development (5.4%), airfields (3.4%), barracks & camps (2.5%), storage & supply depots (1.6%), and other (3.0%). These are largely managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation . The headquarters of the MOD are in Whitehall and is known as MOD Main Building . This structure

780-660: Is a fully serviced office building with a variety of business space and service options for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Almost 80 companies are currently based at the Innovation Centre, with office space ranging from 85 sq ft to 2,200 sq ft (8 – 205 sq. m). Facilities include showers, post and call handling, a business lounge café and catering services, meeting and conference rooms and hot desk facilities. Evotec SE opened its new facility at 95 Park Drive at Milton Park in September 2023. The occupier has been on

832-552: Is also the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel). Permanent Secretary and other senior officials The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by several civilian, scientific and professional military advisors. The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence (generally known as the Permanent Secretary ) is the senior civil servant at the MOD. Their role is to ensure that it operates effectively as

884-628: Is close to Didcot Parkway railway station in an area known as Science Vale UK, which also includes Culham Campus and the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus . Milton Park is located within the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London, and has transport links to renowned academia, research and innovation hubs, including the University of Oxford . Before it was an innovation community, Milton Park’s history started as an RAF depot during

936-704: Is personally accountable for the performance and outputs of their particular organisation. These are: Executive agencies Executive non-departmental public bodies Advisory non-departmental public bodies Ad-hoc advisory group Other bodies Public corporations Enabling organisation In addition, the MOD is responsible for the administration of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus. Competitive procurement processes are used whenever possible, and all new direct tender and contract opportunities valued over £10,000 are advertised on

988-601: Is responsible for implementing the defence policy set by the government and serves as the headquarters of the British Armed Forces . The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability. The MOD also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces, contingency planning and defence procurement . The expenditure, administration and policy of

1040-469: Is served by the following bus services all operated by Thames Travel : X2 (Oxford-Abingdon-Milton Park-Didcot) X32 (JR Hospital-Oxford-Milton Park-Didcot-GWP South) X36 (Didcot-Milton Park-Grove-Wantage) 33/33A (Abingdon/GWP North-Milton Park-Didcot-Wallingford-Henley) There is a disused siding for rail freight, connected to the Great Western Main Line and the nearest train service

1092-597: Is thought to be the world’s second oldest standing apple tree in Milton Village was planted at Milton Park by the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire , Mrs Marjorie Glasgow BEM, the Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council , Felix Bloomfield and Philip Campbell from Milton Park on behalf of His Majesty, King Charles III , to commemorate his Coronation , on the day of his 75th birthday.The Milton Wonder cultivar takes its name from

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1144-499: Is to Didcot Parkway station . The project identified a range of passenger benefits from autonomous driving technology which works in partnership with human drivers. The findings support the case for buses to be equipped with greater driver-assistance technologies, similar to the way that smaller vehicles like cars are evolving. Milton Park’s Greener Workplace Forum launched in Spring 2021. Composed of representatives from Park occupiers, it

1196-676: The Gurkha Monument, sculpted by Philip Jackson and unveiled in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II . Within it is the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial, and nearby are memorials to the Fleet Air Arm and RAF (to its east, facing the riverside). Henry VIII 's wine cellar at the Palace of Whitehall , built in 1514–1516 for Cardinal Wolsey , is in the basement of Main Building, and is used for entertainment. The entire vaulted brick structure of

1248-632: The Cabinet. The three service ministers – Admiralty, War, Air – remained in direct operational control of their respective services, but ceased to attend Cabinet. From 1946 to 1964, five Departments of State did the work of the modern Ministry of Defence: the Admiralty , the War Office , the Air Ministry , the Ministry of Aviation , and an earlier form of the Ministry of Defence. Those departments merged in 1964, and

1300-564: The Chiefs of Staff Committee and to co-ordinate defence matters. The post was held by the Prime Minister of the day until Clement Attlee 's government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946 . After 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War , First Lord of the Admiralty , and Secretary of State for Air were formally subordinated to the new Minister of Defence , who had a seat in

1352-510: The DEFCONs can be accessed via the MoD's Defence Gateway (registration required). The government noted in 2013 that the MoD's third-party expenditure was characterised by "complex, high-value contracts". Defence purchasing contributes to government ambitions to make supply chains more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises , but the government commented that it had yet to secure good insight into

1404-691: The Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister . The CDS is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) who deputises and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the armed services aspect of the MOD through the Central Staff, working closely alongside

1456-754: The Didcot Powerhouse Fund, a charity launched to tackle deprivation and inequality levels within Greater Didcot and the surrounding area. Didcot Powerhouse Fund is administered by registered charity, Oxfordshire Community Foundation and the Fund is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Didcot Powerhouse Fund Advisory Panel. Milton Park hosts its own regular events for occupiers and locals, including networking opportunities, sustainability talks and seasonal events. A sapling grafted from what

1508-534: The MOD are scrutinised by the Defence Select Committee , except for Defence Intelligence which instead falls under the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament . During the 1920s and 1930s, British civil servants and politicians, looking back at the performance of the state during World War I , concluded that there was a need for greater co-ordination between the three services that made up

1560-472: The Milton Park Innovation Centre, a flagship innovation centre for fast-growing science and technology businesses. The centre plans to expand to a working population of 20,000 people by 2040. Milton Park supports a variety of charity and business networks, a school engagement programme, stakeholder and occupier events and onsite amenities. Milton Park is a founding member and quantum donor of

1612-581: The Park since its acquisition of Oxford Asymmetry International PLC (“OAI”) in 2000 and is now one of Milton Park‘s largest occupiers. 95 Park Drive has been developed to accommodate new biology laboratories, collaborative workspaces and meeting rooms. The facility was designed with a particular focus on sustainability and incorporates air source heat pumps, a demand-based laboratory ventilation system, as well as low energy lighting and appliances. Milton Park has incentives and schemes in place to encourage and increase more sustainable travel for occupiers, including

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1664-611: The Permanent Secretary. They are joined by the professional heads of the three British armed services ( Royal Navy , British Army and Royal Air Force ) and the Commander of Strategic Command . All personnel sit at OF-9 rank in the NATO rank system . Together the Chiefs of Staff form the Chiefs of Staff Committee with responsibility for providing advice on operational military matters and

1716-412: The UK’s first fully electric autonomous (AV) bus service trials in 2023. The MultiCav ’Mi-Link’ trials featured an autonomous minibus initially on a circular route around Milton Park and then on a shuttle bus service route to Didcot Parkway train/ railway station. The trials also tested an electric single decker bus on the station route. The consortium responsible for the trial comprised Milton Park

1768-401: The allocation of contracts. A government report covered by The Guardian newspaper in 2002 indicated that between 1940 and 1979, the Ministry of Defence "turned large parts of the country into a giant laboratory to conduct a series of secret germ warfare tests on the public" and many of these tests "involved releasing potentially dangerous chemicals and micro-organisms over vast swathes of

1820-623: The armed forces of the United Kingdom: the Royal Navy , the British Army and the Royal Air Force . The formation of a united ministry of defence was rejected by the coalition government of David Lloyd George in 1921, but the Chiefs of Staff Committee was formed in 1923, for the purposes of inter-service co-ordination. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin created

1872-564: The cellar was encased in steel and concrete and relocated nine feet to the west and nearly 19 feet (5.8 m) deeper in 1949, when construction was resumed at the site after World War II . This was carried out without any significant damage to the structure. The most notable fraud conviction has been that of Gordon Foxley , Director of Ammunition Procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. Police claimed he received at least £3.5m in total in corrupt payments, such as substantial bribes from overseas arms contractors aiming to influence

1924-497: The defence functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply were merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971. The unification of all defence activities under a single ministry was motivated by a desire to curb interservice rivalries and followed the precedent set by the American National Security Act of 1947 . The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold: The Chief of

1976-545: The fabric of the building. Milton Park’s Bee House has its own sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) that attracts wildlife and helps prevent flooding. A water course previously screened by the parking area has been created into a wildflower meadow, designed to attract Milton Park’s resident bees. Bee House was named the Best Commercial Development at the OxPropFest Awards 2022. The Innovation Centre

2028-603: The funding. The TA provides a small percentage of the UK's operational troops. Its members train on weekly evenings and monthly weekends, as well as two-week exercises generally annually and occasionally bi-annually for troops doing other courses. The cuts would have meant a significant loss of personnel and would have had adverse effects on recruitment. In 2013, it was found that the Ministry of Defence had overspent on its equipment budget by £6.5bn on orders that could take up to 39 years to fulfil. The Ministry of Defence has been criticised in

2080-413: The management team made the decision to support science companies, startups and Oxford University spinouts. From 2013 to 2023, occupiers based at Milton Park secured 7.56% of the UK’s overall investment for life sciences. In addition to its occupiers, Milton Park features a variety of amenities including cafés, food outlets, a gym with a swimming pool, pharmacy, Post Office, Amazon lockers, MOT centre and

2132-448: The next 20 years, creating 10,000 new jobs across new, flexible sustainable innovation space. A new, refreshed LDO (Local Development Order) will play a key part in supporting the 2040 vision, creating thousands of new jobs and permitting up to 4.2 million sq ft across the Park, an increase from nearly three million sq. ft. A number of flagship and notable buildings came forward from the original 2012 LDO. These include: Bee House offers

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2184-454: The past for poor management and financial control. Specific examples of overspending include: In May 2024, the ministry's payroll system was reportedly targeted multiple times in a cyberattack in which personnel and their bank details were compromised. While initial reports attributed the cyberattack to China , the Minister of Defence Grant Shapps said it would take some time to conclude who

2236-475: The population without the public being told." The Ministry of Defence claims that these trials were to simulate germ warfare and that the tests were harmless. However, families who have been in the area of many of the tests are experiencing children with birth defects and physical and mental handicaps and many are asking for a public inquiry. The report estimated these tests affected millions of people, including during one period between 1961 and 1968 where "more than

2288-478: The position of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence . Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield held the post until the fall of the Chamberlain government in 1940. His success was limited by his lack of control over the existing Service departments, and his lack of political influence. On forming his government in 1940, Winston Churchill created the office of Minister of Defence, to exercise ministerial control over

2340-592: The preparation and conduct of military operations. The current Chiefs of Staff are as follows. The Chief of Defence Staff is supported by several Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff and senior officers at OF-8 rank. Additionally, there are a number of Assistant Chiefs of Defence Staff , including the Defence Services Secretary in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom , who

2392-576: The results from these trials "will save lives, should the country or our forces face an attack by chemical and biological weapons." In February 2019, former soldier Inoke Momonakaya won £458,000 payout after a legal battle for the racial harassment and bullying he received while serving in the army. In August 2019, A Commons Defence Select Committee report revealed that several female and BAME military staff have raised concerns regarding discrimination, bullying and harassment. In September 2019, two former British army soldiers Nkululeko Zulu and Hani Gue won

2444-417: The supply chain role of SMEs. The Ministry of Defence is one of the United Kingdom's largest landowners, owning 227,300 hectares of land and foreshore (either freehold or leasehold) at April 2014, which was valued at "about £20 billion". The MOD also has "rights of access" to a further 222,000 hectares. In total, this is about 1.8% of the UK land mass. The total annual cost to support the defence estate

2496-447: The war-time buildings. Milton Park’s last two remaining single-storey wartime buildings, 57 and 59 Jubilee Avenue, were demolished in 2024 to make way for future development. Occupiers at Milton Park cover a range of sectors, ranging from green energy start-ups to fusion energy and with a large life science cluster comprising over 800,000 sq ft of laboratories. Major occupiers at Milton Park include but are not limited to: According to

2548-534: The world wars. The Royal Flying Corps established Milton as a storage depot in 1916 and during the Second World War, RAF ordnance units were built. Milton Depot supplied everything from aircraft parts and uniforms to RAF bases across the South East. The depot remained in military use until 1963, before being auctioned in 1971 to become the Milton Trading Estate. The Estate became a distribution and storage hub and

2600-744: Was combined with the Sustainable Travel Forum set up in 2017 and aims to share best practice and raise awareness of existing green initiatives around energy use, recycling and transport. Milton Park holds the British Standards Institution (BSI) ISO 14001 certification for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). It has a zero-to-landfill waste policy, resulting in approximately 250 tonnes of mixed recycling being processed each year, reducing its environmental impact. Maintenance vehicles and tools on-site are electric-powered. The Park’s maintenance team has partnered with Happy Earth Soil,

2652-622: Was sold to MEPC in 1985. In 1988, the MEPC management team made the decision to support science companies, startups and Oxford University spinouts. Biotech occupier, Oxford Asymmetry International started at Milton Park in the wartime buildings and was later bought by Evotec . Today, the drug discovery and development company is one of the Park’s largest occupiers alongside Adaptimmune and Immunocore Now Nasdaq-listed, these companies also started life as Oxford University spinout Avidex, and all three started in

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2704-503: Was to blame. Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire . Since 1689, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Oxfordshire . A deputy lieutenant of Oxfordshire is commissioned by the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. Deputy lieutenants support the work of the lord-lieutenant. There can be several deputy lieutenants at any time, depending on

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