A VISION to overhaul the Oxpens area of Oxford was unveiled last night.

Oxford City Council is planning to completely redevelop the “uninviting” area to provide housing, office space, shops, a 150-bedroom hotel and a new public square.

Plans to develop the site have been in the pipeline since 2003 but now look set to go ahead in the next two years.

Oxford Ice Rink will be staying put for now but every other building would be levelled and Oxpens Meadow redesigned to include new pathways and terracing.

Oxpens Road itself would be transformed from what is currently described as “uninviting” into an “attractive, civilised street”.

At the moment the 20-acre site is home to the ice rink as well as a petrol station, Royal Mail delivery office and a number of local businesses.

These would all be razed to the ground to make way for nearly 300 flats and houses within the centre of the site, offices and shops along Oxpens Road and student housing near the railway line.

A four or five-star hotel is planned in the north-east corner.

It has all been revealed in the Oxpens Masterplan, drawn up for the city council by town planning firm David Lock Associates. It is expected to go out for public consultation this summer.

The vision is part of the city council’s plan to redevelop the West End of Oxford, which includes the revamp of the Westgate Centre and the railway station.

Bob Price, leader of the city council, said: “It is a very ambitious plan because this is the largest undeveloped part of the city centre and it is crucial that it is done in a way which is attractive and sustainable.

“In terms of the overall conception, this is very firm and we would like to see it developed in this format.”

n continued from page 1 He could not yet say how much the development would cost because it depended on discussions with some of the other landowners, which are currently taking place.

Colin Cook, the council’s executive member for city development, hoped it would bring about the “renaissance” of Oxpens.

He said: “I think this will move the centre of gravity of Oxford further west and will be a benefit to the city as a whole.”

Mr Cook said the council hoped to provide a replacement ice rink at some point in the future but there were no firm plans yet about whether that would be on the current site or elsewhere. In the meantime, he said, the ice rink would be staying put.

Rodney Rose, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport, said the authority had some concerns about the plans to extend Becket Street but broadly gave the scheme his backing. He said: “My concern is to make sure we get a proper link from Becket Street on to Oxpens Road but I am confident this can be ironed out. There will be no changes to Oxpens Road in itself that I am aware of but the public realm improvements will be great.”

About eight acres of the site is owned by the city council itself while another eight is owned by British Rail Board (Residuary). That is a Department for Transport body responsible for the disposal of any non-operational railway land.

Other small parcels of land are owned by Royal Mail and Oxford Citizens Housing Association.

A spokesman for British Rail Board (Residuary) said it was working “closely” with the city council to develop the area.

Oxford Business Centre, which will also have to be knocked down, has a “complex” ownership with several tenants and owners, the masterplan says.

Each of the various parties will either group together or sell their land to a partnership made up of the city council and BRBR.

Mr Price said the land at Oxpens was likely be sold off to a developer to carry out construction. The council’s control over the development will come through the planning system.

The plans will go out for consultation in June before being put forward for approval at a meeting of full council. Mr Price said work could start in 2015.

lDuring the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre, due to start in 2014, the car park will be demolished. The city council is considering using the Oxpens site as a temporary car park.

MASTERPLAN HIGHLIGHTS

  • 300 homes, most of them flats.
  • Shops, cafes, bars and restaurants fronting Oxpens Road.
  • Office space to the north of the site, with a priority for research and development.
  • A new public space called Oxpens Square.
  • A 150-bedroom hotel in the north east corner.
  • Student accommodation running along the railway line.
  • A revamp of Oxpens Road with “generous” pavements and extensive planting.
  • Five storey buildings along Oxpens Road, gradually becoming smaller towards the centre of the development.
  • Oxpens Meadow – protected under the “fields in trust” scheme – will continue to feature a large open space. Towards the River Thames it will be reshaped to include terracing to help prevent flooding and be used as a natural amphitheatre.
  • A “landmark” footbridge will span the river and act as a focal point while a cafe or restaurant will be added to the edge of the meadow.

PREVIOUS PLANS FOR IMPROVEMENT

  • 2003 City and county councillors claim moving Oxford station to Oxpens is vital to the future of the city.
  • January 2005 The plan is shelved until 2014 at the earliest because of a lack of funding.
  • November 2005 A report commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council signals the end of any ambitions of moving the station to Oxpens because of costs, favouring instead expanding it on its existing site.
  • April 2007 The Oxford West End Action Plan is submitted to the secretary of state for approval which includes plans to develop the site for up to 800 houses.
  • June 2008 A planning inspector found the plan to be sound and it was approved.
  • October 2008 Residents attempt to get Oxpens Meadow designated as a town green to protect it from the scheme.
  • February 2012 The city council strikes a deal with residents, saying that it will apply for town green status after flood mitigation work is carried out.
  • December 2012 Oxpens Meadow is nominated as a “field in trust” to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
  • January 2013 - Network Rail announces that it will be redeveloping Oxford station by 2019 on its current site, ending all possibility of it moving to Oxpens.