AN ANIMATED video has been made to show how a £100m redevelopment would change Botley.
The six-minute video shows the current West Way shopping centre site and how it would look under the scheme from Doric Properties.
The developer wants to knock down the existing centre and replace it with a new shopping centre, student flats, and facilities including a cinema, gym and hotel.
Simon Hillcox, founding director of Doric, said: “Our proposals bring together a huge number of different shopping, leisure and community elements, which can be quite difficult to read and digest.
“To help, we’ve developed the walk-through video to show just how vibrant and exciting the new District Centre could be.”
The developer yesterday said it had been viewed more than 3,000 times on Facebook.
But Chris Church, above, from opposition group West Way Concern, said the video did not show how out of place the development would be in the area and how much traffic it was likely to create.
He said: “It is interesting that you cannot see the full height of the development. It does not show how out of scale with the neighbourhood this is.”
The North Hinksey Parish Council member added: “It is basically a glossy attempt to make it look nice. About 900 people have already expressed the opinion that they do not like the look of it.
“It is not going to change people’s views.”
He also noted there was very little traffic in the video, adding: “All the evidence from our experts is this is going to cause significant extra traffic in Westminster Way and Botley Road.”
Eric Batts, above, North Hinksey and Wytham member on Vale of White Horse District Council, said the video was a good idea but could have come earlier in the process.
He said: “It is something we asked for in consultation last year but they were unable to produce it.”
And he said: “I know it has gone far and wide and lots of people are commenting on it. It is very useful for people to see the image they are projecting.”
He also said he understood council officers were meeting with Doric this week to discuss changes to the height of the scheme.
Some screengrabs from the video, above
Visit botleydistrictcentre.co.uk/ botley-animation.html
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