A HUGE project which could see new homes, university buildings and businesses built throughout the West End of Oxford is now on the drawing board.
Billed as ‘an exciting, once-in-a-generation opportunity’, the blueprint could lead to regeneration in areas including Osney Mead industrial estate, the city’s train station and Frideswide Square, Oxpens and the Oxford ice rink, as well as some of the streets around Folly Bridge.
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Some western parts of the city are currently home to rows of vacant shops, like Park End Street, and were in this condition even before Covid hit the economy.
As part of the process for writing up the new area plan, known as a ‘supplementary planning document’, Oxford City Council now wants people who live in the area to have their say.
A survey on the plans, known as a public consultation, has now opened online and will run until April 30.
It includes an online questionnaire and also a series of interactive maps referred to as ‘jam boards’ where people can pin virtual Post-it Notes with suggestions for the plans.
An artists’ impression of the plans for Oxpens, below
An artist's impression of how part of the new West End would look.
A council leaflet explaining its aims for the area said: “The West End and Osney Mead present an exciting once in a generation opportunity to bring transformational benefits to this area and integrate it into the city centre.”
It says the council wants to make sure that residential parts of the area like St Ebbe’s and St Thomas’ would remain intact.
The leaflet adds: “We wish to strengthen and grow this community, and the development of the area will therefore contain high quality housing at an appropriate density that responds to the historic and environmental context of the West End.”
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Half of all new homes built in the area would need to be affordable, with 40 per cent rented out as council housing.
The leaflet also adds there is potential for developing what is described as an ‘Innovation District’ with work space for both big businesses and start-ups.
This district could cover the whole of the area, and would feed into a series of existing regeneration schemes for the western area of Oxford.
Oxpens from the air Picture: OxWED
The current West End of Oxford.
A draft masterplan for revamping Oxford train station is currently in the works, which could see a whole new station building erected west of the main line.
Works to the line itself are also on the agenda for Network Rail, which has pledged £160m for upgrades to the railway tracks through Oxford.
This could transform the station into 'a hub of national significance', and also give rail infrastructure the boost needed to get local dream projects like the Cowley Branch Line off the ground.
There are also plans to redevelop the area south of Oxpens Road with new homes and offices.
This plan has seen the city council work alongside Nuffield College as joint shareholders in a company called OxWED.
Empty shops on Park End Street. Picture: Ed Nix
Empty shops on Park End Street, which is part of the plan area. Picture: Ed Nix
The college and council both committed £1m each to the project last week, and plan to bring their scheme forward for planning permission in early 2022.
Oxford University's plans to transform Osney Mead Industrial Estate into a new science quarter, full of research labs, officers and homes are also linked to the new blueprint.
The scheme would also include new cycle paths and pedestrian routes, as well as roads into new housing developments.
Plans for a new bridge over the Thames at Oxpens which have been discussed for years are also mentioned as part of the blueprint.
Oxford Train Station concept design. Picture: Oxford City Council/ Atkins
One public comment which has already been submitted to the council calls for this planned bridge to be widened.
No final design for the bridge has yet been made public, but last year, the city council agreed to accept £6m of funding from the Oxfordshire Growth Deal for this bridge.
Because there are many organisations involved in building schemes throughout the area, the council argues the new blueprint will help to ‘co-ordinate’ all the plans in the works.
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