Oxford: John Lewis celebrates £500m Westgate approval

John Lewis has said it is looking forward to opening its first Oxford store in 2017 after the £500 million redevelopment of Westgate Centre and adjacent land secured outline planning permission. 

The retail-led mixed-use development, set amid covered streets, arcades, lanes and squares, will have John Lewis as its anchor and provide space for shops, restaurants, cafés and leisure uses including a cinema.

Oxford City Council has approved outline plans by Westgate Oxford Alliance, a joint venture between The Crown Estate and Land Securities. The joint venture has spent four years preparing the plans and undertaking consultation.

The existing Westgate will be refurbished and adjacent land to the south redeveloped to provide up to 81,922 sq m for approximately 100 new shops, including a John Lewis department store.

There will be up to 26,712 sq m for cafés and restaurants, approximately 5,986 sq m for leisure uses including a cinema, and between 27 and 122 new homes.

The new Westgate will create two new public squares, provide two 24-hour east-west pedestrian routes and one 18-hour north-south pedestrian route through the site.

Jeremy Collins, property director at John Lewis, said: "This is very exciting news. We have long held an ambition to open a John Lewis department store in Oxford and we are delighted that a significant milestone has now been achieved.

"We will continue to work closely with the Westgate Oxford Alliance during the next design stage and towards delivery of the scheme for 2017."

Councillor Bob Price, leader of Oxford City Council, said: "The redevelopment of the Westgate Centre is long overdue and our retail offer has failed to keep pace with the expansion of the local economy."

The Westgate Oxford Alliance is now progressing the detailed designs for the new Westgate working with four architectural practices: Allies & Morrison, Dixon Jones Architects, Glen Howells Architects and Panter Hudspith. The process is being overseen by Westgate masterplanners BDP.

The Alliance will be consulting on the detailed designs in the spring with a planning application submitted later this year.

* Source: InsiderNews