Oxford: Significant city-centre development opportunities revealed

The report of a recent high-level workshop at Nuffield College shows some 200 acres are now available for development in the West End of the city centre.

The opportunities have become available through Oxford City Council acquiring the key site at Oxpens with support from Nuffield College, which also now controls land between the college and the railway line.  The opportunities include ensuring that access to and from the new station will be fully integrated into the redeveloped West End and this could even include repositioning the station.  

It is possible that academic buildings for the Nuffield College and Oxford University in the West End can be combined with new homes, commercial and leisure buildings.  Local communities in the West End and throughout Oxford are recognised as key stakeholders and discussions will continue with them on the way in which the area will be developed. 

The report of the workshop, concludes by identifying three key steps:

1. The principal landowners need to meet regularly to continue to understand each other’s ambitions and expectations.
2. The spatial linkages need to be mapped to identify the key infrastructure requirements, short and long term and feasibility studies will be needed to resolve key options, eg transport links.
3. A budget will be required to engage the community (especially young people) in what the area can offer and funding sources and management arrangements need to be identified and investigated.

Click here to find the report.