A LAP dancing club and toilet block could be demolished to make room for a temporary car park while Oxford’s Westgate shopping centre is redeveloped.
Oxford City Council has unveiled plans to create up to 359 new spaces on land it owns next to the ice rink at Oxpens while the development goes ahead between 2015 and 2017.
But the authority has admitted that toilets in the existing Oxpens coach park and a building currently The Lodge Gentleman’s Club, Oxford’s only lap dancing club, will have to go.
Club owner Al Thompson said he had been aware of the plans for some time.
He said: “I’ve been in Oxford all my life, and they’ve always been talking about redeveloping the Westgate Centre.
“We always knew our premises was on a short lease and that it would eventually be redeveloped, so we have no real problem with that.
“We will have to wait and see if it actually comes to fruition and if it does we will look at relocating.”
The revelation comes in the middle of a stalemate between The Lodge and the city council, which rejected an application to renew the venue’s licence last August.
A judicial review against the decision failed, but Mr Thompson won permission from the Court of Appeal to take it to court again, and The Lodge remains open.
But the licence snub wasn’t the first time the Lodge has had to fight for its existence.
It only ended up trading in Oxpens in the first place after being forced from its St Ebbes premises in August 2011 following protests from the neighbouring church.
Mr Thompson said: “We are absolutely keen on staying in Oxford. We’ve moved once, and we’ll move again.”
Under the council’s plans, the existing 1,090 spaces at Westgate will be replaced with a temporary car park at Oxpens providing 250 spaces, with an option for a deck above it with 109 spaces.
The existing coach parking will be moved to the Redbridge park and ride off Botley Road, where 35 spaces will be created, leading to a loss of 259 of the existing 1,470 car spaces at the site.
The cost of the project could range from £2.7m, if no decking or coach drop-off service at Oxpens are considered, to £3.8m if both are factored in.
Cash for the project is expected to come from a pot of £3.3m, which was put aside by the council from an underspend on its revenue budget for 2012/13. Council deputy leader Ed Turner said: “Westgate will be good for Oxford in many ways and one will be the replacement of the car park, which doesn’t have much life left in it.”
Comments
Does the Oxford Mail no longer employ people who actually know Oxford? Strictly, I suppose, Redbridge P+R is indeed off the Botley Road, just as it is off the WoodstockRoad, or the Cowley Road or the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Bring back proof-readers!
Does the Oxford Mail no longer employ people who actually know Oxford? Strictly, I suppose, Redbridge P+R is indeed off the Botley Road, just as it is off the WoodstockRoad, or the Cowley Road or the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Bring back proof-readers!
This being Oxford, I am sure that in no time we will have old gits posting here that this toilet block is a heritage building and part of Oxford's history and the focus of the community and must be presevred at all costs.
Perhaps move it to Botley shopping centre where they like that kind of thing apparently
This being Oxford, I am sure that in no time we will have old gits posting here that this toilet block is a heritage building and part of Oxford's history and the focus of the community and must be presevred at all costs.
Perhaps move it to Botley shopping centre where they like that kind of thing apparently
Sophia wrote…
This being Oxford, I am sure that in no time we will have old gits posting here that this toilet block is a heritage building and part of Oxford's history and the focus of the community and must be presevred at all costs.
Perhaps move it to Botley shopping centre where they like that kind of thing apparently
Botley Shopping Centre is in Vale of the White Horse... Although, you are definitely on the right wavelength.
You can be sure that the usual crowd of "activists" will be anxious or terrified about the bulldozing and "concreting over" land next to their failed "Town Green" application.
Sophia wrote…
This being Oxford, I am sure that in no time we will have old gits posting here that this toilet block is a heritage building and part of Oxford's history and the focus of the community and must be presevred at all costs.
Perhaps move it to Botley shopping centre where they like that kind of thing apparently
Botley Shopping Centre is in Vale of the White Horse... Although, you are definitely on the right wavelength.
You can be sure that the usual crowd of "activists" will be anxious or terrified about the bulldozing and "concreting over" land next to their failed "Town Green" application.
and the short fall in available parking spaces, some of us need parking for our vehicle as we engaged in servicing of city centre sites equipment by parking legally. This will only encourage more people to fly park and make the situation worse. Probably find that they will say that's all the car parking needed and will not add any more
and the short fall in available parking spaces, some of us need parking for our vehicle as we engaged in servicing of city centre sites equipment by parking legally. This will only encourage more people to fly park and make the situation worse. Probably find that they will say that's all the car parking needed and will not add any more
Interesting to see which part of Redbridge they will use to park coaches. Oxpens always has a lot of them there... Will passengers then have to pay to use the bus??, its a longer walk into Oxford itself.... (suspect the area where the Motor Caravans park, will be partly used....but nowhere big enough).
Isn't the whole area of Oxpens/Grandpont going to be redeveloped anyway in the future?.
Interesting to see which part of Redbridge they will use to park coaches. Oxpens always has a lot of them there... Will passengers then have to pay to use the bus??, its a longer walk into Oxford itself.... (suspect the area where the Motor Caravans park, will be partly used....but nowhere big enough).
Isn't the whole area of Oxpens/Grandpont going to be redeveloped anyway in the future?.
Ha, the council are going to do anything to get rid of that club! Good riddance to it, I say!
Ha, the council are going to do anything to get rid of that club! Good riddance to it, I say!
Laco wrote…
Ha, the council are going to do anything to get rid of that club! Good riddance to it, I say!
Rumour in the commercial property sector would suggest it's not moving far away...
Laco wrote…
Ha, the council are going to do anything to get rid of that club! Good riddance to it, I say!
Rumour in the commercial property sector would suggest it's not moving far away...
Laco wrote…
Ha, the council are going to do anything to get rid of that club! Good riddance to it, I say!
Why have you ever been there, do you know anything about it.
Laco wrote…
Ha, the council are going to do anything to get rid of that club! Good riddance to it, I say!
Why have you ever been there, do you know anything about it.
Laco was asked to leave for undertaking a hands-on assessment of working conditions at the club, purely for research purposes you understand.
Laco was asked to leave for undertaking a hands-on assessment of working conditions at the club, purely for research purposes you understand.
I did indeed undertake a hands on assessment and have been taking antibiotics since!!
I did indeed undertake a hands on assessment and have been taking antibiotics since!!