A PUBLIC consultation has started on plans for a major development in North Oxford.

Oxford City Council wants to develop the ‘Northern Gateway’ in Wolvercote and is seeking views on what it should look like.

The 100-acre site would have 200 homes, a business and science park, primary school and new base for South Central Ambulance Service.

The development would go on land between Wolvercote and the A34.

Public exhibitions will be held during the next month and comments can also be submitted online.

The council has set out a series of options over the future of Pear Tree park and ride, the level of housing, height of buildings and road changes.

It will create an estimated 3,000 jobs and plans will take 18 months to finalise.

They will then go to a Government inspector for approval and work would then start in 2016.

Executive board member for city development Colin Cook said: “We are interested in hearing what people think of the options and whether they agree with what our preferred options are.

“Clearly the overarching plan has already been set by the core strategy but within that there is clearly a range of options that are available so I would encourage people to have a look at them and get involved in the consultation.”

Templar Road resident Sue Smith attended a consultation event at St Peter’s Church Hall in Wolvercote yesterday. She said: “I had not realised it was going to be quite so all-encompassing so a concern for me is the traffic.

“I understand most other areas of Oxford have had to take their share of development and North Oxford has not, but we hoped it would be very low key.

“I would like to see a higher proportion of housing.”

More consultations will take place at the White Hart pub, Godstow Road, today and February 28 from noon to 5pm.

They will also take place at Cutteslowe Community Centre from Monday, March 3 to Friday, March 7 from 2pm to 5pm and then in Ferry Sports Centre from Monday, March 10 to Sunday, March 16.

Comments can also be submitted via consultation.oxford.gov.uk

OPTIONS PUT FORWARD

  • Housing – Provide a mid-sized development of up to 500 homes (preferred option); Provide a smaller number of homes (up to 200); Provide a larger number of homes (up to 800)
  • Park and ride capacity – Provide a multi-storey car park at Pear Tree with 500 extra spaces (preferred option); Extend the park and ride at surface level to provide 500 extra spaces; Extend the park and ride by 750 extra spaces in a multi-storey car park; Extend the park and ride by 750 extra spaces at surface level; Don’t expand the park and ride
  • Type of employment – Make sure employment at the site relates directly to Oxford’s ‘knowledge economy’ (preferred option); Set a proportion (such as 85 per cent) of jobs at the site which relate directly to Oxford’s ‘knowledge economy’
  • Hotel – Provide a hotel on the site with associated leisure facilities (preferred option); Remove the hotel to accommodate more housing and employment space