EXPERTS have discussed how Oxford's West End could be transformed into a modern area of the city centre.

At an event organised by Oxford Civic Society and the Academy of Urbanism, developers and architects were given tours around Frideswide Square, Oxford Rail Station, the Oxpens and the Osney Mead industrial estate.

They are set to be regenerated to feature new offices, academic buildings, hundreds of homes and possibly a hotel, after a deal was struck between Nuffield College and Oxford City Council last month.

The partners, who have formed a new company together, control most of the land on the west side of Oxpens Road, the buildings to the south of Frideswide Square and the land between Hythe Bridge Street and Park End Street.

Meanwhile, Oxford University says it wants to turn Osney Mead into a new 'knowledge park' for high-tech science and research.

The civic society has been working with the university and Nuffield College to ask people in Oxford for their ideas.

Speaking at the event, Academy of Urbanism director Henk Bouwman said: "You have all the ingredients here to make this area a fantastic place for people to arrive.

"And even though Osney Mead is on the edge of these plans, I think that in the future it could be part of your city centre.

"Your region is growing and for that it will also need a bigger heart."

Civic society member Tony Turton, who gave tours of the areas, added: "We want to know what people who live and work in these areas want here in the future.

"It's important they have their say because ultimately it is the public who will be using these spaces."

Nuffield College and the city council are currently working on a ‘masterplan’ for the West End, which they say could become a new quarter of the city for both academic and commercial activities.

In particular, senior council officials see the Oxpens site as one of the only large areas left for development in the city and there are plans to create high-density buildings of five or six storeys there.

However city council executive director for housing and regeneration David Edwards stressed the plan remained "flexible".

Work to make the area ready for development – which includes work to reduce flooding risk – is expected to start at the beginning of 2017.