Residents in Oxford’s West End are being asked to help build a detailed picture of city life.

Oxford Preservation Trust is carrying out a new survey that will create a snapshot of life, buildings and activities in every street in the area.

Once produced, it is hoped the West End Historic Context Study will guide architects and city planners in preserving and improving the area’s character.

Redevelopment and regeneration projects are planned for the area – including improvements to the railway station, Frideswide Square, the Old Fire Station and the Westgate Shopping Centre.

The trust’s director Debbie Dance said the project was a fantastic opportunity for residents to discover more about the streets they walk down every day.

She added: “It’s a chance for local people to look more closely at what makes their area special.”

The project is being carried out in partnership with Oxford City Council.

Two workshops will be held in allocated streets within the West End.

Groups of volunteers will be provided with a toolkit on ‘surveying’ the area and providing feedback on their perceptions of it.

Project coordinator Jane Baldwin said: “It’s a survey of spaces and places and it will be done street by street.”

Speaking at a meeting of the West End Community Group, she said the work would provide a greater level of detail that was often missed by simply focusing on listed buildings.

“This will be a snapshot, what a street’s made of, the views, the traffic noise, the pollution – negative and positive things.”

She added: “What we’re hoping to do is produce an assessment of Oxford’s West End, the history, what’s important, interesting and significant about it.”

Ms Baldwin said she had carried out a similar survey of streets in St Ebbe’s and described it as a real eye-opener.

She said: “Having done it, I looked at the LA Fitness building and I understood how it worked in that space.”

For more information, or to take part, email dclarkson@oxford.gov.uk or j.baldwin@ oxfordpreservation.org.uk