Plans for a multi-million pound development in Oxford city centre will go on display this week, so the public can see how the scheme has evolved.
The proposed Oxpens development aims to transform the brownfield site and expand the city centre.
The project plans to deliver new homes - 50 per cent of which will be affordable - jobs, student accommodation, a hotel and major new public realm, alongside new and improved walking and cycling routes.
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Following earlier consultation, the updated masterplan has increased the number of homes and reduced the size of the hotel. It also now incorporates the proposed position of the Oxpens River Bridge.
It is estimated the scheme will contribute up to £280m annually to Oxford’s economy, spending up to £24m a year with local businesses.
The site plans to utilise the public transport, cycle and pedestrian links close by so the largely car-free development will become ‘the most sustainable residential and employment location in Oxfordshire’.
OXWED, the development team behind the proposals, aims to submit a planning application to Oxford City Council in the autumn.
Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, cabinet member for planning and housing delivery, said: “Oxpens is central to the vision for the West End and the city as a whole as we look to the future and work hard to make Oxford a fair, inclusive, successful and sustainable place for all.”
Kevin Minns, Managing Director at OXWED, said: “This is a really exciting time for everyone involved with the project and we’re delighted to be presenting this updated scheme that will transform this under-used and in some ways overlooked site into a genuine asset for the people of Oxford.
“We’re on the cusp of being able to create a vibrant new part of the city, minutes from the railway station, with new homes, workspaces and a hotel.
“We’re particularly proud of the new public square, amphitheatre and new green spaces that anyone will be able to use and the way they connect with the much-loved Oxpens Meadow.
“The feedback we had from last year’s consultations has been tremendously helpful and fed into a refined set of proposals that are new and better.
“So before we submit the Oxpens planning application, we’re putting the plans on show and letting everyone know about what’s changed and what happens next.”
The updated plans will be put on display in the Town Hall and on the project website: oxpensoxford.uk.
Anyone wanting to see the plans can attend at:
Assembly Room, Oxford Town Hall, St Aldates, OX1 1BX
Thursday, September 22 between 3pm to 8pm
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Read more from this author
This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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