Thames Street

  • Westgate Development

    23 October 2013

    (draft) Comments on Outline Planning Application 13/02557/OUT

    Oxford Civic Society’s comments on the outline planning application for the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre (design issues).

    Development design proposals

    We have serious concerns that the design proposals continue to be inward-looking, with limited active frontages to the external elevations of large parts of Blocks B1, B2 and B3. We consider that this raises the risk of the Westgate centre being perceived as an island within the city, rather than as an integral and fully-connected element of the urban design. Coupled with the ‘traffic barrier’ effects of the large number of buses in Castle Street, and especially in Thames Street and Speedwell Street, the considerable lengths of inactive frontages will contribute to the severance of the adjacent areas of the city centre.

    Read more
  • Westgate Development

    23 October 2013

    (draft) Comments on Outline Planning Application 13/02557/OUT

    Oxford Civic Society’s comments on the outline planning application for the redevelopment of the Westgate Centre (transport issues).

    Transport issues

    We note that the transport assessment analyses current visitors to the commercial centre of the city by number and by modal split for journey, and predicts a 24% or 30% increase as a consequence of the Westgate Centre redevelopment. We are concerned that the following conclusions are developed on the basis of the assumption that the modal split will remain the same as at present.

    Read more