Large developments

  • Northern Gateway Area Action Plan

    Our response to the Proposed Submission

    1 October 2014

    Before any development of the Northern Gateway site the problems of serious traffic congestion, noise and chronic air pollution must be resolved. This is recognised in the adopted Core Strategy. The AAP Proposed Submission differs from the Core Strategy with no justification, making it unsound and potentially, we suspect, illegal.

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  • Roger Dudman Woe

    The independent review of the Castle Mill flats planning fiasco.

    6 March 2014

    We shall probably never know why the University of Oxford changed the brief for the student housing on Roger Dudman Way from “creating a sense of place and community” to one that produced the structures that now dominate Port Meadow. The City Council commissioned an independent review following the outcry when local people finally became aware of the blocks being built. The review was published at the end of December. We had the small consolation of being included in the working party of three councillors and three community organisations appointed by the Council to oversee the review.

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  • Westgate revised application

    We are disappointed to see that our concerns have not been addressed in the revised application.

    3 February 2014

    The arrangements for accessibility and the overall design concept of the proposed development remain inadequate. Consideration of these fundamental issues need to be addressed at this stage and cannot be deferred until a later stage of design.

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  • Manor Place Student Housing Development

    Comments on the developers' initial proposals

    30 January 2014

    The peace and tranquillity of the cemetery, to which the public have access, will be destroyed and there will be serious shadowing from sunlight. The proposal to provide full restaurant facilities should help alleviate the concept of another ‘student silo’, and the provision of limited additional kitchen facilities in each building, on each floor enhances this aspect.

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  • Westgate development – response to outline planning application

    Our response to the Outline Planning Application for redevelopment of Westgate

    30 October 2013

    Ref: 13/02557/OUT Detail: Demolition of southern part of Westgate Centre, 1-14 Abbey Place and multi-storey car park, retention of library, refurbishment of remainder of the existing Westgate Centre and construction of a retail-led mixed use development together providing A1 (retail), A2 (finance and professional services) and/or A3 (restaurants and cafes) and/or A4 (public house, etc.)…

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  • Westgate redevelopment transport proposals

    We are seriously concerned about the inadequate transport assessments.

    25 July 2013

    Many of Oxford’s main roads are already chronically congested, with consistently poor air quality as a result. The traffic analyses produced so far do not convince us that these problems will not get worse when this development is completed.

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  • Westgate Development comments

    Our letter to developers Land Securities about their plans for redeveloping the Westgate Centre

    4 July 2013

    Developers Land Securities have been consulting on their plans for redeveloping the Westgate Centre prior to submitting formal planning applications later this year. We have written to them with our comments expressing the hope that plans for the new Westgate can be better integrated with the other strategic developments, especially Oxpens and the rail station.

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  • Public Transport Hub for Oxford

    Plans to rebuild Oxford Station give the City a great opportunity.

    25 April 2013

    More details of the plans by Network Rail to increase the capacity of the railway infrastructure have emerged recently, and on 9th January 2013 at a public meeting in Oxford Town Hall a presentation was given which set out the basic intentions for the Oxford area. Oxford will become something of a strategic location as upgrading and electrification of the lines takes place, a new signalling system is installed and new rolling stock is introduced.

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  • Station Redevelopment – Oxpens Option

    Letter to the Oxford Times

    23 April 2013

    Your articles last week promoting the concept of an integrated bus and train station for Oxford were both welcome and timely. What you didn’t mention was that in 2004 the County Council, with some real foresight gave consideration to a new, re-located station nearer to the ice rink. This solution had many advantages over the reconstruction of the station at the now even-more cramped existing site.

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  • Barton Area Action Plan

    Paving the way for a new suburb of Oxford.

    9 May 2012

    The need for more housing in Oxford is probably as great as in any other city outside London. The Barton Area Action Plan is part of the City Council’s response. It sees development extending west from the existing Barton community and adding approximately 850 dwellings. We recognise the importance of achieving a positive outcome for Barton. Equally, the concerns of Headington residents and the preservation of the Conservation Area must be respected.

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