The standard of design and architecture is fundamental to the successful regeneration of the West End. Good design of the public realm and buildings will attract people, investment and activity to the area. As this is a 21st century regeneration project, the building style will be contemporary. However, new design will build on the existing character of the area, using the historic buildings and street patterns as a basis. Developers will need to be conscious that we are adding a new layer of history.

Historic Environment 
It is essential that the origins of the West End, and the area's proximity to Oxford's historic core, are taken into account as the regeneration takes place. The whole of the area lies within the City Centre Archaeological Area; an archaeological assessment will be required alongside a planning application for any scheme that would involve significant breaking of the ground in the West End. New developments will need to be designed with an understanding of the area's heritage, street patterns, views, and important buildings.

Oxford City Council's Conservation Team has produced a Historic Study that details the historic qualities of the West End. In addition a community-focused Historic Context Study, a joint initiative of the City Council and Oxford Preservation Trust, was undertaken in 2010-11 to identify heritage assets in the area and assess their value to the local community. The feedback gathered from local residents as part of this study will be invaluable in decision-making about the West End regeneration.

Design and Construction
Good design in all new developments is key to the successful regeneration of the area. In order to promote a high standard of design, a Design Code has been produced as a framework for designing, developing and building in the West End; it is a tool for describing the kind of place the area could become. The Design Code sets limits that do not impose style but provide a framework within which to reflect the essential qualities of good urban places. The guidelines are intended to stimulate innovation and quality, and planning permission will only be granted for new developments that follow this framework.

The quality of the architecture and buildings developed in the West End is not just about style and statement; it also depends on the standards of construction employed. Buildings will be adaptable to the changing needs of the occupants. This can mean, for example, designing multi-use buildings with different uses on different floors of the building. Active uses will be on the ground floor next to the public space, and less active uses such as residential accommodation or offices will be on the floors above and to the rear.

Buildings and public spaces must meet the needs of everyone, including those with pushchairs, people with disabilities and the elderly. Buildings and public spaces also have the potential to provide habitats for wildlife. Ways of achieving this, through appropriate design, include: planting trees and shrubs; providing green roofs; creating flight lines and foraging opportunities for bats; and erecting bat and bird boxes. 

Resource Efficiency
The West End Partnership requires all new developments to use energy, water and materials efficiently and all large developments to incorporate renewable energy technologies as one way of addressing climate change on a local level. The re-use and responsible use of construction materials, energy-efficient systems and technologies can improve living and working conditions and reduce building running costs.

A project has identified many potential benefits to a community scheme for sustainable energy for the West End. The scheme will link developments to an area-wide combined heating, cooling and electricity network, offering important efficiency savings in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and also in terms of floor space and plant requirements for each building. A further phase of the project will design the scheme and is likely to involve setting up an Energy Services Company (ESCo).

Flooding
The Thames and other local waterways such as Castle Mill Stream add diversity and interest to the West End. They enhance the open space and the outlook of buildings. However, in Oxford flood risk must always be dealt with carefully. Climate change means that flood risk in the West End will be greater for future generations. Developers in the West End will need to bear this natural risk in mind and respond with imagination. Flood risk must not be made worse 'now or in the future' by new development in the West End. A strategic Flood Risk Assessment for the area has been undertaken, which makes a starting point for working out options that balance the management of flood risk with development proposals.

Flood-Risk Assessments (FRAs), and implementation of the necessary mitigation measures, will be required for all developments in flood-risk zones 3 and 2, and for any developments of 1 hectare or over in flood-risk zone 1. Taking climate change into account, the FRA will identify and assess the risks of all forms of flooding to and from the development, and show how these flood risks will be managed. Developments in the West End are expected to incorporate sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDs) where feasible to limit the rate of run-off or preferably reduce the existing rate. Some measures designed to reduce water demand, such as rainwater harvesting, may also help to reduce flood risk.

Read more about the West End's key projects...