Dear Reader, Welcome to the January 2009 edition of the Oxford West End Newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest news and programme developments around the regeneration of Oxford's West End. The newsletter is published three times a year, in Spring, Summer and Autumn/Winter, so look out for the next edition in Spring 2009. In the meantime if you have any comments or questions about the West End regeneration, please contact westend@oxford.gov.uk. The project team met a range of stakeholders in December 2008 and is making good progress with the document. The first draft was signed-off by the West End Executive Committee in January, ahead of further consultation. Both the city and county council committees will then be asked to approve the final draft in the spring. New Growth Point funding update This is to support the delivery of housing across the city. The proposal is that a substantial part of this funding will be to contribute towards the costs of providing vital infrastructure in the West End. Hythe Bridge pocket park update Oxford West End Community Group - join today! The next meeting, specifically looking at Transform Oxford, will take place on Tuesday 17th February, between 6pm and 8pm at Oxford and Cherwell Valley College, room D122. If you would like to join the WECG, please contact westend@oxford.gov.uk New Inn Hall Street update The design team is reviewing the results of the trial and consultation before deciding whether or not to retain or remove the traffic signals. Irrespective of the outcome of this decision, the junction will be enhanced with upgraded materials and all unnecessary clutter will be removed. The junction will be raised to reduce traffic speeds and to give pedestrians more priority. Oxfordshire County Council invited expressions of interest for either a freehold sale or a lease, and some potentially exciting offers have come forward. The council would consider disposing of the entire site, either with or without the Register Office, if a suitable alternative location can be provided. A shortlist of interested parties has now been invited to submit fuller proposals and bids, with a final decision due in April. Neil Monaghan, Oxfordshire County Council's Head of Property, will lead the coordination. An initial meeting of the various parties took place towards the end of January. Streamlined contributions Download the January 2009 newsletter in a print friendly format.
City Centre Street Scene Manual
Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council are working closely on a new Oxford City Centre Street Scene Manual, which covers the West End and the rest of the city centre. The manual will provide a practical guide to the design, management and use of city centre streets.
Development Sites 'go live'
A new section on the Oxford West End website has recently been launched, providing more detail regarding key development sites within the West End. These pages will be constantly updated and will include information about landowners, developers, site plans, and essential public consultation dates.
The Government has announced that Oxford City Council will receive £1.3 million funding from the national Growth Fund for 2009/10 and a further £2.5 million the year after (2010/2011).
Improvement works to the Hythe Bridge pocket park, due to be completed by spring/summer this year, started this month. For more information about these exciting transformation plans, which include new trees, screening the bins and better signposting, please click here...
The Oxford West End Community Group (WECG) meet on a regular basis to discuss topics affecting the West End, from development within the area to general community issues, including homelessness and safety. Meetings will take on a new lease of life in 2009, with guest speakers and workshops, and will include information about public consultation dates, planning applications and development plans.
Improvement works to New Inn Hall Street are now expected to start on site in mid-February. New paving, kerbs and street furniture will help to smarten up the area, complementing the recently refurbished Bonn Square and transforming one of the West End's busiest pedestrian routes. This scheme is due to be completed by the end of June 2009.
Speedwell Street and St. Aldates junction enhancement
Enhancement work to the junction of Speedwell Street and St.Aldates started on site on 12th January this year, and is due to be completed by the end of March 2009. In December 2008 a temporary layout without traffic signals was trialled, and stakeholders were consulted on the scheme.
Exciting plans for Macclesfield House
Macclesfield House is highlighted in the West End Area Action plan as a key development opportunity for the West End Renaissance. Oxfordshire County Council will vacate the site, located at the junction of New Road and Tidmarsh Lane, by the end of September 2009.
The West End Steering Group has agreed that all of the parties involved in projects in and around Frideswide Square should be brought together to ensure that there is a coherent approach to the design, planning and implementation of what will be an important and exciting transformation of the western gateway to the city. The proposals involved are:
The streamlined contributions Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) has now been endorsed for public consultation, due to last 6 weeks. All comments will be considered, with the aim of adopting the document by late spring/early summer 2009.
For more information, of if you would like to be part of the consultation process, full details are available from the planning section of the Oxford City Council website.
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