Ian Green, SENDRA Planning representative.

For more than five years, SENDRA closely observed – and participated in – plans to re-model and extend the Westgate shopping centre.   The original centre had been built between 1970 and 1972, designed by Douglas Murray, the City Architect and Planning Officer.  From as early as 2011, remodelling and extension discussions were held and planning proposals submitted.  Eventually the centre was closed in February 2016 for comprehensive redevelopment, and it reopened on Tuesday 24 October 2017. 

SENDRA’s broad concerns were that the shopping centre was not appropriate at a time when on-line shopping was quickly gaining support and that the relationship with the existing city centre shopping was not well researched and thought-through.  SENDRA was also keen to see the development oriented to the anticipated development of the station area and the Oxpens. 

More specific to the design, SENDRA was concerned about the frontages of the development to the east, west and particularly the south, which faced the SENDRA area.  out.  Initially these were designed to be more or less blank walls with no windows and doors.  The designers would not move from their view that shopkeepers wanted outlooks into internal courtyards and did not want dual aspect shops.  SENDRA campaigned hard for windows and at least one access door in the south elevation.  We were successful in gaining something, but not nearly enough for the centre to be considered well-designed.

Other concerns were about access and SENDRA campaigned to ensure that the centre had an effective transport plan which required incremental achievement of fewer cars being accommodated and more bus, cycle and pedestrian access achieved over time.   The developer’s feet were held to the fire when the centre did not mention access by Park and Ride in its early marketing.  SENDRA has monitored the effectiveness of the design of the car park access and has made comments to the County Council about the design deficiencies.

Associated with access was concern with air quality and this is only now being addressed effectively by the City Council.  With deep excavations being made for the underground car park, SENDRA was concerned about increased flood risk in the SENDRA area and challenged the developers and the EA to confirm that the flood management plans of the new centre would not increase downstream risk.   SENDRA was eventually satisfied although with some remaining concern about the operation of the system which should flood the car park in extreme flood conditions. 

SENDRA’s successful lobbying involved regular discussions with the City and County Councils and with Sara Fuge, the on-site executive manager of Land Securities’ Westgate development project. She was taken on a ‘walkabout’ tour of SENDRA’s neighbourhood so as to have a realistic sense of our concerns and pride in our local patch.  Councillor Bob Price was an invaluable link between the City Council, as the relevant planning authority and ourselves.  

During 2015-16, Oxford Archeology took over the site and a massive ‘dig’ took place with several guided tours, including by SENDRA members, of the medieval, Franciscan remains of the original Greyfriars Friary.  It remains an indictment of the development that the remains were totally destroyed – this was not necessary.

SENDRA was well and ably represented by John Miller, Luke Gander, Ian Green, Rosemary Fennell, Dario Salvi and several others. This was an excellent example of the association’s representative role in ensuring that our local environment is as high quality as possible.