The redevelopment addresses an unprecedented demand for businesses to establish and grow in Oxfordshire. Modernising existing employment sites in Oxford West End creates the most sustainable location for this. Jobs can be reached by people living close by, in new and existing homes, or with a direct commute by bike, bus and rail. Vitally, this will minimise car journeys.
We want to create a place that is welcoming to all, for working, for living, for enjoying leisure time, and that will build on Oxford’s strengths as a world-class city.
Councillor Louise Upton
Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities
Placing jobs in the most sustainable location at the heart of Oxfordshire, alongside the most significant amount of new affordable housing in the city centre for decades.
• Employment spaces for high-quality, well-paid, green jobs
• Restoring housing to the West End. Read more about the area’s history
• Maximising affordable housing and creating varied accommodation, including for graduates.
• Affordable workspace for SMEs and co-working hubs.
Seizing the potential to become much-loved public areas for local residents to enjoy.
• Largest civic space in the city centre being created at Oxpens for cultural and sporting events, with more to come on other sites
• Social spaces for new and existing communities
• Restaurants, bars, cafes, delis, hotels
• Opening up new waterfronts
• Rooftop views and enhanced heritage settings
• Enriched parks and green spaces
By delivering jobs and homes in the city, people can live close to where they work and travel sustainably, reducing congestion and carbon emissions. With infrastructure plans advancing to connect Oxford to the rest of the country, we aim to make it easier to travel, commute, and support business and investment.
• Supporting rail links and station interchanges
• Significantly improved cycling and walking experiences
• New bridges to facilitate movement beyond the West End. Starting with a new river bridge.
• Car clubs
Much needed space for commerce and innovation to boost our economy. Developers will set out Community Employment Plans and target initiatives to address inequality and support an inclusive economy.
• Starting with thousands of constructions jobs
• Local sourcing and support for businesses to access the supply chain
• Linking employers with local people via schools, colleges, charities to support access to careers, training and apprenticeships
• Millions of additional local spend each year from new workers and residents once constructed
• Local tax revenues.
Oxford declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and has a goal of zero-carbon emissions by 2040 – ten years ahead of the legal deadline. The Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership outlines a science-based roadmap and targets for emissions and will decide on appropriate additional longer-term actions.
• Furthering climate and net zero innovation. Read more about The Energy Systems Accelerator
• Jobs in green innovation
• Embracing technologies to minimise embodied and operational carbon
• Enabling people to live low-carbon lifestyles
• Predominantly car-free
• Biodiversity gains
• Blue and green infrastructure for climate resilience
One of the largest urban transformation opportunities in the UK
Enables a fast-growth city, with strong economic clusters and unsurpassed global reputation
A sustainable location and critical mass for employment growth
Additional jobs created in the UK, that would otherwise be created abroad
Space for commercial research spin-outs from a world-leading university, that otherwise may not happen
Substantial tax revenues, supporting national recovery and levelling up across the UK
Supports prosperity across Oxford – a city with significant inequality and deprivation
Leverages substantial private investment
Accelerates entrepreneurship with existing business support, innovation networks and investment
Increasing Oxford Station’s track capacity unlocks wider network capacity:
• Additional and more efficient services to support regional housing growth
• More rail freight, linking industry in the north to the ports on the south coast by 2028.
