development is going to be considered by the City Executive Board on Wednesday
(25 May 2011).
The sites include Headington Car Park in Old High Street.
The PDF document is here, and it is massive: introduction plus a 202pp
"Sites and Housing Development Plan Document: Preferred Options Consultation"
(which appears twice in the PDF!)
The comments at the public consultation on the car park were summarized by the
city council as follows:
"Strong opposition to loss of car park; vital for local businesses and Waitrose
and access to local facilities; buses donโt work for everyone so need parking;
housing would increase traffic; building above car park would create unsafe
environment; development could occur above provided replacement car parking
provided during construction; extra below ground car park should be
provided/undercroft parking."
The city councilโs analysis is as follows:
"This site is close to the Headington District Centre with its wide range of
uses. It is also on the edge of a park and the edge of the conservation area.
There are a number of trees on the site and those around the edges may need to
be retained. There is a high potential for archaeological interest as the site
is close to a Saxon burial.
"The City Councilโs Corporate Asset team is reviewing its car parking strategy
and consider that there is potential to develop either housing or student
accommodation above the car park. There was very strong opposition to the loss
of the car park as people consider the car park very important for accessing
facilities and shops and for the trade of local shops. There was a mixed
response to the possible creation of undercroft parking.
"Being such a well used car park and clearly very important to the local
community, its total loss would be detrimental to Headington. However,
development of the site would make more efficient use of a brownfield site. In
order to balance the needs of the local community, maintaining a vibrant
community and meet the aims of making more efficient use of land, development
with undercroft parking is considered an appropriate balance. Careful design
would be required in order to deliver a safe parking environment
They then analyse the two options as follows:
"1. Do not allocate
District centre car parks do not have any policy protection, so an application
could come forward anyway for its redevelopment. The absence of an allocation
would mean we could not ensure parking remains on the site or to guide the type
of development.
"2. Allocate for carโfree residential and/or student accommodation. Maximise
level of car parking reโprovided on the site (PREFERRED OPTION)
Promotes the redevelopment of a brownfield site. Would help deliver either much
needed housing or purpose built student accommodation whilst maximising car
parking provision. Mixed use can respond to changes in land use needs over the
course of the plan period and ensure viability and deliverability."
There are many more sites in our area analysed in detail in this document, but
each deserves a new topic.