£60M planning application submitted for heart of Cowley

Owner of Templars Square, submits highly anticipated £60M planning application to transform the heart of Cowley.

A planning application to transform Templars Square, and surrounding areas in Cowley has been submitted by owners, NewRiver REIT plc (‘NewRiver’).

The £60M contract contained mixed-use proposals, which will preserve Templars Square shops, and bring forward a variety of improvements which will transform the area into a more vibrant and thriving community.

Existing view of part of the site.

The plans include a new hotel, restaurant units for leading national operators, a dramatically improved streetscape and pedestrian routes; upgraded, modernised car parking and stylish new feature entrances.

Proposed view down Between Towns Road comp

The development will also include over 200 one, two and three bedroom apartments including affordable provision, a significant contribution from a brownfield site in tackling the recognised shortage of homes in Oxford.

The proposals were submitted by Oxford City Council.

The proposal submitted hopes to attract more people to the area, encouraging more visitors and acting as a catalyst to bring growth and further investment for the town. During the construction of the development, around 300 construction jobs will be created, with a total of 57 full-time jobs also available.

Allan Lockhart, Property Director of NewRiver, commented: “We are delighted to have submitted the planning application following extensive work by our team and advisors, and collaboration with the Council. This milestone marks a real step-change for Cowley and is long-overdue. The case for regeneration is absolutely clear and this is an excellent opportunity to reinvigorate the heart of the town centre with high quality and modern, yet sensitively designed, development that will be a source of real pride locally – not just for our large number of loyal shoppers but for the wider local community.”

The proposals follow two public consultations, which involved over 1,200 visitors who were given the opportunity to put forward ideas to NewRiver, who reacted directly to the overwhelmingly positive feedback received and incorporated key aspects of it in the updated proposals. This included increasing car park and public space investment, making provision for new restaurants and focusing further on creating a more pedestrian-friendly experience on Between Towns Road.

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