Work on Westgate Oxford shopping centre to commence soon

Westgate Oxford Alliance, a joint venture between Land Securities and The Crown Estate, will commence work on its $670-million Westgate Oxford shopping centre development – an 800,000 sqft retail and leisure scheme in Oxford city centre.

Preparatory works are scheduled to start immediately with construction set to start this spring and completion expected in autumn 2017. Under the scheme’s plans, the existing Westgate centre in the west end of Oxford will be transformed to include over 100 new stores, 25 restaurants and cafes, a boutique cinema, roof top terrace dining and new public spaces.

The development is now 28% pre-let, with retailers such as H&M, Superdry, Schuh, Goldsmiths, John Lewis, Next, Primark and Michael Kors already signing up to the new centre. The development is expected to generate up to 1,000 construction jobs with a further 3,400 retail positions opening up once the centre is completed.

“Today we’ve taken a significant step towards creating our vision for a world-class retail and leisure destination in Oxford, having worked hard with our customers and the community to shape the right scheme. Alongside our growing list of customers, we are committed to creating a new Westgate Oxford that not only complements the city’s beauty and heritage status but also enhances its global reputation as a great place to spend time,” says Robert Noel, Land Securities chief executive.

“This significant milestone underscores our commitment to this ambitious redevelopment, which will totally transform the retail and leisure experience in Oxford and stand out as one of the best schemes of its kind in the UK,” adds Paul Clark, director of investment and asset management at The Crown Estate.