Scale and impact of Doric’s plans

Perspective on our local shopping centre and future needs

Caroline Potter, WWCC co-chair The current shopping hierarchy

• Major regional: • Major district: Witney, Cowley • Minor district: Abingdon, Botley* • Local: • Minor local: , Grove

*this includes and Botley Road retail parks

741 (West Way )

(2) includes Homebase. The figure for West Way only is 741 sq.m net.

Source: Retail and Town Centre Study for District Council

March 2013 report, by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) Botley catchment area (zone 4)

District population figures 2012 2029 Abingdon (zones 1-3) 57,506 63,387 Wantage (zone 5) 32,092 39,922 Faringdon (zone 6) 18,894 21,697 Botley (zone 4) 15,472 17,900

Total VOWH population: 123,964

Projection for 2029: 142,906 (+15%)

*Botley is the smallest of the four main VOWH centres, reflecting our place in the shopping hierarchy The current shopping hierarchy

• Major regional: Oxford • Major district: Witney, Cowley • Minor district: Abingdon • Local: Wantage • Minor local: Faringdon, Botley*, Grove

*West Way Shopping Centre only

Botley’s key roles as a LOCAL centre

• convenience shopping: Co-op, Iceland and Tesco Express stores supported by two newsagents, a butchers and delicatessen;

• comparison shopping: a limited range of comparison shops and predominantly independent traders serving day to day shopping needs. Lloyds chemist is the main national multiple.

• services: provides a range of services including a post office, banks, cafés, restaurants, takeaways, hairdressers, travel agents and bookmakers.

• community facilities: provides a range of community services including a vets and a library. “Botley has a high proportion of convenience shops and non-retail services, and conversely a lower proportion of comparison shops, which is consistent with its role in the shopping hierarchy.”

Source: Retail and Town Centre Study for Vale of White Horse District Council 14th March 2013, by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) Projected retail need

Local need for development:

75 sq.m net additional floorspace for convenience goods (food) by 2029

444 sq.m net additional floorspace for comparison goods (non-food) by 2029

What’s on offer: much more than needed

Needed by Doric's Difference Current 2029 proposal from need % extra Food retail floor space 1,713 (sq.m net) 1,638 (5% increase) 3,424 1,711 100%

Non-food retail floor 1,185 space (sq. m net) 741 (60% increase) 5,084 3,899 329% 2 screens Cinema none across all of 3,012 3,012 VOWH 1 more Gym none on across all of 1,291 1,291 *There is a gym and pool at Harcourt Hill site* (Westminster campus of Oxford Brookes) VOWH

Total change in retail Need: Proposed: 342% floor space (sq.m): 2,379 2,898 12,811 9,913 Extra HOW much bigger? 300% overall increase

Current Doric's proposal Difference % change Food retail (Co-op, Food retail 1,870 8,314 6444 + 345% Tesco, Iceland) (superstore) Restaurants / non- Restaurants / 1,002 4,163 3161 + 315% food retail non-food retail Offices 4339 Offices 564 -3775 - 87%

Local shops 1,695 Local shops 1,271 -424 - 25% (EP, half of Square) Accommodation Accommodation 1,444 18,734 17,290 + 1197% (19 flats) (525 student rooms)

Age-restricted 60 flats, 5 Age-restricted 33 rooms: 32 less - 49% accommodation bungalows accommodation 4095 homes Library 121 Library 413 292 + 241% Community Hall 366 Community Hall 465 99 + 27% Cinema, gym, etc. 0 Cinema, gym, etc. 9,521 9,521 new

CURRENT: DORIC: Total area (gross 300% floor area, sq.m): 10,837 43,445 32,608 increase Figures from Doric’s transport assessment report Visual impact: over-dominance

(from Doric’sSource: Daylight Doric’s Report) daylight report

Current buildings are in green, proposed building is in blue. The winter sunlight is almost completely blocked by the new building. Human impact Too big for Botley?

MUCH TOO BIG! The way forward:

The way forward:

in scale, in character, to meet local needs