Flats could 'bring more life' to 'dying' Bicester town centre

Plans to knock down the former Dorothy Perkins and Clintons stores in Sheep Street and build two four storey blocks of 28 flats have been submitted to Cherwell District Council.

Applicant and freeholder of the site WE Black Ltd says the 28 dwellings will comprise of four studio flats, 21 one-bedroom flats and three two-bedroom flats.

One block would face Sheep Street while the other would face Backway Road, with a courtyard garden linking the two blocks.

The applicant considers the site to be in a 'highly sustainable location' and so only three disabled parking spaces are proposed.

It comes after another plan was submitted by LCP Properties Limited to convert the rear storage space above the former Peacocks store in Pioneer Square into three flats.

Despite some parking concerns, residents say they welcome a mixture of accommodation and retail space in the town centre, saying redeveloping empty units is a good idea.

Diz Wade commented on the Bicester Chat Facebook page: "Towns like Bicester can become like doughnuts if they maintain the idea of only shops in the centre and residential around the outside. High streets are bound to look different as we come out of this pandemic, and putting residential areas in there may bring more life to the town."

Resident Bern Wakefield-Heath said "Seems sensible to utilise spaces into accommodation given the shortage of housing overall in the UK. It also helps High Streets and in-town retail areas become places that are more alive at all times, and not just during retail hours."

ALSO READ: Bicester town centre 'just a shell' as another shop closes for good

Carolyn Pheasey said: "It’s a fantastic use of space and a mix of business and residential improves the area."

Dorothy Perkins closed at the beginning of 2020 before the pandemic and Clintons closed in the middle of last year.

Councillor Nick Cotter supports the 28 flats proposal, but would like to see a proportion of the flats marketed as affordable homes.

He said: "I welcome it because the town centre is dying on its feet and you can't force retailers to take these units. The town centre is sort of a brownfield site so it's a site that can be redeveloped.

"But I'd want a good proportion of the flats to be affordable particularly for young people. I'd hope they would help young people to get on the property ladder."

ALSO READ: Peacocks closing in Bicester leaves one town centre clothes shop

Bicester Town Council leader councillor Richard Mould said that after speaking with local agents, larger empty shop units that were operated by big brands are proving difficult to let, but smaller shops are in demand.

He said: "We have seen over the past few years more people taking up residence in the town centre as retail landlords make use of redundant space above shops and I think we will see this trend continue."

He also said he supports accommodation on top of shops, but would like ground level shop units to remain for retail use especially so that small businesses have places to open.

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