Whats to discuss?
Its going to happen. Get over yourselves people Oxford needs this.

its just a meeting to give the greenies and all the old farts who like to moan a chance to have their little rant and say their piece. LISTEN. ITS CALLED PROGRESS. WESTGATE IS A URINE SOAKED DUMP THAT NEEDS REDEVELOPMENT.

The Westgate shopping centre needs to be modernised!Oxford is useless for shopping.Why are there so many nimbys in Oxford?Anyway it will be good for the enviroment as currently loads of people I know keep having to drive to Milton Keynes,Reading or Cheltenham for some decent shopping!

Oxford does not need any more temples in which to worship the Lord of consumerism and greed. In my vast experience, shopping centres are full of people who care for nothing more than to satisfy their **** for false Gods such as fashion and vanity. I have spent the last 10 years of my life wearing the same pair sandals. I have 2 pairs of trousers and 2 Arran knit jumpers and for those luxuries I truly give thanks to our Lord God. I don't need the latest fashions to be a warrior for God.

What this great city needs is more churches where the lost souls of Oxford can find succour in the bossom of the Lord.

I for one will be there alongside my fellow travellers and God fearing brothers to add my voice to the protest at this senseless waste of money and I urge you all to join with me to say NO to these evil plans.

The millions of pounds earmarked for this project could help to build churches in Africa, the Middle East, Rose Hill and France, places that have for too long been denied the right to feel and hear the love of God.

Amen.

Have any of the opposers been to Cambridge recently, the new Grand Arcade shopping centre that is about to open in March is beautiful. Maybe you should see this before you oppose a development that is clearly needed. I am currently living in Cambridge and will move to Oxford in the summer and would welcome a much nicer shopping experience in Oxford, because quite frankly Cambridge knocks spots off Oxford for it's city centre facilities.

Gayle wrote:
Have any of the opposers been to Cambridge recently, the new Grand Arcade shopping centre that is about to open in March is beautiful. Maybe you should see this before you oppose a development that is clearly needed. I am currently living in Cambridge and will move to Oxford in the summer and would welcome a much nicer shopping experience in Oxford, because quite frankly Cambridge knocks spots off Oxford for it's city centre facilities.

Thank you my child for making my point so succinctly for me!

You come to our fair county and flaunt...nay brag about about how much more Godless you are than us as though it were some kind of badge of honour. How on God's earth can one have a "nicer shopping experience" If you call the worship of the false God of fashion a "nicer experience" then you are truly destined for the fires of hell.

I would respectfully suggest that you remain in that den of iniquity you call Cambridge and desist from infecting the good people of Oxford with your blasphemy.

Amen

The whole south-west quadrant of Oxford - i.e. west of St Aldates, south of Queen Street/Park End Street, as far as the river - is a complete mess and needs to be bulldozed. It's shocking that a historic city was ever allowed to be 'developed' in such a haphazard, aesthetically bankrupt fashion. Perhaps Pembroke College might be spared, but I can't think of anything else that would be missed. The whole area could then begin again from the rubble.

Perhaps the town hall is the wrong place to hold the meeting...

People should meet up on the ground floor of the Westgate car park, walked up the ramps by the old travellators - those unable could always take the lift... Then the meeting held in the Westgate itself - shouldn't be too hard to hire some chairs.

If the new centre doesn't go ahead, then I hope the developers cross the border to Buckinghamshire (just outside Thame?) and apply to build a Megamall in order that Oxford Residents don't have to drive all the way to Reading or MK to shop.

I agree Cambridge city centre is far better than Oxford especially for shopping,but then when ever anyone tries to build anything in Nimby Oxford the same old protesters ruin things for the majority of Oxford residents.As for building of new Churches?In Oxford that would probably be turned down but they would probably allow a Mosque! lol

quote

For God's sake just get on with it.

Parker wrote:
I agree Cambridge city centre is far better than Oxford especially for shopping,but then when ever anyone tries to build anything in Nimby Oxford the same old protesters ruin things for the majority of Oxford residents.As for building of new Churches?In Oxford that would probably be turned down but they would probably allow a Mosque! lol

You may mock my suggestion for more churches but perhaps us God fearing folk should emulate the approach of some of our Muslim bretheren and take more direct action when unbelievers ridicule us for our unflinching love of the Lord.

Of course I'm not suggesting we parade around with banners saying "Behead those that insult Christianity" Maybe our direct action could take the form of aggressively setting up bring and buy sales and setting up Tombola events whenever we feel we have been insulted. I feel that when they see that we are prepared to go to such lengths to defend the name of our Lord, then and only then will they begin to to take us seriously.

Amen

If it goes ahead as planned, this development would increase the risk of flooding, add to traffic and congestion, pump out vast amounts of CO2, and destroy mature trees and sheltered homes. This public meeting isn't about NIMBYism, it's about proposing better ways to redevelop this part of Oxford - why not create eco-friendly units for local traders, affordable housing, public gardens, a new public transport hub etc. on a sensible, sustainable scale rather than a monstrous, inefficient shopping mall three times the size of the current Westgate? For more info, check out http://westgatewatch
.wordpress.com.

It's not too late to change things for the better - come to the meeting to find out how!

Danny

Danny wrote:
If it goes ahead as planned, this development would increase the risk of flooding, add to traffic and congestion, pump out vast amounts of CO2, and destroy mature trees and sheltered homes. This public meeting isn't about NIMBYism, it's about proposing better ways to redevelop this part of Oxford - why not create eco-friendly units for local traders, affordable housing, public gardens, a new public transport hub etc. on a sensible, sustainable scale rather than a monstrous, inefficient shopping mall three times the size of the current Westgate? For more info, check out http://westgatewatch .wordpress.com. It's not too late to change things for the better - come to the meeting to find out how! Danny

How refreshing to hear the words of a like minded soul Danny.

I too have a vision for this part of Oxford Danny and it's not a million miles from your own. Over the past week I have kept all of my household waste and fashioned a scale model of what I would like to see in place of the car park. I thought of many things that could be built there but in the end, it came to me like a revelation. I want a church to be built there! It would of course include eco-friendly units for jumble sales and other church related money raising activities, affordable housing for members of the church, public gardens for those unfortunate souls displaced by the Bonn Square re-development. I also had the foresight to cater for your concerns about flood water. My vision would be to use any flood water (after all, even flood water is a gift from God) for mass baptisms or we could bottle it and sell it as Oxford Holy Water (with all proceeds going to the church of course).

I too would like to see this new church used a public transport hub, with every bus, tram and rickshaw stopping off at the House of the Lord so that everyone gets to hear the word of God each and every day.

I'm with you Danny, let's do this together and show that when great minds get together, we can really make a difference. I will bring my model down to the meeting with me and will actively look out for you Danny. If you're not sure what I look like, I will be the one with an old pair of sandals, an Arran knit jumper and a really big model made out of household waste under my arm.

Amen

But most people I know want a big shopping centre so we don't have to travel to other towns,even Banbury has a better shopping centre than Oxford,we don't want small units!why is everything built on a small scale in Oxford? all the shops are too small even the pubs are built on a small scale in Oxford,where are the big pubs in Oxford?not even a Wetherspoons in the city centre,we must be the only City not to have one in the centre! wake up Oxford lets not be a City full of Green nimbys!

with all these e mails missionary gods country is sending the person will the weekend services ps i won,t be there

Anyone on here been asked their opinion on this privitisation?

Anyone know how much the council sold the publically owned land this is going to be built on for?

How do people feel that land that belongs to them is being sold off cheap so that wealthy businessmen can get even more wealthy.

Me? I'm fed up with subsidising the rich.

Lets knock it down and build something we all want.

Have any of the opposers been to Cambridge recently, the new Grand Arcade shopping centre that is about to open in March is beautiful.

No it isn't its a crock of ****.

i lived in oxford 4yrs what lovely time i loved it there.Also I am waiting to go back there Im back in cornwall but its not good here cant get out my bungalow Im in a wheelchair in oxford I could go anywhere.The westgate centre is a great shopping centre and need updating.Can any housing offer me somewhere in oxford to live.all the best to westgate.Joyce

The reason Cambridge city centre is far superior to Oxford is because it's traffic free.

The propsed Westgate centre can only make Oxford's traffic problems worse. Our streets will be gridlocked.

Never mind all these crap green arguments.

Lets cut to the quick!

Is there a complimentary bar at the meeting?

Foster Grant wrote:
But most people I know want a big shopping centre so we don't have to travel to other towns,even Banbury has a better shopping centre than Oxford,we don't want small units!why is everything built on a small scale in Oxford? all the shops are too small even the pubs are built on a small scale in Oxford,where are the big pubs in Oxford?not even a Wetherspoons in the city centre,we must be the only City not to have one in the centre! wake up Oxford lets not be a City full of Green nimbys!

If you think Banbury has better shopping than Oxford;-

It is a very, very sad state of affairs.

I would not come to Oxford due to the traffic and lack of, or very expensive parking. Ditto Banbury!

Another reason why shopping is so much better in Cambridge is because they planned the new Lion's Yard with the people, not against them. It's also owned by the City Council and not just run for the profit of some greedy large corporations.
Of course Oxford needs something else to replace the current Westgate, but it looks like what we'll get will just be bigger not nicer, possibly equally ugly and unpleasant as the existing one.

Missionary wrote:

Danny wrote: If it goes ahead as planned, this development would increase the risk of flooding, add to traffic and congestion, pump out vast amounts of CO2, and destroy mature trees and sheltered homes. This public meeting isn't about NIMBYism, it's about proposing better ways to redevelop this part of Oxford - why not create eco-friendly units for local traders, affordable housing, public gardens, a new public transport hub etc. on a sensible, sustainable scale rather than a monstrous, inefficient shopping mall three times the size of the current Westgate? For more info, check out http://westgatewatch .wordpress.com. It's not too late to change things for the better - come to the meeting to find out how! Danny

How refreshing to hear the words of a like minded soul Danny. I too have a vision for this part of Oxford Danny and it's not a million miles from your own. Over the past week I have kept all of my household waste and fashioned a scale model of what I would like to see in place of the car park. I thought of many things that could be built there but in the end, it came to me like a revelation. I want a church to be built there! It would of course include eco-friendly units for jumble sales and other church related money raising activities, affordable housing for members of the church, public gardens for those unfortunate souls displaced by the Bonn Square re-development. I also had the foresight to cater for your concerns about flood water. My vision would be to use any flood water (after all, even flood water is a gift from God) for mass baptisms or we could bottle it and sell it as Oxford Holy Water (with all proceeds going to the church of course). I too would like to see this new church used a public transport hub, with every bus, tram and rickshaw stopping off at the House of the Lord so that everyone gets to hear the word of God each and every day. I'm with you Danny, let's do this together and show that when great minds get together, we can really make a difference. I will bring my model down to the meeting with me and will actively look out for you Danny. If you're not sure what I look like, I will be the one with an old pair of sandals, an Arran knit jumper and a really big model made out of household waste under my arm. Amen

Your new suit has arrived

Sackcloth and ashes included.

Good luck when they let you out!

Missionary wrote:

Danny wrote: If it goes ahead as planned, this development would increase the risk of flooding, add to traffic and congestion, pump out vast amounts of CO2, and destroy mature trees and sheltered homes. This public meeting isn't about NIMBYism, it's about proposing better ways to redevelop this part of Oxford - why not create eco-friendly units for local traders, affordable housing, public gardens, a new public transport hub etc. on a sensible, sustainable scale rather than a monstrous, inefficient shopping mall three times the size of the current Westgate? For more info, check out http://westgatewatch .wordpress.com. It's not too late to change things for the better - come to the meeting to find out how! Danny

How refreshing to hear the words of a like minded soul Danny. I too have a vision for this part of Oxford Danny and it's not a million miles from your own. Over the past week I have kept all of my household waste and fashioned a scale model of what I would like to see in place of the car park. I thought of many things that could be built there but in the end, it came to me like a revelation. I want a church to be built there! It would of course include eco-friendly units for jumble sales and other church related money raising activities, affordable housing for members of the church, public gardens for those unfortunate souls displaced by the Bonn Square re-development. I also had the foresight to cater for your concerns about flood water. My vision would be to use any flood water (after all, even flood water is a gift from God) for mass baptisms or we could bottle it and sell it as Oxford Holy Water (with all proceeds going to the church of course). I too would like to see this new church used a public transport hub, with every bus, tram and rickshaw stopping off at the House of the Lord so that everyone gets to hear the word of God each and every day. I'm with you Danny, let's do this together and show that when great minds get together, we can really make a difference. I will bring my model down to the meeting with me and will actively look out for you Danny. If you're not sure what I look like, I will be the one with an old pair of sandals, an Arran knit jumper and a really big model made out of household waste under my arm. Amen

I don't know who you are but I like your style!!

Clearly the councils throughout the land have an image problem,people rightly assume since they don't actually live locally they really couldnt give a **** about the locals.

That they don't live locally and they don't give a **** is the problem that needs to be solved.