"Meanwhile in Oxfordshire..." project
New uses for empty spaces
Cherwell District Council and partners have teamed up with social enterprise ‘Makespace Oxford’ to lead a £1.9m project to redevelop and reoccupy vacant shops throughout Oxfordshire to help to revitalise local urban centres following the COVID-19 crisis.
The project ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ is seeing vacant retail units in local high streets transformed into independent shops, cultural venues, creative studios and co-working spaces.
Good progress is being made towards the aim providing affordable premises to accommodate more than 100 organisations, which will create or secure at least 300 jobs.
‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ is reducing the number of vacant units in the county’s high streets by enabling entrepreneurs to fill them with new and innovative enterprises and organisations. This is diversifying the offer in Oxfordshire’s town and city centres, giving people more reasons to visit and to keep on returning.
Makespace Oxford has formed a consortium with other local organisations to combine the expertise and knowledge needed to deliver results across the county.
This partnership includes Wild Property, Transition by Design, Soha Housing, Fusion Arts, Aspire Oxfordshire and Independent Oxford, alongside national experts in this field, Meanwhile Space CIC.
These organisations are identifying, securing, fitting out, letting and managing dozens of vacant units throughout Oxfordshire during 2022 with the expectation that the businesses and town centre vitality will continue well beyond this time.
Contact the team and get involved
Makespace and the Council’s project team officers are keen to speak to landlords of vacant high street retail units across Oxfordshire’s urban centres, and also potential occupiers. Landlords and occupiers can get in touch with Makespace by visiting the Makespace Oxford website or use the links below: