G2. South Parade

General Overview                            

South Parade has been the ‘village’ centre of Summertown from the 1820s to today, linking the Banbury and Woodstock Roads. Many original shop fronts are now cafes and restaurants; its community amenities – the Library and its sculpture garden, the North Wall Theatre and Arts Centre – are well used. Independent shops and small businesses thrive alongside residents’ houses. St Edward’s and Northern House Schools dominate the street at the Woodstock Road end, and St Anne’s College student accommodation block has a substantial frontage at the Banbury Road end.

The key challenge for future development is to maintain the balance of uses and populations that forms the character of the street.

There is a significant area of garage parking behind South Parade and BBC Oxford which is a potential development site.  It might be suitable for housing for elderly because it is very close to shops and services.

History

South Parade existed as ‘Double Ditch’ before the surrounding roads were established and has a remarkable history. It became ‘South Parade’ in the 1930s and into the 1950s was the hub of trades and services: boot repairer, greengrocer (39), funeral director, furniture dealer (35), gents outfitters/ draper (9), butcher, chemist, provision merchant, dairy, baker (1-2), two plumbers, carpenter, grocer, Post Office, sweet shop, forge (8), garden shop.

The Library and doctors’ clinic, and Prama House containing the offices of approx. 40 companies, were all built in the 1960s. St Anne’s student accommodation block, housing 82 postgraduate students, was built in 1998.

Issues

Traffic and parking: this one-way street carries a great volume of traffic, including customers of local restaurants and businesses. However, parking is very limited, even for residents with permits. This results in congestion, with cars, taxis and delivery vehicles straddling pavements and parking on yellow lines, making pavements inconvenient and sometimes hazardous. The parking in Alexandra Park nearby is intended for park users but appears to be filled by local shoppers.

Assets

– The mix of uses and population: independent shops, restaurants, cafes, businesses and residential flats and houses.

Heritage

– The varied streetscape with C19th buildings housing restaurants, cafes, shops, businesses and homes

– Individual buildings of historical and architectural importance:

– No 4: The purpose built Coop 1899 (now vacant)

– Nos 5 and 6: Stone built (1823) part vacant

– Northern House (1824 Grade 2 listed building)

Community

– Library (and clinic) and Turrill sculpture garden

– North Wall Theatre and Arts Centre

Ecological

– A varied streetscape with trees and shrubs (despite mostly paved front gardens)

Guidance for new development

– Traffic and parking: any future development must include parking sufficient for the users of the building and additional parking for residents and customers to relieve congestion on the street

– Planning applications: must be assessed for their positive contribution to the character of the street with its delicate balance of shops, businesses, users and residents. This is likely to be a major issue – currently the future of vacant properties at Nos 3/4/5/6 is unknown.  Also the future of the garage parking behind South Parade may be an issue within the timescale of the plan

Download this Character Assessment as a pdf

Download the original volunteer written character assessment as a pdf: Shops and south parade