Meanwhile in Oxfordshire
Total project cost: £2.6 million
GBF awarded: £1.9 million
Status: Outputs and outcomes completed
‘Lighting the Spark’: Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…
The ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ project saw the transformation of vacant retail units in high streets across the county into affordable premises for more than 140 organisations, including independent shops, cultural venues, creative studios and co-working spaces. The project has created more than 300 jobs across Oxfordshire.
As well as reducing the number of vacant units in the county’s high streets, the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ project supported the diversification of Oxfordshire’s town and city centres as entrepreneurs devised new and creative uses for the units, encouraging more visitors to the high streets.
Delivery partners: Makespace Oxford-led consortium, commissioned by Oxford City Council, along with Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire District Councils.
Please note: This programme was delivered when Enterprise Oxfordshire were operating as OxLEP.
Project impact targets achieved:
144 businesses supported
305 jobs created
Economic regeneration of high streets
Building stronger local economies and communities
Upgrading premises’ energy efficiency during fit-out
Providing affordable premises, with priority to those who pay the Oxford Living Wage and offer work opportunities