Wantage Market Place: design consultation

Welcome to the engagement page for the Wantage Market Place Improvements project.

In our 2025 community engagement, we asked you to help us design a plan for making enhancements to Wantage Market Place by sharing what is important to you and telling us about things you would like to improve.

Your feedback identified a number of priorities to be taken forward in the designs. We found that most people supported all our project objectives. They are to:

• Enhance public spaces while protecting the town’s history and character
• Support local businesses and the market
• Make it easier and more enjoyable to walk, wheel and cycle
• Upgrade access to public transport
• Improve safety for all users

People told us the improvements they wanted to see delivered by the project. Those improvements, and what we propose to do in response are:

• Improved footway surfacing
• More trees, plants and gardens
• More seating
• Improved CCTV
• More information on history and heritage
• Less traffic

We are now seeking your views on our resulting proposals for Wantage Market Place improvements before we finalise our construction plans. Your feedback will help us to identify any changes we need to make to the designs for both the West End and Market Place before the design is finalised, ready for construction.

Please read the documents provided and fill in our online survey by clicking the ‘TAKE SURVEY’ button below. The survey will close at 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 July 2026.

We aim to deliver the Wantage Market Place Improvements scheme in two phases:

Phase 1 – West End

In summer of 2025, the traffic regulation order for the West End was made permanent. This helps to maintain a traffic-free, accessible route and supports local businesses with more certainty going forward. Our proposals would make the space easier to use by those with mobility issues, families and businesses / market traders.

Features and benefits:

• Increased event space and room for more tables and chairs
• New trees and planting to provide shade, shelter and environmental improvements
• Improved lighting and CCTV
• Dedicated loading space for businesses

West End is currently funded for detailed design and build using Oxfordshire County Council corporate funding and the local Community Infrastructure Levy. Construction of West End is anticipated to start in Autumn 2027.

Phase 2 – Market Place

The proposal reflects the results of our community engagement and also aligns with our objectives that put people and pedestrians first. The design draws upon success stories from other English market towns that make the best use of spaces for the local economy and place.

The proposals remove car parking spaces from Market Place. Alternative car car provision, including blue badge spaces is available from several public car parks within a few minutes walk from Market Place - Portway, Limborough Road, Sainsburys, Waitrose and Mill Street.

Key features and benefits:

• More space for markets and events as well as tables and chairs
• New and improved bus stops
• New trees and planting to provide shade, shelter and environmental improvements
• Bus gate to lower levels of general traffic to make the space much safer and more pleasant to spend time in
• Space created for loading facilities for local businesses

Funding bids for Market Place will be submitted during summer 2026 following this consultation. Construction of Market Place is anticipated to start once funding has been secured. We hope to have this in place by 2028.

Supporting Documents
You can view plans and our promotional material by downloading them as PDF files from the links on this page.

How can I get involved

We want to hear your views on these proposals. You can share your views by completing the survey which is open from 12 noon Wednesday 10 June to 11:59pm Wednesday 8 July 2026.

Alternatively, you can share feedback via email: WantageMarketPlace@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by writing a letter to this address as one line in the middle of the envelope: Freepost OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL (No further address details are required and you do not need a stamp.) Please also write ‘Wantage Market Place improvements’ on the top left corner of the envelope, so we can easily identify what is inside.

We are also holding two drop-in events where you can see the proposals in person and speak to the project team. Please see the Drop-in events section on this page for more details about dates, times and venues.

The Frequently asked questions (FAQs) section provides answers to common queries about the project.

If you, or anyone you know is unable to view the information online or visit our drop-in events, printed copies of the survey will also be available from the following locations:

• Wantage Library, Stirlings Road, Wantage OX12 7BB
• The Beacon, Portway, Wantage OX12 9BX
• Oxfordshire County Council, County Hall, New Road, OX1 1ND 

What happens next

Once the consultation period has finished on 8 July 2026, we will review all the responses received and consider any necessary design changes.