Oxford reports 11.9% increase in city centre footfall
Suzanne Lovell
Footfall in Oxford city centre has continued to show double digit increases on last year.
The latest figures released by Oxford City Council, show 722,166 came into the city centre during the week beginning January 22, an 11.9 per cent on the equivalent week last year.
The council previously issued figures from the week beginning December 4, 2017 which showed a 13 per cent rise on a year earlier. The figures are arrived at by counting those who pass through Cornmarket, Queen Street, and St George's Place.
Reading, meanwhile, saw a three per cent fall in the last quarter of 2017, compared with the same period in 2016. It was roughly in line with the national trend.
Cllr Bob Price, Oxford City Council’s board member for corporate strategy and economic development, said: "We are continuing to see a very welcome and significant increase in the number of people coming into the centre of the city.
“This is almost certainly a ‘Westgate Effect’, but the effect is not confined to the new shopping centre and the numbers of people all round the city centre have shown a big increase.
"Oxford’s performance is even more encouraging when it is set against the national picture which shows a three per cent fall in footfall across city centres nationwide.”
Source: Thames Valley Property No 103 (tvproperty.co.uk)
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