CHANGES have been made to the £400m Westgate redevelopment plan following concerns from heritage experts.

The Westgate Alliance, which has submitted its amended proposal to Oxford City Council, has lowered some of the buildings and changed the layout near Thames Street.

Sara Fuge, development manager for the Westgate Alliance, said: “The revisions have sought to take on board comments made by the city council, statutory consultees and the local community.”

The new plans also include more window displays and entrances to the shops.

English Heritage, Oxford Civic Society and Oxford Preservation Trust all raised concerns about aspects of the proposals including the height – one part of it was initially higher than Carfax Tower, which is 18.2m.

Debbie Dance, director of the Preservation Trust, said: “We look forward to what’s being proposed to see how it addresses the issues.

“We all recognise the importance of developing the Westgate and we want it to be done in the very best way for Oxford.”

If approved, the development would feature about 70 new shops, including a John Lewis department store, cafes, restaurants and up to 122 homes.

A decision on the planning application is expected to be made by a committee of city councillors early this year.