{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox shopping mall | name = Templars Square | logo = | image = Templars Square Shopping.jpg | image_width = 250px | caption = The interior of Templars Square in October 2008 | location = Cowley, Oxfordshire | coordinates = {{Coord|51.732147|-1.216974}} | address = 129 Pound Way, Oxford OX4 3XH | opening_date = May 1965 (as Cowley Centre) | manager = Aaron Bayliss<ref name=Mail-1 /> | owner = New River [http://www.nrr.co.uk] | number_of_stores = 63 | website = [http://www.templarssquare.com/ templarssquare.com] }}
'''Templars Square''' is a shopping centre located in Between Towns Road, Cowley, Oxford, England. It was opened in 1965 and was known as '''Cowley Centre'''<ref name="hibbert">{{cite book | chapter=Cowley Centre | publisher=Macmillan | title=The Encyclopaedia of Oxford | year=1988 | editor-last1=Hibbert | editor-first1=Christopher | editor1-link=Christopher Hibbert | editor-last2=Hibbert | editor-first2=Edward | page=112 | isbn=0-333-39917-X }}</ref> until 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.templarssquare.com/|title=Templars Square Shopping Centre, Cowley, Oxford|publisher=templarssquare.com|access-date=17 May 2011}}</ref>
==Development and construction== A shopping centre in central Cowley was first proposed in the late 1950s. By 1959, the proposal had received strong endorsement from Oxford City Council, and an embargo on new shopping developments along the nearby Cowley Road was enforced. The development was opposed by William Beveridge, who felt that Cowley was the wrong location for the centre.<ref>{{cite book|last=Skinner|first=Annie|title=Cowley Road: A History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s9SRAAAAIAAJ&q=%22cowley+centre%22|year=2005|publisher=Signal Books|isbn=978-1-904955-10-8}}</ref>
Construction of the development, by now known as Cowley Centre, began in 1960. Its design was inspired by new town centres and North American shopping malls.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Benson|first1=John|last2=Shaw|first2=Gareth|title=The retailing industry. 3. Post 1945 - retail revolutions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PERizR8zleIC&dq=%22cowley+centre%22&pg=PA34|year=1999|publisher=I.B. Tauris|isbn=9781904955108}}</ref> The shopping centre designed by the Oxford City Architects E. G. Chandler and Douglas Murray.<ref name="hibbert" /> Between Towns Road was realigned when Cowley Centre was built.
==Opening and subsequent history== Cowley Centre was opened in May 1965 by Richard Crossman, then Minister of Housing and Local Government. The opening ceremony was attended by over 300 people.<ref name=Mail-1>{{cite news|last=Hearn|first=Dan|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/4547787.We_re_beating_the_recession__says_Oxford_shopping_centre/|title=We're beating the recession, says Oxford shopping centre|publisher=Oxford Mail|date=14 August 2009}}</ref>
In 1970, the Sainsbury's store at the northern end of the centre was extended, requiring the demolition of a local pub, which was rebuilt around twenty yards away.<ref>{{cite book|last=Yurdan|first=Marilyn|title=Oxford in the 1950s and '60s|page=121|publisher=The History Press Ltd|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7524-5219-7}}</ref> The Sainsbury's store later closed and was replaced by branches of Wilkinson and Iceland.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.propertyweek.com/talk-of-the-towns/3029817.article|title=Perl found in Cowley shopping centre|journal=Property Week|date=5 September 2003}}</ref>
The centre was renamed to Templars Square in 1989, and celebrated its 20th year under the name with a series of events in August 2009.<ref name=Mail-1 /> In January 2014 part of the centre's glass roof was damaged in a storm.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-25902063 Oxford's Templars Square shopping centre glass roof smashes] BBC News, 26 January 2014</ref>
==Facilities== As of August 2009, Templars Square has 63 retailers, making it the largest shopping centre in Oxford. This number had decreased from 85 in 2002, partly because of the 2008 financial crisis; one of the largest stores, Woolworth's, closed in December 2009. However, overall trade at the centre was largely unaffected by the recession.<ref name=Mail-1 /> The Woolworth's site has since been taken over by 99p Stores.<ref name=Witney-Gazette>{{cite news| last=Hartford| first=Maggie| url=http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/business/8713689.New_supermarket_could_open_in_Cowley/ | title=New supermarket could open in Cowley| publisher= Witney Gazette | location=UK | date=2 December 2010 }}</ref> As of June 2010, the centre's occupancy rate is 96%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shopping-centre.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/3634/B_M_boosts_retail_offering_at_Templars_Square.html|title=B&M boosts retail offering at Templars Square|publisher=shopping-centre.co.uk|date=22 June 2010}}</ref>
Templars Square has a six-storey car park. This opened in 1964, a year before the shopping centre. In July 2009 the top deck of the car park was temporarily closed after three people died by falling from it.<ref name=Mail-2>{{cite news|last=Wilkinson|first=Matt|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/4485083.Suicides_prompt_closure_of_Oxford_car_park_s_top_storey//|title=Suicides prompt closure of Oxford car park's top storey|publisher=Oxford Mail|date=10 July 2009}}</ref>
The centre is located adjacent to the Templars Retail Park, which was legally restricted to non-food sales to avoid competition with the centre. In December 2010 a proposal was announced to relax the restriction and open a new supermarket at the site, which was opposed by the centre's management.<ref name=Witney-Gazette /> This has since changed with a Sainsbury's superstore opening in this retail park.
== Future development == In 2012 New River bought the centre and soon revealed redevelopment plans. Plans for redevelopment of the centre including 200 homes, shops, two restaurants and a hotel received planning permission in July 2017 however, as of October 2020 no redevelopment has taken place and there is currently no scheduled start date for this.<ref>{{Cite web|title='Don't hold your breath' – STILL no start date for £60m Templars Square upgrade|url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/18132949.templars-square-no-date-60m-revamp-oxford-shopping-centre/|access-date=2020-10-17|website=Oxford Mail|language=en}}</ref>
In April 2022 NewRiver sold Templars Square to Redevco for £38.8 million.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nazir|first=Sahar|date=1 April 2022|title=NewRiver finalises £38.8m sale of Oxford shopping centre|journal=Retail Gazette|url=https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2022/04/newriver-finalises-38-8m-sale-of-oxford-shopping-centre/}}</ref>
==Further reading== *{{cite book|title=The Cowley shopping centre|year=1968|publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office|isbn=0-11-700376-X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EOKRAAAAIAAJ&q=%22cowley+centre%22}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.templarssquare.com/ Templars Square website]
{{Shopping centres in Southeast England}}
Category:Shopping malls established in 1965 Category:Shopping centres in Oxford