Member Article

York brick manufacturer cements its reputation following Westgate Centre redevelopment

York Handmade Brick Company has cemented its reputation as one of the UK’s leading independent brickmakers after playing a key role in the major redevelopment of an Oxford shopping centre.

The Alne-based brick manufacturer recently supplied 115,000 new bricks for the exterior of the flagship John Lewis store as part of refurbishment work at the Westgate Centre in Oxford.

Work on the exterior for one of the centre’s anchor talents is part of a £440m facelift by the development’s joint owners, Land Securities and the Crown Estate, which will deliver more than 100 shops, 25 restaurants and cafes, a cinema and 61 flats to Oxford City Centre.

Commenting on the contract, which was worth £150k to York Handmade, Chairman David Armitage, said: “It was a tremendous honour to be asked to provide so many bricks for such a prestigious project.

“The old brutalist Westgate Centre, iconic in its own way, is being replaced by a much more sensitive and modern development.

“The redevelopment of the Westgate Centre highlights the new fashion for replacing concrete with brick, which creates a softer, more attractive appearance.

“In a historic city like Oxford, this is much more appropriate. In this way, the new Westgate Centre is a bold statement of intent, with our bricks playing an integral part.”