A decision to redevelop a historic building in Jericho has been deferred.
Plans to put 90 student rooms, teaching and lecture space, and a café on the site of the former Ruskin College building in Walton Street went before Oxford City Council’s West Area Planning committee last night.
The site was bought for £7m by Exeter College in 2010, following Ruskin College’s relocation to Ruskin Hall in Old Headington.
Exeter College wants to demolish all the buildings except the 1913 facade.
Oxford City Council officers recommended approval but advised delaying the decision until a legal agreement had been drawn up.
They said the scheme would provide much-needed student housing and improve the building’s appearance. However the Victorian Society, Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society and Worcester College have all objected. Residents’ groups also fear an adverse effect on the conservation area and the listed college building.
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