OXFORD University is planning to put up a statue to the man who funded some of its most iconic buildings.

The university wants to commemorate John Radcliffe with a statue near the North Oxford observatory which bears his name.

It would form part of the £200m development of the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, which includes a new maths building and the Blavatnik School of Government.

A planning application has been submitted to Oxford City Council for the statue, which would be lifesize.

In its application the university says: “The introduction of a new statue of Dr John Radcliffe will act as a memorial to the original benefactor of the observatory, which has made a huge contribution to facilitating the expansion of knowledge and research in astronomy.

“The association of Dr John Radcliffe with the evolution of Oxford University is of particular significance, and the introduction of a statue in his memory by a respected and established sculptor, Martin Jennings, is an exciting proposal.”

Born in 1652, John Radcliffe studied at Oxford University and became royal physician to William III and Mary II.

The Radcliffe Camera was funded by the £40,000 which he left to the university on his death.

Both the Radcliffe Infirmary and the Radcliffe Observatory were founded by the administrators of his estate in the 18th century and the John Radcliffe Hospital bears his name.

The Radcliffe Trust, which his will set up, still operates as a grant-making body.