JERICHO residents are asking people to vote on whether they like the planned roof of a Worcester Place development – dubbed the “golden cloak”.

Exeter College is demolishing the old Ruskin College building to make room for a new quad and teaching buildings.

But, as previously reported in the Oxford Mail, members of South Jericho Residents’ Association (SJRA) remain concerned that the development’s proposed metallic roof could reflect heat on to the street in the summer.

Exeter College and construction firm Mace have always maintained that heat reflecting from the panels will not be an issue.

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SJRA chairman Chris Johnson, 50, said: “Our concerns are still very much felt. We still think it could cause an exacerbation of the heat problems we have here and we have not been convinced during meetings with the college and Mace.”

The scheme will see the almost-complete demolition of the 1913 Ruskin College building – with the exception of its red-brick facade.

In its place will be 90 student rooms, three staff rooms, teaching areas and a library, forming a quad. But the most striking element of the design is the building’s roof, which will have a large amount of stainless steel cladding.

When the application was approved by Oxford City Council’s west area planning committee in December 2013, a condition was put in place ensuring that councillors should approve materials for it separately before construction began.

Council officers wrote at the time: “The wrong finish and the roof material would appear too strident and cause harm.” Since then, Exeter College has offered residents a choice between different versions of the proposed ‘bronze and Champagne shingles’.

The choice is between different levels of reflectivity, with panels being sanded and “bead blasted” to different degrees and hued in slightly different shades. Exeter College has samples of these on display at the building site in Worcester Place.

Residents in the past said they favoured the ‘low reflectivity’ panels, which, according to Mr Johnson, was due to fears that the roof would reflect the sun’s rays during the summer, heating up the street.

The father of two added: “We are worried this will affect our quality of life. And other residents in different parts of Jericho may be worried about other aspects. This roof surface is going to be enormous, glowing and golden, and in the middle of Oxford.

“Their intention is for this to fit in with the historic architecture of Jericho. But we are not convinced. That is why we are asking for people’s views on this. We think it needs another open consultation.”

Mace declined to comment.

To vote visit the website jerichocentre.org.uk/news/news_item/ vote-on-the-golden-cloak

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