MORE than £6.5m of works have been planned to restore the fire-stricken Randolph Hotel to its former glory.

The Grade II-listed building in the heart of Oxford was set ablaze in April after a kitchen accident, causing millions of pounds of damage.

Since then the Beaumont Street hotel has remained clad in scaffolding after one of its Gothic roof turrets was almost completely gutted.

But now the Randolph’s parent company, Macdonald Hotels Ltd, has lodged plans to restore the roof as well as ambwitious new proposals to refurbish its kitchen and dining areas.

The firm said it wants to create a new “conservatory dining area” featuring a glass panel looking into a “theatre kitchen” and glass pane in the ceiling looking up to the outside of the hotel’s famous grand staircase.

It is hoped the work can be carried out at the same time as other, smaller projects already planned within the building, ahead of the 150th anniversary of its opening next year.

General manager Michael Grange said if permission for the schemes was given the scaffolding over the hotel’s facade could be down by October, with the rest of the internal work finished by next February.

He told the Oxford Mail: “It is very exciting that things are finally starting to progress.

“We have had a good summer so far despite all the problems we have had and now we are keen for things to get back to normal.

“These works will reinstate the very fine roof and we are also using the opportunity created by the fire damage to improve what we have in the kitchen and extend the restaurant area.

“We will also have a glass wall looking into the kitchen so you can see the food being prepared.

“It is something people are becoming more interested in and will be a lovely addition to our restaurant.”

In plans lodged with Oxford City Council, agent Mark Hitchmough of Street Design Partnership wrote: “The intention of this application is to improve the courtyard area as much as possible taking advantage of the opportunities granted by the fire that occurred.”

“Unsympathetic” features, such as metal air ducts currently attached to the outside of the grand staircase walls, would be moved elsewhere as part of the work, Mr Hitchmough told the city council.

The fire at the Randolph started on Friday, April 17 after flames were sucked up into a kitchen extractor fan while staff were flambéing beef in cognac.

It subsequently spread up the back of the building to the fourth floor, where significant damage was done to the roof.

The charred remains of the front turret were – from the outside – the only visible signs that the fire had taken place. Other areas affected included the ground floor kitchen, surrounding rooms and corridors, offices and a restaurant used by staff.