Heritage 'loses out' at city castle site

Colin Cook, the council's executive member for planning, spoke out as councillors agreed the latest series of amendments -- including an increase in hotel beds from 72 to 87 -- to the planning application by the county council and the Trevor Osborne Group.

The strategic development control committee approved the latest revisions, but Mr Cook abstained.

It emerged at the meeting that public funding for the project, off New Road, has now increased from about £5m to £8m.

Malmaison has won a deal to run a hotel in the former Oxford Prison's A wing, and there will also be several restaurants. The scheme includes plans for a heritage centre run by Oxford Preservation Trust, and for a shop and information centre, but these buildings have been switched to the Tidmarsh Lane side because North Range is needed for restaurant and hotel use.

The historic treadwheel building is to be used as a security office and a base for CCTV cameras.

Mr Cook asked that the treadwheel building should only be used as an office for two years and could then be returned to public use, but this was not accepted.

His second amendment, that there should be a five-metre wide access open at all times in Paradise Street, was approved.

Mr Cook said: "This was always going to be a balance between the heritage uses and commercial uses.

"At one point I thought we had the balance right, but there have been a lot of changes since then and that has led to an increase in commercial uses.

"I think there have been a considerable number of losses to the community."

Developer Trevor Osborne said after the meeting that he was disappointed.

He added: "Mr Cook has made a grave error because the heritage and education facilities are three times the size of what was originally proposed.

"We've been badly delayed in trying to get these details resolved and we'll now work hard to make up the time."

He hoped that the site could still open by Christmas 2004.