A FINAL decision on plans to transform a listed building in Oxford could be made by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles.

Oxford City Council is set to discuss Exeter College’s plans for the Grade II former Ruskin College building in Walton Street next week.

But planning officers have said the proposals should be referred to the Government because they would involve demolishing large parts of a listed building, whilekeeping the facade.

The city council says this is a “challenging” aspect of the proposal but that the building’s heritage value lies in its external appearance rather than in its interior.

A council report says: “The evidence submitted with the application explains the need to improve accessibility and upgrade the rooms to meet modern standards and that to work with the existing internal structure would mean in reality that what would be left would hold little value, but also that the scheme’s viability would be under threat.

“As a consequence, what is proposed is the complete removal of the existing internal structure and its replacement with a new frame and floor structure.”

The building has been empty since Ruskin moved to Old Headington last year. Exeter College wants to create student accommodation, teaching rooms, a lecture theatre and cafe at the building it bought for £7m in 2010.

Numerous objections have been received from heritage bodies including the Ancient Monuments Society, The Victorian Society, the Georgian Group and the Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society.

City councillors will be asked on Tuesday to refer the plans to Mr Pickles, meaning a decision will only be made after the application has been cleared by him.