A LISTED building used as a bank for decades will be used by an Oxford University hall if planning permission is granted.

Developers want to change 32-33/33A St Giles’ into rooms for Blackfriars, a permanent private hall of the university, which is already based in St Giles’.

Until last year, the building was used as a Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) bank.

Just 33 and 33A are Grade II listed by Historic England. The buildings are thought to date back from the late 18th or early 19th centuries.

It is thought RBS had used it since 1993. It had been a bank since the 1970s and other shops in the decades before.

Developers MEB Design said the buildings were ‘substantially renovated in the 1970s’. Only the front façade remained, while the ‘majority’ of the building was given a concrete frame.

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MEB Design stated: “The administration and facilities of Blackfriars Dominican Studium and Blackfriars University Hall are under increasing pressure due to a lack of space and logistical constraints of the existing building.

“As such the Dominican Council, Blackfriars plan to accommodate some of the facilities under pressure within 32-33 St Giles’, Oxford.

“The refurbishment will provide Blackfriars with the much-needed space to accommodate administration, individual tutorials and meetings, whilst facilitating the function, flow and communication between the various groups of Blackfriars community.”

To keep the design consistent with its surroundings, it said it will look to use painted timber sash windows to match those already there and new oak front doors.

MEB Design added: "We conclude that the proposed works will serve to preserve what is significant about the buildings and setting forming 32-33/33A St Giles’ and consider no degree of harm will be imposed upon the listed buildings.

"The outcome of the proposed refurbishment and long term use of the buildings by Blackfriars would be of public benefit."

Oxford City Council planning officers will be asked to make a decision on whether the allow the vast changes at the building.

Historic England first listed 33/33A in June 1972 and noted its Welsh slate roof.

In May 2018, RBS announced it was closing the St Giles' branch that November.

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Users of the bank were told to use NatWest branches instead.

RBS bosses said it closed the branch – along with many others across the country, resulting in hundreds of job losses – because people are using online banking rather than visiting them.

Blackfriars has 38 students, all who are 21-years-old and older, studying various theological subjects.

To see the plans for yourself on the city council website, visit its planning portal at oxford.gov.uk.

Use planning reference: 19/00438/LBC.