A LOFT conversion which would allow a university college to pack in five extra students could lead to the ‘serious disfigurement’ of a Victorian building.

Linacre College, a graduate college and part of Oxford University, wants to build new student rooms on the second floor and in the loft of its redbrick Victorian block, the OC Tanner building, on St Cross Road.

But a group of architecture experts and enthusiasts have said the planning application, which includes installing 13 skylights, would destroy historical features of the building and make it look worse.

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And in his statement to Oxford City Council, Peter Howell of the Victorian Group of the Oxford Architectural and Historical Society added that the building should be listed.

A planning document written on behalf of the college by consultancy Edgars said that five new student bedrooms would be created in total.

One would be added to the second floor and four more would be built in the loft of the building so more students can live in college-owned accommodation.

Oxford Mail:

A flat roof would be added into the middle of the loft area as well, to give students living in the bedrooms on the top floor more room to stand up and move around.

There would also be a shared kitchen and bathrooms, as well as a new staircase into the loft.

The college said it did not consider there to be any damage done to the building, because most of the work involved changes indoors.

But the Oxford Architectural and Historical Society said the building, though not listed, should be preserved as it was designed by Basil Champneys, a famous Victorian architect.

The statement from Mr Howell on behalf of the society said: “The numerous rooflights which this application proposes for the Champneys building, including on the principal elevation to St Cross Road… would be a serious disfigurement.”

Oxford Mail:

A design drawing highlighting the new skylights. Picture: Gray Baynes + Shew via Oxford City Council

The history experts also criticised the register of listed buildings in Oxford as being incomplete for not including the OC Tanner building.

Their statement said: “The fact that this is not a listed building is evidence of the shockingly inadequate state of the Oxford list.”

Oxford City Council’s new Local Plan calls for the university and Oxford Brookes to make sure most of their students live in their own accommodation.

This, it is hoped, will leave private rental homes and flats available to other members of the public and help address the city’s housing crisis.

The college’s planning document said: “The provision of additional student accommodation will further support both Linacre College’s and the wider university’s need to reduce the number of students living outside university provided accommodation.”

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In its application, Linacre College said converting the loft so it could be used for student accommodation would also follow guidance from the city council to make efficient use of space.

The college application also said there was no need to add new cycle parking, as the five new student rooms could use the existing cycle storage area outside the building.

Basil Champneys designed several buildings for Oxford University colleges in the late Victorian era and the early 20th century.

As well as the OC Tanner building, these included Oriel College’s Rhodes Building on the High, the old Indian Institute on Broad Street and Sommerville College Library on Woodstock Road.

For more information about the planning application, see the Oxford City Council planning web pages at oxford.gov.uk/planning and search reference 20/00822/FUL