Dons at the Prime Minister’s former college face the prospect of toastier post-dinner conversations – with council planners asked to greenlight new radiators for their senior common room.

Agents for Lincoln College, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s alma mater and the college where the father of Methodism John Wesley once served as a fellow, have submitted a planning application for changes to the fellows’ common room.

Among the changes proposed by Chadwick Town Planning are the removal of a ‘tubular heater’ and redundant gas fire fixings, and the installation of two radiators.

Duncan Chadwick, acting for the Turl Street college, said some of the panelling in the Grade I listed senior common room had ‘dropped and is coming away from the external wall’.

As well as repairing the loose panelling, the fellows hoped to carry out ‘minor improvements’ to the heating and lighting in the common room.

In a statement largely welcoming the repairs to the historic common room, Dr Anya Lucas of heritage organisation the Georgian Group described it as an ‘important’ interior by master carpenter Arthur Frogley dating back to 1684.

Although welcoming the ‘much needed’ repair works, she said the ‘traditional style cast iron radiators’ proposed by the architects were ‘more prominent than the tubular heating’.

“Given the great care that is being taken to conserve the interior this seems unfortunate. We wonder if an alternative, less visually intrusive heating solution might be found?” Dr Lucas said.

The planning application was submitted to Oxford City Council earlier this month.