A leading conservationist is calling for the preservation of the Oxford home that once belonged to renowned Victorian photographer Henry Taunt.

Tony Joyce, chairman of Oxford Civic Society, is anxious that Canterbury House in Cowley Road, currently used as offices, is not demolished once the Oxford Bus Company moves its headquarters to Watlington Road.

Canterbury HouseWhen the firm moves, 220 new Berkeley homes and a number of business units will be built on the site, and there are no plans to save the Victorian building - which has historic links to Mr Taunt.

The photographer, who died aged 80 in 1922, captured the splendour and elegance of Oxford and left a legacy of about 60,000 glass negatives. Many were destroyed or recycled for use in greenhouses, but some survived to give a flavour of the city's past and became popular picture postcard scenes.

Mr Joyce said: "The building has no distinguishing physical qualities which would allow it to have listed building status.

"Council officers are not objecting to its demolition and I think there needs to be a rethink.

Bus firm commercial manager Phil Clark said: "Once we sell the site, it is not up to us what happens to Canterbury House."

Berkeley Homes was unavailable for comment.