New plan to revitalise old riverside building (From The Oxford Times)

New plan to revitalise old riverside building

2:00pm Friday 11th January 2013 in News

A DILAPIDATED building in Oxford’s Hythe Bridge Street could soon be turned into a hostel.

Over the years there have been a number of attempts to redevelop the building on the corner of Upper Fisher Row, facing the Castle Mill Stream, but they have either been refused or withdrawn.

Now the owner, Summit Land Investments Ltd, is hoping to turn the building into a hostel with 12 rooms for short stay accommodation.

Neil Warner, the agent dealing with the planning application, said: “Granting planning permission would bring the vacant building back into beneficial use and in doing so improve the somewhat neglected building to the benefit of the appearance of the area.

“It is in a very suitable location within easy walking distance of the main transport hubs within the city and at the end of one of the main arterial routes into the centre.”

Over the past five years various plans have been put forward to redevelop the site, including knocking the building down and putting up nine flats.

At the moment, some rooms in the house are let but there have been times when the building, the former headquarters of the Oxford Archaeological Unit, has stood empty.

No date has yet been set for Oxford City Council to consider the application.