Project to list city heritage sites (From The Oxford Times)

Project to list city heritage sites

6:00pm Friday 20th January 2012 in News By Liam Sloan

Nick Worlledge, head of Oxford City Council’s heritage team, outside the Old Music Hall in Cowley Road Picture: OX49932 Antony Moore

THE much-loved buildings and spaces of East Oxford, Blackbird Leys, West Oxford and Summertown are to be cat-alogued to help protect them for the future.

English Heritage has given Oxford City Council £60,000 to create a register of “heritage assets”, including buildings, sculptures or open spaces which are not listed under planning law.

Members of the public are being urged to make their suggestions, with the project starting in East Oxford.

Colin Cook, the councillor responsible for city development, said: “While Oxford’s most famous historic buildings and places are protected as nationally designated heritage assets, the city contains many other buildings and places that are locally valued for their historic, archaeological, artistic or architectural interest.

“This register will provide recognition of these non- designated heritage assets and will help to ensure that when change is proposed, the decision-makers are aware of the significance of these assets, and the need to conserve them.”

Members of the community in East Oxford have started putting forward their suggestions.

Local historian Annie Skinner, who has written about Cowley Road, said: “East Oxford has a rich history but much of it is forgotten or hidden.

“On the Cowley Road, the Old Music Hall is an example of a building with such history, as is the O2 Academy which was once the Co-op Hall, and the Asian Cultural Centre is the only remaining part of the workhouse built in the 19th century to accommodate the city’s paupers.

“These are just three examples, there many others tucked away in the area.

“This is a great opportunity to put East Oxford heritage on the map.”

The Rev Adam Romanis, of SS Mary and John Church, said: “It is a very interesting project. We already have listed buildings and conservation areas, so the challenge is to think bigger and wider than that.

“We have all been invited to think in a much more creative way about our wider heritage.”

He said that symbols of Cowley Road’s multiculturalism or Manzil Way’s historical links to health care could be put forward.

Other buildings mentioned by Green councillors in East Oxford include The Old Boot Factory in St Mary’s Road, the Ruskin Art School in Bullingdon Road, and the Victoria Fountain at The Plain.

Nick Worlledge, who heads the council’s heritage team, said: “We’re looking for those places with architectural, historic, archaeological or artistic significance.

“Different people will have different views of what they think is important.

“We want to work with a group to thrash out some criteria that can help us identify those heritage assets.”

A “character statement” will describe the distinctive historic themes and characteristics of each neighbourhood, and the public will be asked to comment on the list of places to be included.

The East Oxford consultation is due to take place in April 2012.

For more information email planning@oxford.gov.uk