Former music venue in Oxford could be turned into a hotel

Z Hotels, who own properties in London, Bath and Glasgow, want to redevelop the Oxford Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre on the corner of Littlegate Street and Albion Place to create a “compact luxury” accommodation.

The proposal, which was submitted for approval to Oxford City Council, the planning authority, includes the refurbishment and repair of a grade II listed building and the conversion, refurbishment and repair of a former Baptist Chapel, both on Littegate Street.

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Side and rear extensions would also be demolished and a new four-storey extension would be built.  

The plans also include accessible car parking spaces with EV charging points and staff and guest cycle parking.

A design and access statement prepared by KPR Architects, on behalf of Z Hotels, said: “The scope of the project seeks to provide an affordable ‘compact luxury’ hotel accommodation for guests looking for a short stay in a prime central Oxford location.

“This proposal will deliver a high-quality hotel scheme that will contribute towards the vitality of Oxford City Centre whilst also being sensitive to the historic local context.

“The proposal will restore a rare surviving early building from Oxford’s historic St. Ebbe’s district, including the only standing remains of the Medieval Blackfriars Dominican Friary, placing it back in Oxford’s urban context and opening it up to the public.”

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Laura Warden, senior planner at Oxford Preservation Trust, said: “Great care should be taken to preserve, and enhance, the special character of this building and the role it plays within the conservation area.

“OPT have some reservations regarding the overall scale, size and massing of the proposed new building.”

Residents have also raised concerns about the loss of the site as a live music venue.

Aiden Canaday, who lives on Church Cowley Road, said: “The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre was one of Oxford's most popular, unique and accessible live music venues for a few years before it was sold off in 2020.

“If this could be brought back in any way it would be a massive community asset of cultural value reaching far and wide to many age groups and different groups of people all over the UK - a true breath of fresh air on the UK live music circuit and sorely missed.

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“Oxford city centre is losing its live musical heritage so quickly it's devastating and it seems all the building owners don't mind.”

Members of the council’s planning committee said the proposal would increase the provision of hotel accommodation which was lacking in the city centre, but failed to make a decision and decided to defer the application to a future meeting.

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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers. 

Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi