The new owner of the historic Morrells brewery site is seeking planning approval for 98 homes, writes Reg Little.

Developer T.H. Kingerlee and Sons has pledged to restore "familiar and valued buildings" on the prime site in St Thomas' Street, Oxford.

It has also promised to restore the famous ironwork entrance gate, while the landmark brewery chimney will be retained to "reflect the site's industrial heritage".

Kingerlee said residential development is the only realistic option and added that new buildings would be modelled on the scale and style of the original brewery. However, the developer said some buildings, not recognised as having intrinsic cultural merit by the Government, would be demolished. Company chairman Jonathan Kingerlee said: "Whilst it has been recognised that the buildings forming the brewery have little, if any architectural merit, their scale and character are of importance to the neighbourhood."

A planning application has now been submitted to Oxford City Council. A public exhibition will be held in the New Road Baptist Chapel on Saturday, January 22, between 10am and 2pm, and on Wednesday, January 26, from 4pm until 8pm. The company expects the scheme, featuring one, two and three-bedroom flats, apartments and houses, to be completed in 18 months.

City council planning committee chairman Maureen Christian had earlier expressed concern that housing was being proposed on an employment site.

Beer ceased to be brewed at the Lion brewery more than a year ago.

Story date: Wednesday 29 December

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.