City planners have been instructed to issue a building preservation order to safeguard the historic Morrell's brewery.

The move by Oxford City Council's planning committee comes just days after the sale of the St Thomas Street site to a pub tycoon was announced.

The step is intended as a stop-gap measure to protect the brewery while English Heritage considers whether to list some or all of the building. If English Heritage decided against listing the site, the city council could be liable for financial penalties. But city councillors decided this was a risk worth taking.

Earlier this week it was announced that beer and burger tycoon Michael Cannon had bought Morrells Brewery for £48m. The deal will mean the closure of the historic Oxford brewery as in future beer will be produced on a contract basis outside Oxford.

Nuffield College, Oxford, has already confirmed it is interested in buying the brewery buildings.

Any quick sell-off of the 132 Morrells pubs around Oxfordshire has been ruled out by the new company.

Cllr Alan Pope told yesterday's planning committee(Wed): "Could I make it clear there some urgency about this? If English Heritage don't list the building there will be some financial cost to the council. However there has been a tremendous outcry from the public over saving these buildings."

Planning committee chairman Maureen Christian said: "We want to be very, very sure these buildings are safe."

The city's planning committee yesterday heard how a petition against the closure containing 5,714 signatures - 1,353 of them from local people - had been collected by the Campaign for Real Ale. Members voted unanimously to allow planning officers to issue a building preservation order when necessary.

Plans for a major new sports centre at St Edward's School on Woodstock Road, Oxford, have been recommended for approval by city councillors.

The committee voiced its support for the scheme after the applicant First Leisure Corporation agreed to contribute £10,000 towards improving facilities for cyclists and pedestrians in the area.

A final decision will now rest with full council.

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