Conservation body English Heritage has agreed that Morrells' historic Lion Brewery in Oxford should not be knocked down.

Oxford city planners said this week that a preservation order protecting the buildings from demolition or major alteration had been drawn up and signed but not served.

Linda Wride, the city council's head of planning conservation and control, told members of the planning committee: "The English Heritage news is good. We've sent them photos and historical information and they do think there are buildings worthy of protection and we've got in hand the process of getting spot listing."

She added that the preservation order would not be dated unless there was a direct threat to the buildings, in which case it would be served immediately.

"All we have to do is post the notice on the site but I'm happy to report that the threat seems to be receding," she said.

"There have been reassurances from the brewery's solicitors we've had a letter saying they will keep the council informed on the progress of the sale and let us have the identity of potential purchasers." The city council is also keen to extend Oxford's central conservation area to include the brewery and possibly other buildings in the St Thomas Street area.

Committee chairman Maureen Christian said: "The whole area merits conservation area status. We have a policy of extending conservation areas and we should welcome that particular move.

"It is also very encouraging that English Heritage are pleased to ascribe merit to the brewery buildings, which I think are quite splendid myself. We should be able to protect them with their help."

Ken Hodgson, chief executive and chairman of Morrells Brewery, told the Oxford Mail: "We are pleased that the planning committee has agreed it is not necessary to serve a building preservation notice on the Lion Brewery.

"We have given a number of assurances to the council concerning the future of the property and the committee obviously felt these were sufficient to meet their concerns."

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