Proposal:
Application number 24/01520/FUL. Erection of a Garden Room extension to the Old Kitchen Bar. Alterations to levels on the River Terrace. Formation of new entrance steps to east elevation. Installation of Air Source Heat Pumps and Ground Source Heat Pump and associated works. Alterations to fenestration, roof, external pipework and landscaping.
Magdalen College, High Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4AU
Our Response:
OPT does not object in principle to the proposed development and welcomes many aspects of the scheme. Nevertheless, OPT cannot support the application in its current form, because of:
- the extent and impact of significant modifications to Grade I and Grade II listed buildings;
- the impact of the proposed new building on the setting and views from Addison’s walk and from the north;
- the impact of the proposed scheme on the character and appearance of the Central Oxford Conservation Area.
The proposal involves considerable modifications (including demolition) to historic fabric in Grade I- and Grade II-listed buildings. The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) provides a thorough, detailed and useful account of the complex evolution of a set of buildings which have been adapted for changing use over many centuries. It demonstrates that – in many cases – the level of harm is less than substantial and that it is mitigated by conservation, sustainability and accessibility benefits and by improvements to the riverside public realm.
There are some exceptions, however, where OPT considers the impact to be understated. These are as follows:
The Old Kitchen
5.3.1.1 ‘The covering up of the greater part of the existing north gable of the medieval kitchen would cause a low level of less than substantial harm’
The north gable of the medieval kitchen, although much modified, preserves the shape and scale of the 15th-century building. Although much of the masonry has been restored, the significance of the elevation is therefore high. It will be completely hidden by the new building (see comments below), an impact which OPT considers to constitute substantial harm.
The Gothicks
The proposed scheme involves considerable modifications (including demolition) to The Gothicks, an unusual and interesting Grade 2-listed building which, despite its various adaptations over the years, is a rare survival.
5.3.1.2 ‘On the east elevation, the harm to significance arising from modifications to the fenestration is moderated by the fact that the small windows were not a part of the original design, being introduced in the 1880s’
The proposed amalgamation and enlargement of the small windows of The Gothicks to form French windows will result in a major change to the east elevation. The windows, each installed to light a toilet cubicle, speak – in their number, configuration and scale – to the building’s historic purpose. Their ‘late’ introduction (over 150 years ago!) is illustrative of evolving expectations for personal comfort. Their design is in keeping with the windows of the surrounding historic buildings. Their replacement with large French windows represents, in OPT’s view, substantial harm to the historic fabric.
5.3.1.2 ‘…harm arising from the demolition of the former privacy screen on the west side of the building is moderated both by the fact that the structure is not part of the original design, and also by the fact that it has been much modified.’
The privacy screen, although not part of the 1783 design and build, was added only a few decades later. Like the small windows of the east elevation, it speaks to the building’s original purpose and to the college’s changing sensibilities. Although much modified, it is a significant structure for these reasons. OPT considers its demolition to constitute substantial harm.
The Settings of Designated Heritage Assets
5.3.1.4 ‘… (the impact on the setting of The Gothicks is) less than substantial…. the impact on the setting of the East Range of Cloister Quad is neutral or positive ….The effect on the setting of the old kitchen is judged to be neutral, or at the low end of less than substantial…. In views from the east .. the new building would be minimally visible … and …. would not cause harm to the character and appearance of the wide Central Oxford Conservation Area’
OPT cannot agree with these assessments. Although the continuation of the historic ranges is welcome, the proposed gable end of the new building is compromised by the presence of two very large dormer windows. These result in a building which effectively terminates as a bulky square, a mass which obscures the view of the historic roofs beyond and has a detrimental impact on the adjacent listed buildings.
OPT also considers that the proposed glazing would itself harm the setting. The large expanses of uninterrupted glass, without glazing bars, would have a detrimental impact on the external envelope of the college, as viewed from the publicly accessible land along Addison’s Walk and from the north. OPT therefore considers that the presence of the dormers and the proposed glazing scheme constitutes substantial harm.
The dormer windows and re-fenestrated east elevation of The Gothicks will be visible from the east. OPT therefore considers that the scheme would cause harm to the character and appearance of the Central Oxford Conservation Area.
Oxford Preservation Trust would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss these points in a pre-application consultation. We would be very pleased to engage in a constructive dialogue with the applicants, in order to resolve them.