Historic site threatened with destruction
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have declined to give listed status to the Walter Bodmer building, a former biochemistry lab dating from 1884. The decision came despite recommendations from English Heritage to preserve the building and leaves the building open to any amount of construction work Oxford University are consequently planning to build a large science block next door to it.
A planning application was lodged with the City Council, who supported the university’s application to commence construction. The University claim they had no influence over the Department’s decision. A spokeswoman said, “Decisions about whether to list building are a matter for the DCMS, and so any query related to such discussions are a matter for that department.” English Heritage unanimously voted to list the building on both historical and architectural grounds.
They said, “Listing the Walter Bodmer building need not preclude the provision of a world class science facility”. The building is a rare example of Victorian gothic archicture, named after the Principal of Hertford College, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and located adjacent to the University Parks. English Heritage called it “an early example of an Oxford science laboratory built when education was undergoing many changes.
A July 2005 report said, “Any application for demolition should be accompanied by further research on the full significance of the Walter Bodmer Building and the science area to increase understanding of its importance.” Only 23 buildings on Oxford High Street are not listed. English Heritage argued that the building’s historic significance meritted official acknowledgment of its status as a “building of special interest”.
4th May 2006