Graduate Accommodation Plans Approved

25 May 2023

Hertford College is very pleased that Oxford City Council has approved a planning application to develop a plot of land between the Winchester and Banbury Roads in north Oxford.  The application is a joint application with the University to provide much-needed accommodation for students undertaking graduate study at Oxford University as well as  a hub building providing recreational space and a café in the northern part of the site and a departmental building in the south west.  All of the buildings are designed to adhere to high standards of energy and water use and to complement and be subservient to the Victorian villas along the site boundary.  We are very conscious of the special nature of the conservation area and the design retains the sense of leafy gardens behind the houses through retention of high-value trees and new planting.

We are grateful to our partners and consultants in the design study and proposal, including Niall McLaughlin architects, Carter Jonas, Gleeds, Max Fordham  and others as well as our colleagues in the University of Oxford for their contributions and advice and we look forward to a high-quality development that will enhance the student experience in due course.  We are especially grateful to alumnus John Porter who is providing funding for the Hertford development through his charitable foundation, but are saddened that he did not live to see the fruits of his generosity.

We are conscious that any building work will have some impact on our neighbours. We are committed to working with the local community to understand concerns as work progresses, and to keep any disruption to the minimum possible.