Chapter 5: Oxford’s Historic Environment
Chapter 5: Contents
Enhancing Oxford’s heritage
5.1. Designated heritage assets are protected by statutory legislation. The management of change to them is controlled and guided by national, Government planning policies as well as by local (Local Plan) planning policies and by national and local planning guidance that supports the objectives of those planning policies. Policy DH3 sets out that development proposals and proposals for alterations and changes to heritage assets should not cause harm to the significance, including the setting of a designated heritage asset (listed buildings, registered parks and gardens, scheduled ancient monuments and conservation areas).
5.2. Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ programme identifies the heritage assets that are most at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay, or inappropriate development across England. There are three heritage assets in Oxford identified as being at risk according to Heritage England (Table 24). The Minchery Farmhouse in Littlemore currently in the level C priority category has been added since the last monitoring report. Previous monitoring reports have referenced the application for redevelopment of the Grade II listed Church of the Holy Family (20/00688/LBC), which has not been determined. The third heritage asset refers to the Church of St Thomas the Martyr which was in the highest priority category, but is now priority D as a solution is agreed but not yet implemented.
| Heritage Asset | Condition | Priority Category |
|---|---|---|
| Church of St Thomas the Martyr, St Thomas Street | Poor | D – Slow decay; solution agreed but not yet implemented. (Previously A) |
| Church of the Holy Family, Blackbird Leys | Very bad | A - Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric; no solution agreed |
| Minchery Farmhouse, Littlemore - Oxford | Poor | C - Slow decay; no solution agreed |
5.3. The National Planning Policy Framework requires that local planning authorities should make information about the significance of the historic impact gathered as part of the development management process publicly accessible. As one of the ways to meet this requirement, the City Council produces Archaeological Annual Monitoring Statements which provides a short overview of the scope and impact of development-led archaeology in Oxford.
