ABOUT JERICHO - PLANNING
Grantham house has been bought with finance from the Iconic Assets Heritage Acquisition Fund – an Asian-based fund established to acquire real estate with ‘significant historic, iconic or culturally important attributes’. Oxford firm, Riach Architects will be working on the redesign of the building which will have 29 residential units. This could include a new, ‘green’ roof.
Douglas Riach says: “The existing building envelope will be thermally upgraded with the introduction of modern glazing systems and an insulated external render system to over-clad the tired existing brickwork.This brings the opportunity to add colour as per the adjacent Observatory Street and Plantation Road.” The purchase was arranged by property entrepreneur Johnny Sandelson. His intention, for which he will shortly be applying for planning permission, is to “create a modern feature building that will provide vibrancy and vitality.” The Council says that proceeds from the sale of the site will be invested in affordable housing, with Jericho having first refusal.
Who has a car?
According to the 2001 Census, only 47% of Jericho households have a car compared with 67% for Oxford as a whole.
Where the community centre came from?
The centre was built at the end of the 19th century as the Church Institute for St. Barnabas.