NEWS ITEM

Individual views

In addition to the parties legally represented at the appeal, many individuals also expressed opposition to Spring’s proposal

Posted - September 02, 2008 “This development would do violence to the relationship between St Barnabas and the surrounding vernacular architecture: the mass, scale and architectural design would physically dominate the western approach to, and views of, St Barnabas and Jericho. The church, which is iconic of Jericho, would be largely obscured. This is an ‘anywhere’ design: it is uninspired and absolutely unworthy of this historic quarter of Oxford. Jonathan Beswick, Vicar of St. Barnabas. "Along the canal now, too many stretches have become canyons of unsympathetic blocks; the area around the Castle Mill boatyard is one of the few remaining parts that have not been blighted with buildings that are too big, too impersonal, too obstructive. I fear that this plan by Spring will repeat all those faults, and destroy one of the last remaining stretches of rich human complexity in our city. On a site that was already surrounded by modern buildings on that scale, no doubt Spring's plan would fit in perfectly. Here it does not." Philip Pullman, author "The Jericho boatyard has sustained narrowboats which have provided low-impact, affordable, socially diverse housing for the canal workers going back to the early nineteenth century. Oxford is England's Venice, its Florence. Imagine the authorities in Venice - the 'Serene Republic' - being presented with Castlemore Securities' Blocks A, B and C. They'd be laughed out of court for hatching something so inappropriate and might count themselves fortunate not to find horses' heads on their pillows. If Oxford continues to be nibbled away at and is then finally turned into a Brent Cross Shopping Centre its magic will never come round again." Heathcote Williams, actor and author