A ROW over new windows at an international school on a busy Oxford road will go to an appeal involving government inspectors.

New PVC windows have replaced aluminium ones at Oxford International College, at London Place just off St Clements.

The work was finished without planning permission from Oxford City Council.

Permission for the windows was refused earlier this year because council planners felt they were out of keeping with nearby listed buildings.

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But now the college’s boss has appealed against the city council’s refusal for the new plastic windows at the building, which is also known as Cherwell House.

Dr Mario Peters, governing body chair of the international college has appealed the decision, and an exchange of letters will now decide the fate of the windows.

A planning appeal submitted to the council refers to ‘retrospective’ permission to install the windows, meaning building work started before being signed off by the council.

Oxford Mail:

The college in 2018 before new windows were installed. Picture: Google Maps.

In a notice explaining why the new windows had been refused, the council’s head of planning Adrian Arnold said: “The replacement windows would be of a wholly inappropriate design which would increase the building’s incongruous and harmful impact to the detriment of the special character and appearance of the conservation area and the setting adjacent grade II listed buildings.”

Mr Arnold weighed the energy efficiency of the new windows against the way they would look, but said the insulation was not enough of a reason to install the windows so near to listed buildings.

There are Victorian gothic terraced houses, and large Georgian town houses on the same road as the college.

In an appeal letter, Dr Peters argued that the windows would not spoil the nearby area.

This, said his letter, was because Cherwell House is a modern building, and the new windows fit with its style.

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Oxford International College is a private college which teaches students between the ages of 15 and 18.

Many of its students come from China to study GCSEs and A-Levels with a view to enter UK universities.

The planning appeal will be considered by an inspector appointed by the government in the new year.

See planning reference 19/00825/FUL at Oxford City Council’s planning webpage for more information.