Jesus College have submitted a planning application to transform property in the city centre into student accommodation. The site is between Pret a Manger and WHS Smith and the ground floor and basement will still be available for commercial use. The completed project aims to provide the college with an additional 14 rooms for students to live in.
The new student accommodation site was previously occupied by a Burger King until it was shut down in early 2023, shortly after receiving a one-star hygiene rating. Project surveyor Mike Sheppard wrote in a report to city council planners that: “the cessation of the Burger King operation has provided a catalyst to secure an efficient use for the property into the future.”
Jesus College’s Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 seeks to make use of vacant properties. In the planning statement for the new property, the college cited the increase in the growing student population as reason for building new student accommodation. Jesus is one of the colleges which provide students with accommodation for the full duration of undergraduate courses.
The first and second floors of the new construction will accommodate three students each, whilst the third and fourth will each accommodate four, and all rooms are to be ensuite. The fifth floor is intended to be a plants and services room. There will be no private bike storage associated with the accommodation but students living there will have access to other college bike facilities.
A nationwide shortage in student housing has impacted Oxford students, with some Oxford undergraduates in 2023 having to queue for up to 24 hours in order to secure housing.
In recent years, Jesus college has taken other measures to expand its student accommodation, including the Cheng Yu Tung building, which opened in October 2022, and can also be found on Cornmarket Street. As a result of its renewable energy technology, including round source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, and a heat recovery and cooling system, it is one of the city centre’s first zero carbon buildings. The Cheng Yu Tung building is also a part of the college’s Sustainability Strategy Plan, which aligns with the University’s net zero carbon target by 2035.
