Concerns have been raised over plans to sell the council-owned 11 New Road to St Peter’s College for student accommodation, as a petition opposing the sale passes 500 signatures.
A petition opposing the proposed sale of a council-owned building in central Oxford has passed 500 signatures, as businesses operating from the property have raised concerns about their future.
Oxford City Council has agreed to sell 11 New Road to St Peter’s College, subject to planning permission for the proposed redevelopment of the site.
The college is seeking permission to replace the existing building with student accommodation. The planning application, reference 26/01994/FUL, is open for public consultation until 27 October.
The proposed sale has prompted objections from businesses currently operating from the building, including American Nails, which occupies space on the first floor.
Thu Do, who owns American Nails, said she had invested in expanding the business this summer, including new equipment, before learning that the council was considering selling the premises.
“I am now finally starting to build up the business,” she said, describing the proposed sale as a shock after years of disruption during the Covid pandemic.
Do said she had been notified of the impending sale only days before the council’s cabinet considered the matter, and less than two hours before the deadline to submit an address to the meeting. She also raised concerns about the security of her tenancy.
According to Do, she had been placed on a tenancy-at-will agreement after being approached by a council officer about signing a new lease. She said she has since been offered a five-year lease containing a landlord break clause allowing the agreement to be ended with six months’ notice.
“I would therefore request that this application be rejected unless I am given some kind of security going forward,” she said.
The council’s scrutiny committee was previously told that businesses remaining on the ground floor would have security in their contracts, although the arrangements would provide greater flexibility to take account of the property’s proposed future use.
Other independent workers operating from the premises have also expressed concern about the potential impact.
Viviane Fallah, a massage therapist working from American Nails, said losing access to the premises would affect the independent workers based there.
“We are independent workers, and not having access to the nail bar is detrimental to us all working here,” she said.
Fallah said she had invested considerable time and money in advertising and promoting her services.
The proposed sale has also attracted opposition through a petition calling for the existing businesses to remain at 11 New Road. It had attracted 505 signatures at the time of writing.
The council’s decision to sell the building is conditional on planning permission being granted. The planning application will therefore provide a further opportunity for the future of the site to be considered.
Members of the public can submit comments on application 26/01994/FUL until 27 October.
