Since September 2023, the College has restricted access to various areas within the College due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the College’s roof structures, principally the original Arne Jacobsen site. This included the Kitchen, Dining Hall, JCR, SCR, Administration Block, Wolfson Library, the Bernard Sunley Building and the top floor of the Accommodation Blocks Staircases 1 to 16.

St Catherine’s College is pleased to announce that the Planning and Listed Building Consent Application to address the use of RAAC in several of its Grade I listed buildings has been approved by the Oxford City Council. In October 2024, the College signed a construction contract with Beard to begin the remediation works.

What solution is being proposed?

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The Planning and Listed Building Consent Application, which was developed after an extensive pre-application process with Oxford City Council, Historic England, Twentieth Century Society and the Historic Parks and Gardens Trust, proposes the replacement of the affected roof structures to ensure the longevity of the College site by mitigating harm and preserving its iconic Jacobsen design.

The remediation plan will begin with the Kitchen, JCR, SCR, Dining Hall, followed by the Bernard Sunley Building and Library, all forming the initial phase of the project, with works scheduled to commence in August. A second phase will commence later to address remediation of the Accommodation blocks, to Listed Building Consent and planning permission.

To read the specifics of the proposals, please see the Design and Access Statement and Heritage Statement.

The notices of grant of listed building consent can be viewed here:

24/01326/FUL

24/01327/LBC

The original applications are available to read on the Oxford City Council planning portal:

24/01326/FUL | Alterations to roof and associated internal and external works including partial replacement of glazing, roof plant and refurbishments

24/01327/LBC | Alterations to roof and associated internal and external works including partial replacement of glazing, roof plant and refurbishments. Upgrade to mechanical and electrical services on the Bernard Sunley Building, Library, JCR, SCR and Dining Hall. Associated landscaping repairs and biodiversity enhancements

What is the timeline for proposed works?

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St Catherine’s College is very pleased to announce that it has signed a construction contract to replace roof structures comprising “Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete” (RAAC) in the grade 1 listed Arne Jacobsen buildings. The College was pleased to receive planning permission from the Oxford City Council on 30 July 2024 and have since been collaborating with Beard Construction to execute the work, to bring the buildings back into operational use.

The initial work, to be completed by Beard over the next three months, involves erecting scaffolding to provide temporary roofing structures, and to provide internal protection to the historic fabric that the structures comprise. The first building to be remediated will be the single-storey Junior Common Room, Senior Common Room, Administration Offices and the Kitchen. It is expected that the removal of RAAC will commence early in the New Year, with the roof replacement beginning from March 2025, and the buildings ready for use by July 2025. The College Dining Hall will follow, with expectation that it will be available from November 2025, and the Bernard Sunley Building is expected to be ready by January 2026. The College continues to explore the feasibility of re-roofing the Wolfson Library, with the Student Accommodation rooms to follow in due course, as funding permits.

Who is involved?

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The project has gone through a robust planning process involving many partners. These include:

Project Manager and Cost Consultant: AtkinsRéalis
Architect: Oxford Architects
Consultant Architect to the College: Pendery Architecture & Heritage
Planning and Heritage Consultant: Edgars
Landscape Architect: Colvin & Mogridge
Services Engineer: Ingleton Wood
Structural Engineer: AKS Ward
Kitchen Designer: Bentley Consulting
Ecology Consultant: MKA Ecology
Aboricultural Consultant: Tree Frontiers
Building Contractors: Beard Construction
Oxford City Council
Historic England
Twentieth Century Society
The Historic Parks and Gardens Trust
St Catherine’s College Governing Body

Is College still open?

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Yes, St Catherine’s College is still open as a functioning, lively college thanks to the hard work of our on-site teams. We have installed a number of temporary structures, including a Dining Hall, Lecture Theatre and Seminar Suites and JCR, alongside conducting extensive remedial work to keep our iconic staircases open.

What can I do to help?

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The College will soon be announcing a major capital campaign to address the costs of the remediation project. For more information, or to discuss opportunities to support the campaign and associated naming opportunities, please contact Director of Development, Anna Fowler:

anna.fowler@stcatz.ox.ac.uk

last updated 24 October, 2024