‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap’: Angry Oxford locals quote Dolly Parton in protest at conservation area workers’ cottage turned into ultra-modern copper-clad yoga studio
- Oxford yoga instructor James Pritchard had studio plans approved back in 2019
- Neighbours have objected to design and concept since plans were submitted
- Critics say modern design is not in keeping with the historic conservation area
Angry neighbours in Oxford have resorted to quoting Dolly Parton in a row over a new yoga studio they say will cause irreparable damage to the historic conservation area.
The copper-clad studio, which is still under construction, sits in the middle of a row of Victorian cottages in the desirable neighbourhood of Osney Island, Oxford.
Plans, put forward by experienced yoga instructor James Pritchard, were initially approved in 2019 before minor changes were given the go-ahead this February by Oxford City Council.
Mr Pritchard, who also runs a free directory for yoga instructors in the area, says the copper façade was chosen because it will mean the building will eventually ‘disappear’ into the background once the material ages.
He told MailOnline it was council officials who insisted the design was modern and that previous designs had been more in keeping with the existing row of houses.
It’s a marked departure from the traditional mid-19th century brick dwellings and sash windows either side which sell for in excess of £650,000.
And, in a long-running planning dispute, immediate neighbours have not been shy about expressing their contempt for the development.
Angry neighbours in Oxford have resorted to quoting Dolly Parton in a row over a new yoga studio (pictured) they say will cause irreparable damage to the historic conservation area
Pictured: One playfully passive aggressive sign in the window of a neighbouring property in East Street, Oxford, quotes Dolly Parton, stating: ‘It takes a lot of money to look this cheap.’
A printed A4 sheet now pinned in the window of the house immediately to the right of the new building carries a quote attributed to Dolly Parton: ‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.’
The playfully passive-aggressive poster is the work of one next-door neighbour, who coyly told MailOnline: ‘Perhaps it’s a comment on my own house!
‘It’s good for discussion. As soon as I put it up, people would stop and talk about it. You can hear gasping – people stand on the towpath and discuss it.
‘The poster is there for people to make up their own minds and decide for themselves.’
The two-storey studio in East Street replaced a dilapidated workshop with a garage entrance which was demolished to make way for the new modern building.
Neighbours have been vocal about their objections ever since the plans were submitted with critics saying it would disturb the street’s peaceful environment.
Osney Island, in the heart of the city of Oxford, is a designated historic conservation area
Before: the new yoga studio has replaced a dilapidated workshop with a garage entrance
The most prominent complaint raised is that the design is not in keeping with the surrounding area, a fact planners disagreed with when they approved it, stating it provided an ‘important break’ in the street scene.
James, who has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years, said the council’s conservation officers insisted the design was modern and that the copper façade was chosen so that it would eventually blend in with the neighbouring red brickwork.
Speaking to MailOnline, he said: ‘The idea is that the building sort of disappears a bit – it’s shiny now but is very quickly mellowing and it’s set back from the road to give it a low profile.’
The 68-year-old, who says the centre is being created to bring the large yoga community in Oxford together, said that when plans went in, there was a lot of supportive feedback.
He added: ‘The neighbours were quite split. When the application went in there were as many people giving positive feedback but they didn’t get as much publicity.
Experienced yoga instructor James Pritchard had plans approved for a studio back in 2019
‘The immediate neighbours weren’t as happy but there wasn’t a lot we could do about it.’
When finished, the studio will include a ground floor with a staff room, toilets, changing rooms and cycle storage, and a second floor to be used for yoga practice with a large window looking out onto the river.
It has also been designed to be eco-friendly, with solar electricity and battery storage technology.
Another neighbour of the studio is retired vicar Vernon Orr, who campaigned against the development before planning permission was granted.
He said: ‘I pray for the owners every day. I don’t want to make enemies and I wish them well.
‘We are a very happy lot here and we’re blessed with our street, but we were surprised by the [planning] decision.
‘This is a great street – Oxford’s best residential street, we think. It’s a free country and the council, the owner and everybody in authority seems to think it’s an acceptable development.’
Mr Pritchard plans to operate the studio from 7am to 9.30pm during the week and 9am to 5pm at weekends with a maximum of 25 people on site at any one time.
Original plans had already been controversially approved back in 2019. At the time of the planning consultation one local resident said it would ‘change the nature of [East Street] forever’.
Council officers said complaints about the design of the studio (pictured) and concerns raised over its impact on the area did not amount to reason enough to refuse the planning application
More than 30 objections were sent to the council in 2019, with 24 received in favour of the development.
Designer and neighbour Bianca Elgar, said at the time: ‘It [the new building] will disturb the lovely peaceful life here on Osney.
‘There’ll be constant coming and going from 7.30am until past 9pm seven days a week.
‘People will be gathering outside to chat before they can go in.’
Meanwhile Mr Orr said: ‘To knock down [the current building] and replace it with a two-storey house or studio is wrong.
‘The design is very unusual. It’s copper-cladded, chocolate-coloured with the most unusual placement of windows and doors.’
The studio is a marked departure from the traditional mid-19th century brick dwellings (pictured right) and sash windows either side of it which sell for in excess of £650,000
When approving the plans, council officers said they considered ‘that the proposal would accord with the special character and appearance of the conservation area’.
They said the objections did not amount to a reason for refusal.
Mr Pritchard, who taught classes at his home with his wife before the pandemic, says he hopes to open in December.
He added: ‘This is our first public studio and we’re building it for the yoga community – not for us. We want it to be a centre for the community for decades to come.
‘It’s not just a studio – there will be a social space and it will be run by a charity so there will be outreach activities as well, bringing yoga to the wider community.’
He says the objectives are to foster a community of practice in Oxford, sharing knowledge and teaching, and to bring deeper understanding and application of all aspects of yoga and its sister sciences.
Mr Pritchard also hopes the centre will ‘cultivate initiatives to bring the benefits of yoga for physical, psychological and spiritual health to a wider community’.
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