Oxford college purchases troubled derelict wharf

A University of Oxford college has purchased a derelict city centre wharf that has been left practically abandoned since the working boatyard closed in 1992.

Worcester College confirmed on Tuesday that it had acquired Jericho Wharf, in Oxford, from its previous owners - Cheer Team Corporation.

It said it was now "looking forward" to developing proposals for the site that would "meet the needs of both the College and the community".

Earlier this year, Oxford City Council said it was "exploring options to help bring forward" the development - including potentially issuing a Compulsory Purchase Order to acquire the wharf.

Various plans to redevelop Jericho Wharf have fallen by the wayside in the decades since the boatyard closed.

Planning permission was issued to the site's previous owner, Cornerstone Land, in 2022, but that has since expired.

On the news of its latest sale, Jericho Wharf Trust, which has campaigned for the the community-based redevelopment of the site, said it was "delighted".

"For the first time since 2013, when the derelict boatyard site was bought by Cheer Team, there is real hope it will be developed in the joint interests of its owner and of the people of Jericho," trustee David Edwards said.

Announcing Worcester's acquisition of the site, the college provost, the Very Rev Lord Isaac, said: "We are pleased to have secured this important site and look forward to exploring opportunities for its future in a way that reflects both the college's long-term needs and the interests of the wider community."

"Worcester College and its predecessors have been custodians of land in this part of Oxford for more than 700 years," he explained.

Lord Isaac said the college recognised that the wharf had been "the subject of considerable local discussion over many years" and that it was "committed" to engaging openly with locals before bringing forward any proposals.

"We want to ensure that any future development is of the highest quality and makes a positive contribution to Jericho and to Oxford," he said.

The college added that it would provide "further details" on its plans for the site "once we have completed meetings with relevant stakeholders".

BBC News has contacted Oxford City Council for a comment.