Plans have been submitted to refurbish the inside of a well-known city centre venue which closed around 18 months ago.

The Jam Factory in Hollybush Row shut down in September 2022 after an agreement was unable to be reached between the company and the landlords following “considerable and prolonged negotiations, calculations and reflection”.

Co-owners, and siblings, Claire Gaskell and Andrew Norton said they were “broken-hearted” when announcing the closure after trading for nearly two decades.

Located in the historic Victorian factory, which was once home to Oxford Frank Cooper’s Marmalade, the arts venue, bar and restaurant was well-known in the city for being proudly independent.

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Last year, the Thirst Bar had been granted permission by the Oxford City Council to host live music events despite a University of Oxford College putting forward noise objections.

Now plans have been submitted for an internal refurbishment of the Grade II listed building that has “suffered from a lack of maintenance”  with documents saying it requires “extensive” work.

Despite the condition of the building being described as “generally good”, there has been deterioration from water getting inside the building, according to planners.

The proposals seek to address these issues by renovating the premises, including the replacement of its windows and doors.

The existing roof membrane would also be replaced and slates used to match the rest of the existing roof.

This would prevent further water from getting into the site and help to insulate the building to improve its energy efficiency.

The interior would also be redecorated throughout with new plasterboard and painted finishes as well as the existing flooring replaced throughout with new tiles.

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The installation of solar panels would also allow the building to generate zero-carbon electricity and reduce dependency on energy from the grid.

Due to the building's listed status and its location in a conservation area, a Heritage Report has been commissioned to inform the proposed works and ensure that the proposed alterations do not compromise the historical integrity of the site.

A planning statement reads: “The proposed works result in a number of public benefits which are believed to outweigh any harm caused to the asset.

"Firstly, since the previous business closed in 2022 the building has been empty, the proposed works are aimed at bringing the building back into commercial use and ensuring the property is economically viable.

“This will be achieved by repairing damaged areas which are liable to further degeneration and insulating the property to improve running costs for future users.

“This will help bring a currently empty economically inactive building back into use, creating a positive benefit to the local economy and employment."