Oxford Wheatsheaf: 'Culture crisis' as redevelopment plans submitted

Henry Dartnall, from Young Knives, said his band had played the venue more than anywhere else in their early days

One of the last grassroots gig venues in Oxford, which has hosted acts including Foals and Stornoway, could be converted into student flats.

The owner of the Wheatsheaf pub has submitted a planning application to convert the gig space above it.

Ronan Munro, editor of Nightshift music magazine, said it was evidence of a "culture crisis" in the city.

The application said live music at the venue was unsustainable and that the pandemic had "exacerbated the issue".

The 150-capacity venue, off the High Street, has been closed since the first coronavirus lockdown last March, and the current tenant has given notice to leave.

It has hosted live bands for 20 years, including Oxford acts Foals and Stornoway before they were famous.

The Wheatsheaf has been closed for a year because of coronavirus restrictions

The application has been submitted by owner Glen de Unger, and proposes replacing the venue with "nine high quality student rooms and a shared kitchen and common area".

More than 1,000 objections to the application have been received since Friday.

Foals are among the bands to have performed at the Wheatsheaf

Henry Dartnall, of Mercury-prize nominees Young Knives, said his band had played there more than anywhere else during their formative years.

"It's where we learned to perform to an audience, where we were allowed to get it wrong, and where we were able to come back and get better at it," he said.

"You can't go straight onto a stage in front of 1,000 people and just know how to do it."

The city centre venue has hosted live bands - such as Woven Skull pictured here - for 20 years

Mr Munro said it would be a "hammer blow" to the local music scene if the venue closed.

"We've got a culture crisis in Oxford at the moment," he added.

"This is a city that prides itself on its culture, prides itself on its heritage, but culture and heritage isn't just old buildings, it's actually what's going on inside buildings, what's alive now.

"If we want the next Radiohead, Foals, Supergrass, Glass Animals, or Stornoway, we need the Wheatsheaf."

In a statement on behalf of the applicant, Riach Architects described the venue as "cramped with poor ventilation" and that it had received "several noise complaints from local residents over the last couple of years".

"With this in mind, it is believed that with the lower overheads of a smaller premises, the owners can secure an alternative long-term future for the pub under a new tenancy agreement, allowing it to continue operating and serving the local community."

In 2019 Oxford venue The Cellar closed despite £92,000 being raised in a crowdfunding campaign.