A cycling retail location in Oxford’s central area may be converted into a dining establishment following fresh proposals from a hospitality company to revamp the protected structure.

The Bike Zone location on St Michael’s Street ceased operations in December 2024 after fourteen years in business, leaving the local cycling community greatly disappointed.

More than twelve months following its shutdown, the future of the ground-level unit at number 26, situated directly beneath the well-known morning restaurant The Handlebar, remained up in the air when a previous proposal to convert it into guest rooms was pulled back.

A fresh proposal seeks to transform the retail space into a cafe (Image: Madeleine Evans / Newsquest)

Now, hospitality business Galaxie Hotels Ltd has filed new plans to convert the Grade II listed property into a cafe.

The hospitality company runs The Galaxy boutique hotel on Banbury Road in Summertown, as well as The Netty on St Giles, which offers high-end lodging within a former underground public convenience.

Galaxie Hotels Ltd’s newest undertaking involves the red brick retail space on St Michael’s, the rear section of which comprises surviving portions of a defensive section of the City Wall and which was included in the heritage listing in 1972.

No alterations impacting the structure of the building are planned for the cafe conversion, and the applicant indicated that the removal of an interior partition wall had already received approval under an earlier proposal.

The application stated: “The proposed café use is appropriate for the commercial character of St Michael’s Street and is consistent with the established pattern of ground-floor activity in the area.