A terminally ill man is fighting his local council to protect the 25-foot shark statue on his house In 1992, Bill Heine won a two year battle with his local council to keep a 25-foot fibreglass shark sculpture […]

In 1992, Bill Heine won a two year battle with his local council to keep a 25-foot fibreglass shark sculpture on the roof of his house in Oxford. Now, the fight is on to protect the shark after Mr Heine’s death.

The 73-year-old has lodged an application for the sculpture, known as the ‘Headington Shark’, to be listed as a local heritage asset by Oxford City Council.

The battle to preserve the sculpture for future generations comes after Mr Heine, a radio presenter, announced he had terminal cancer last November.

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Shark of ‘significant value’ to community

The application claims the shark, which attracts thousands of visitors every year, is of significant value to the local community.

In a supporting letter to the council, Mr Heine said: “Although the shark was originally greeted with suspicion, it is loved by locals who would be horrified if anything ever happened to it.”

The shark will join other heritage assets in the city including “The Rusty Bicycle” and Roger Bannister’s running track, if approved by Oxford City Council.

‘Untitled 1986’

The shark, officially called “Untitled 1986”, was created by sculpture John Buckley. It was built to protest against the American bombing of Libya, but Oxford City Council famously refused retrospective planning permission in 1990.

The sculpture was able to remain after Michael Heseltine, then the Secretary of State for the Environment, came out in favour of the shark in 1992.

The application for the landmark to be listed on the Oxford Heritage Asset Register will now go to Oxford City Council, and a decision is expected later this summer. If approved, the fish will influence planning decisions in favour as it will conserve local character.

In January, Mr Heine became the fourth person in the council’s history to receive a Special Certificate of Merit from the council, in recognition of his contribution to the city though his charity work and broadcasting.

‘We didn’t think it would last 31 hours’

Mike Ratcliffe, Chairman of the Headington Neighbourhood Forum, said: “One of the themes of the neighbourhood plan is to preserve and develop the identity of Headington. The shark, embedded in its rooftop, continues to intrude, to surprise and to fascinate.

“People stop to look, it has a presence on Trip Advisor and has an international reputation. I think it’s an eminently appropriate candidate for the Oxford Heritage Register.

“Having gained fame through its struggles through the planning system, how appropriate to now find ways of protecting it through the planning system.”

If the application is approved, the next step would be to have it nationally listed with English Heritage.

Mr Heine said: “When the sculptor John Buckley and I put the shark in my house all that time ago we didn’t think it would last for 31 hours, let alone 31 years.

“I’m delighted that ‘time’ has had an opportunity to add some sheen to the shark.”