Oxford housing plan gets go-ahead despite parking fears

Northfield House will be demolished for the new building development

A new development of flats and houses has been approved despite concerns over a lack of parking.

Plans for the 51 flats and 10 houses at the old Northfield House hostel site in Oxford were granted planning permission by the city council on Tuesday.

A petition against the development had been signed by 150 people after there were objections to the height and scale of the buildings.

But the authority said the benefits of the new housing "outweigh the harm".

Residents argued the flats would cause the possibility of "parking chaos" as the development had only been allocated 16 spaces, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, a planning officer's report said that - subject to consultation - double yellow lines would be placed on roads near to the Sandy Lane West site.

Councillor Nigel Chapman, vice-chair of the planning committee, urged his colleagues to "swallow the misgivings we have" as "compromises" have been made.

Councillor Lizzy Diggins said: "This is a plan that brings very much-needed housing to Oxford."