RESIDENTS are concerned that a car-free residential development will lead to increased on-street parking in Headington.

Oxford City Council hopes to build 10 flats on the depot site in Bury Knowle Park, and councillors agreed to press forward with the plan at a meeting of the east area planning committee last week.

But residents say a car-free development would be difficult to enforce and now the decision has been called in for review.

Bob Clarke, of Beech Road, said: “Headington streets are being jammed up with cars. You cannot stop people having them.”

The 80-year-old, a member of the Friends of Bury Knowle Park, said: “People want somewhere to park. They cannot live with their cars,so if they do that development there is a big risk they will be wrecking one of our beautiful facilities.”

Jill Cummings, vice-chairman of the Friends of Bury Knowle Park, said: “If the houses are car-free, they still have deliveries and visitors. I think the added traffic will be dangerous. I really don’t see how they can enforce this.”

Councillors heard that the car ban would be a condition of tenancy.

The site is surrounded by residential streets including North Place, Old High Street, Holyoake Road and Stile Road.

The development is part of the council’s Affordable Homes Project which aims to provide 114 homes by 2015.

City council spokeswoman Louisa Dean said: “It is located within an area controlled to prevent residents parking in the surrounding area.”

She said no details were available on how it will be enforced yet.

She added: “The council will consider car-free developments across the city at locations which are sustainable and have excellent links to public transport, are in a controlled parking zone and are within 800 metres of a local supermarket.”

John Jeffs, from Headington, said: “I think it will result in much more traffic. This is going to be dangerous for users of the park, especially for the many children who use it.

“I accept we always need more houses, but we should always preserve our open spaces.”

There will be five three-bed flats, three two-bed and two one-bed built on the site in London Road, following the demolition of the existing buildings at the depot. Access will only be for deliveries, emergency vehicles and refuse vehicles.

The meeting heard there was only room for one disabled parking space.

Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan said: “There could be two disabled people living there – what would we do then? A lot of people will park in the streets.”

Five councillors voted in favour, four against. After the meeting Headington city councillor Ruth Wilkinson and 11 colleagues called in the decision, which means it will be looked at again by the planning review committee. A date has not been set for the hearing.