MORE than 140 businesses have objected to controversial plans to put students flats on St Clement’s car park in East Oxford.

And Oxford University has objected to the scheme for the second time.

The developer, the Watkin Jones Group, is planning to build accommodation blocks to house 141 students on the Oxford City Council-owned car park.

If the £8m scheme gets approval from city council planners only 76 of the 120 car parking spaces will remain.

Digging work has already started to find out if there are any significant archaeological remains on the site and traders say this has already taken up about 30 spaces next to Angel Meadow.

The archaeological work could last six weeks and if planning permission is granted the car park could be closed for 11 months.

The council has pledged to look for a location for a temporary car park while the work takes place but so far a suitable place has not been found.

Clinton Pugh, who runs Kazbar, Cafe CoCo and Cafe Tarifa in Cowley Road, fears businesses would be forced to shut.

He said: “Earlier this week the city council received objections from 145 businesses in St Clement’s, Cowley Road, High Street, King Edward Street and Turl Street.

“If this scheme goes ahead, there will be nowhere for shoppers to park for about a year and it will be incredibly damaging to shops and businesses in St Clement’s and the surrounding area.

“This plan will destroy St Clement’s and without a shadow of a doubt it will put some traders out of business.

“I personally knocked on the door of lots of shops and the traders I spoke to were happy to add their objections.”

Oxford University objected to an application for four blocks, warning they would be too close to its postgraduate accommodation in neighbouring Alan Bullock Close.

Now it has lodged an objection to the revised application for three blocks.

It says the new plan has a wider boundary between one block and the boundary of Alan Bullock Close, but adds that the height and bulk of the block has also significantly increased.

It says this would result in an unacceptable impact upon the amenity of postgraduate students.

Colin Cook, council executive member for city development, confirmed the council had received the objections.

He added: “They will be considered when the application is considered by the west area planning committee.

“The application could go before a committee in July or at a later date.”

Paul Gillespie, project manager at the Watkin Jones Group, confirmed the group has paid a £356,000 non-returnable deposit to the council as 10 per cent of the leasehold price for the land.

He said the deposit was not designed to influence councillors in any way but was evidence of the firm’s “commitment to the proposal”.