THE final stage of redevelopment of a former bus garage in Oxford is set to be completed, more than a decade after plans were first put forward.

Berkeley Homes is moving ahead with student accommodation on the remaining part of the Oxford Bus Company’s old Cowley Road depot. It hopes to complete the work this year.

Plans for the final phase of the site – which originally included 106 student rooms in five blocks, business space and car parking spaces – were given the go-ahead in 2010.

At an east area planning committee meeting on Tuesday, councillors voted to allow the developer an additional six student rooms on the site, bringing the total number to 112.

The last buses left the garage in September 2004, when the Oxford Bus Company moved from the site it had occupied for 80 years to a new depot in Watlington Road.

Housing and business units have already been built on part of the 10-acre plot.

At this week’s meeting, Valentina Ryabova, who lives next to the site, said student rooms would increase noise. After the meeting Ms Ryabova, who is heavily pregnant with her first child, said: “When I bought my home we were told the accommodation would be for post- graduate Oxford University Students. Now they are saying it could be first year students from anywhere. Students live completely different lives to us.

“I’m really worried about this.”

The current scheme has allowed for 40 cycle spaces.

Berkeley Homes said it would increase this to 60 to make up for the additional student rooms.

Committee chairman Roy Darke said: “It would be extremely difficult at this stage to argue against an additional six student dwellings.

“My feeling is that if we appealed, the appeal would be lost and the council would be faced with costs.”

Berkeley Homes has already started work on the student accommodation.

Divisional chairman Andrew Saunders-Davies said of neighbours’ concerns: “Any student accommodation would be properly managed and professionally maintained.”

Under the plans, the red brick Victorian building, Canterbury House, will be retained.

It was the home and studio of Henry Taunt, one of Victorian England’s most prolific photographers.

A blue plaque on the Cowley Road frontage commemorates the link.