THE £8m revamp of Oxford’s tower blocks has been a long time coming.

Unfortunately, it would appear that for some of the residents, it could be a long time coming for a long time to come.

The five high rises – Evenlode, Windrush, Hockmore, Plowman and Foresters – are not the dreaming spires Oxford is known for.

But they are home to hundreds of residents who deserve modern surroundings, not relics of the 1960s.

So we welcome the news that the council has appointed someone to get the job done. It is also right that residents will be given the chance to have their say on exactly what they want.

While it would be churlish to criticise what is clearly good news, it is easy to feel sympathy for people who may have to wait ten years to see the benefits.

The developers say that doing the work in stages is “part of the business plan”.

We suspect that means it’s cheaper to do it in phases than all in one go.

Saving money in the current economic climate is all well and good. But if you lived in a cold, mouldy and drafty property, would you want to wait 10 years to see it brought up to standard?