PLANS to reduce the visual harm of the Castle Mill student flats to views across Port Meadow have been approved. 

Oxford University will now start work within six months on changes to the buildings, which includes tree planting, a ‘mid-tone’ colour change and timber cladding.

Campaigners had fought for the top storey to be taken off the flats but their four-year fight finished last year when the university chose a £6m screening option instead.

After several public consultations the university’s screening option took the form of timber slats, a colour change and climbing vegetation on the buildings in Roger Dudman Way.

Oxford City Council's west area planning committee passed the mitigation plans earlier this evening by seven votes to one.

Councillor Liz Wade said the change were "still not good enough."

But council leader Bob Price said: "There has been an extensive consultation process between the University and planning officers and this is as good as it gets.

"Let's move on and how it turns out."

The committee's chairwoman Louise Upton said: "I think we are all in agreement on how awful the buildings look.

"We need to approve these plans and allow the University to start the work to improve them as soon as possible."

Oxfordshire County Council called for the construction management plan to be amended to include the restriction of deliveries from 7.30 to 9.30am and 4.30 to 6.30pm and a condition to that effect was attached to the permission.