A GREY metal fence that looks like 'something out of a horror movie' should be taken down immediately, a councillor has said.

The seven foot high fence in William Morris Close, Temple Cowley, has blighted the views of residents for four years and now John Sanders, who represents the area on Oxfordshire County Council, is making a renewed call to have it removed.

Developer Cantay Estates erected the fence to protect a 3.5 acre site which has long been earmarked for redevelopment.

But as the plans have stalled after planning permission was refused on various occasions, the former playing fields have sat vacant and the fence has remained in place.

Mr Sanders said: "People living on the close have had nothing to look at but this unbelievably ugly thing for years.

"Something has to be done about it.

"It should be taken down now.

"They want to stop people trespassing but surely that could be done with just a wire fence.

"There's no need to block people's views in the way they are doing."

There have been seven unsuccessful planning applications made for the site since it was bought by Cantay in 2012.

The developer applied in 2013 and 2016 to build between 40 and 45 houses but planning permission was refused.

The most recent scheme was to build 83 flats for key-workers on the site but an application was withdrawn before it reached Oxford City Council's planning committee.

The city council wants to retain the site as recreational land and has said the developers have failed to make it clear why it should be built on.

Residents have called on the city council to buy back the land for public use.

Tony Nolan, the managing director of Cantay Estates, said there were no plans to remove the fence whilst the impasse continues.

He said: "We want to develop the site to provide more affordable housing, something the city desperately needs.

"But in the meantime the fence is going to remain.

"There were several attempted break-ins by travellers so we put it up to ensure nobody could get in there.

"The site backs on to the Tyndale Community School and we have a responsibility to protect the children who go there as well.

"A simple fence would be very easy to breach and then we would have problems."