A CONTROVERSIAL housing development set to be built off the A40 will have an extra 41 homes after Oxford City Council approved amended plans for the scheme.

The original proposal was first brought by developers Shaviram Headington Limited to convert former offices at Nielsen House, beside the A40 at Risinghurst, into 93 new homes last year.

It was given the go ahead by city councillors despite traffic concerns at a planning committee held in December 2016.

On Wednesday the same council approved new detailed plans for the project which include an additional 41 flats on top of the original designs.

Approving the project Oxford City Council officers said in a report: “The proposal, subject to conditions, does not present any detrimental transport or highway impacts, contamination risks, flooding risks or noise impacts from commercial premises and therefore prior approval is granted.”

Now that prior approval has been granted the development will include 114 1-bed flats and 20 2-bed flats.

There will also be a total of 158 resident parking spaces to cope with the influx of residents and 27 visitor spaces.

Before the plan was approved last year concerns had been raised by Oxfordshire county councillor for Risinghurst Glynis Phillips that the development would ‘open the floodgates’ for more housing projects in an already busy area.

Householders had also voiced their own concerns over traffic and congestion but planners argued successfully that the development would have a ‘negligible’ impact on traffic.

In response to the latest plans being approved Risinghurst and Sandhills parish council chairwoman Barbara Naylor said: “I think that people have accepted that it is going to happen, these developments have got to happen.

"Housing is needed, there are a lot of houses needed in Oxford. But there are still concerns particularly in that area with the traffic and the congestion.

"We are worried about that area especially with the Barton Park development as well [off the A40 northern bypass], the Green Road roundabout will be a nightmare."

Meanwhile, the former site owners at Nielsen will move into their new offices next month when construction designed by Goodman Management and completed by Kier is finished.

The new building at Oxford Business Park, Garsington Road, Cowley, will also host a garden restaurant terrace, digital conference screens, a business lounge, shower rooms and electric car charging stations on site.