Public meeting over Cantay's Cowley student flats plan

The 'dilapidated' Cowley Conservative Club on Between Towns Road faces demolition to make way for the 220-student housing block by Cantay Estates.

City councillor David Henwood, who has organised the meeting, said: "Many residents have been in touch expressing concerns over yet another block of flats in a residential area."

The plan follows the building of 144 students flats also on Between Towns Road by developer Watkins Jones.

An additional 900 student flats have also been created at nearby Barracks Lane.

Mr Henwood said he feared more planning applications were on the way as under current Oxford City Council policy Oxford and Oxford Brookes University have to house 3,000 students each within the city centre.

The policy is aimed at reducing the need for students to privately rent and reducing the pressure on the city's rental market.

He explained: "Unlike Barracks Lane, which is a Brookes managed site of approximately 900 students flats, the two independent ventures – one built and the other planned – will not influence the targets the two universities will need to achieve, hence my fear is there will be yet more proposals from the two universities to order to meet their targets."

He added: "I am very concerned that the three developments are so close together."

The meeting will be held on September 17 at the Venue from 6pm, the developer has agreed to be present to answer questions from residents.

Cantay Estates has said the new student flats scheme aims to 'free up pressure on the city's existing housing stock, while providing students with first-class facilities'.