THE Chinese university planning to build a major campus – including a lecture theatre, gymnasium and rooms for almost 100 students ­— outside Oxford has confirmed it is still going ahead with the scheme, despite opposition.

The former Open University site at Boars Hill was sold two years ago to Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS), which intends to make the 15-acre plot its first base in the UK.

But since then it has been met with fierce opposition from neighbours and councillors who object to the scale of the scheme, which includes changes to the historic Foxcombe Hall.

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An application was submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council in August last year. Despite a public consultation ending in October, however, the proposal has yet to go before the authority’s planning committee.

A statement on behalf of PHBS has now stated: “Our planning consultant and architect have been working with other technical consultants to address issues raised from the process of planning application at present.”

It did not give any indication when this process will be complete but the application is currently listed with a target decision date of September 30.

A consultation meeting for residents last year was attended by around a 100 people.

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Since that session, the Friends of Boars Hill group has been campaigning against the scheme.

The Friends of Boars Hill said: “Foxcombe Hall is a Grade II listed building, set within the Oxfordshire Green Belt and is part of the fabric of Boars Hill. We support appropriate and sympathetic use of the site for education, but the residential-led application submitted by PHBS represents an unacceptable encroachment into the Green Belt.

“The plans would generate a significant impact on local roads, drainage and community infrastructure, effectively doubling the resident population in Boars Hill, and at no point has the community been consulted."

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It added: “We welcome attempts to address the issues that we – and the council – have raised.

"However, with the application now submitted only a complete redesign which drastically reduced the density of development could satisfy planning policy, particularly Green Belt policy.”

Objections included the local Campaign for The Protection of Rural England, Wootton and Sunningwell parish councils, as well as Foxcombe Woods Nature Reserve, which borders the university land.

Oxfordshire County Council also recommended refusing the application on transport grounds, stating: “The location of the site is not practically or conveniently accessible by means other than car.”