A FORMER MOT centre will be knocked down and replaced with a block of flats.

The MOT centre on Garsington Road will be demolished and replaced with a nine two-bedroom flats and an office, after Oxford City Council’s east area planning committee approved a planning application at its meeting on Wednesday, November 6.

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The site, known as the Bungalow sits on the opposite side of the road from the Mini Plant and is currently made up of a two storey former motorcycle shop and showroom, an MOT Test Centre, bungalow and garage.

The plan for the site would see all of this replaced with two three-storey buildings.

A building to the south would contain all nine flats, while the building to the north would contain a garage and three floors of office space.

There would also be nine outside parking spaces for residents, as well as bin and bicycle storage areas.

Councillors briefly discussed the plans during the meeting, with the need for new housing in Oxford the centre of their discussions.

Councillor Roz Smith said: “I think it is quite a good design they have put forward.

“At least we will get rid of that horrible building and have something decent in place.”

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The committee had been asked to make the final decision on the flats as the developer had originally been asked to pay towards affordable homes in a nearby area.

Due to changes in planning policy this was no longer needed, and a report was made back to the committee about the plan.

See the development at Oxford City Council’s planning portal, reference: 18/02401/OUT