AN OXFORD college is planning to create extra housing for its graduate students.

Exeter College wants to provide 102 student flats on its site in Iffley Road, East Oxford, and is planning a major development which would see some of the buildings on the site knocked down and replaced and others retained and revamped.

The city council's east area committee will take a decision on the plans, which have been praised by residents, at its meeting on Wednesday.

Iffley Road area residents' association chairman David Barton said: "I think it's a very good scheme and I think it really will improve the Iffley Road.

"It's environmentally very good too and they have taken a lot of care about the way they have designed it.

"It's an untidy corner at the moment and they are getting back to the original buildings on site, and taking down all the things that have been added at a later date.

"We welcome it as a good use of the site."

The plan would see existing housing for 68 students replaced by homes for all 150 graduate students.

As part of the development, two early Victorian houses, a coach house and a listed former convent building will all be preserved.

Eric Bennett, Exeter College bursar, said that at the moment the college was only able to provide accommodation for 40 per cent of its graduate students.

He said: "We want to create a little community. We are spending quite a bit of money to make sure they are not institutional-looking."