RESIDENTS opposed to a new probation centre in West Oxford are raising a fighting fund to pay for a legal challenge.

Thames Valley Probation service is planning to open a new probation centre in Mill Street, Osney, but the scheme is being opposed by those living nearby.

Many of them are worried about the impact of 350 criminals — including sex offenders — regularly walking to the centre at Trajan House.

The centre does not need planning permission, and although the Home Office has not yet signed the lease for the building, that is expected to be completed soon.

On Monday, residents opposed to the centre attended an open day at Oxford Town Hall, run by the probation service to provide information about the new centre.

Father-of-two Dan Rawstorne, 34, who lives in Mill Street, said residents had already raised about £3,000 towards the fund to cover the cost of mounting a legal challenge.

He said: “We are putting together a fighting fund so we can investigate challenging these proposals in the High Court with a judicial review.

“At the weekend, we raised about £3,000 just from knocking on people’s doors and we have received a series of cheques from residents and local businesses.

“We think we might need about £20,000 to cover our legal costs and we have told people that 50p is just as valuable to us as the larger donations. We are setting up an account with the Co-operative Bank so donations can be paid in directly.

“A number of local businesses, which we do not want to name at this point, have also expressed an interest in supporting us financially. If we have money left over, we have promised to return it to the donor if the amount is over a certain threshold.”

Matthew Savage, 37, from Barrett Street, off Mill Street, who attended the probation service’s open day, said: “Unfortunately the probation service has only paid lip service to proper consultation.

“I think the new centre would destroy the existing nature of the residential area.

“To have a such a large-scale probation centre in the neighbourhood will make it unsafe for children to play unsupervised. Trajan House is quite far away from the courts and is not covered by any CCTV system.”

At the open day residents were shown an artist’s impression of what the office block would look like, and a floor plan.

Chief probation officer Gerry Marshall said residents had sent the service a letter threatening to take legal action if the proposal went ahead.

He added: “We have passed the letter, which says residents are seeking legal advice regarding a judicial review, to the Ministry of Justice.

“Maria Eagle is now the Minister with Responsibility for Prisons and Probation.

“I gather the ministry is also seeking legal advice.”