A BRIEFING given by Oxford Brookes University staff to city councillors over the planned redevelopment of its Gipsy Lane campus was “unfair”, residents claimed today.

The future of the £132m scheme, which would house the university’s library, computer centre, lecture theatres and the students’ union, will be decided at a meeting of the council on Thursday at 5pm.

The plans were approved by the council’s strategic development control committee, but a group of councillors called in the decision.

It is the second time plans for the campus have gone before the full council.

On Monday, staff from the university, including acting registrar Paul Large, gave a briefing to councillors so they would be better informed before deciding on the planning application.

But Sietske Boeles, secretary of the Divinity Road Residents’ Association, said: “We felt this was an unacceptable lobbying opportunity for Brookes.

“Mr Large was present to answer so-called technical questions, but we felt this was unfair and asked the council’s chief planner if we could have equal access to councillors.

“Residents were then allowed to attend the briefing as observers but we were not allowed to present their case.

“There were at least four members of staff there from Brookes and we felt the university was given an unfair opportunity to set out their case in the run-up to the meeting.

“We believe the revised application is still too large and want councillors to reject it.”

Headington Hill Residents’ Association fears the student centre would create light and noise pollution, despite the university lowering the height of its building.

Colin Rosser, a member of the association, who attended the briefing, said: “No-one from Brookes gave a formal presentation, it was just one-to-one informal briefings with councillors.

“I thought it was pretty unfair – it gave Brookes the opportunity to show all their plans to councillors, including their model of the proposed development but, as far as I’m aware, only about five councillors turned up.

“We have made a video and want to show it to councillors tomorrow, but I don’t know if we’re going to be allowed to.”

Council spokesman Annette Cunningham said: “The council has sought the views of third parties, including the local community, as part of its consideration of the application.

“Therefore it’s perfectly reasonable for the council, as the planning authority, to meet an applicant to help it understand complex planning proposals before it determines them.

“However, in this instance two local residents’ groups were invited to Monday night’s drop-in session and there was an opportunity for councillors to speak to representatives from both Brookes and residents.

“While no presentations were made at the meeting, both Brookes representatives and the local residents brought material along with them to share with those councillors who attended.”

Mr Large said: “The university attended the meeting to answer technical questions. Members of residents’ groups were also invited and the university was able to answer their questions and concerns too.”

The university’s previous plans for a larger £150m building were approved by the strategic development control committee in August last year, but they were rejected by a meeting of the full council a month later.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk