Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has attacked plans for the massive expansion of the Ashmolean Museum near his home.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke at the meeting

Mr Yorke, who lives in the city centre, criticised proposals to use Pusey Place and St John Street as access for building works to the site, claiming it would create misery for neighbours.

He did not speak during the city council planning meeting, but afterwards claimed the applicants had refused to talk to residents about their proposals.

He said: "It's going to make the area uninhabitable. It's going to be five years of heavy goods vehicles."

Oxford University, which owns the museum, wants permission to demolish rear extensions, dating back to 1886, and to replace them with hi-tech gallery spaces, offices and a delivery area.

Buildings with a floor space of 5,700sq m would be demolished and replaced by a five-storey building with 9,046sq m of floor space.

Residents and city councillors have called for the university to use St Giles rather than Pusey Place, which is 12ft wide, as an access for construction traffic.

But Jennifer Wood, director of the university's estates department, told the planning meeting the width of the access under the arch from St Giles was too narrow.