Army chiefs have leapt to the defence of a new TA building in Oxford - which they say will be adorned with window boxes.

Residents in St Thomas' are gathering signatures for a petition against the planned territorial army centre for the Officer Training Corps in Oxpens Road.

They say it is out of keeping with the area, but the territorials argue that it will enhance its surroundings.

Col Robert Lucas, of the Territorial Auxiliary Volunteer Reserve Association (TAVRA), said: "We have tried to make it a little bit more attractive, we want to make the front a bit more interesting, so rather than a straight slab of concrete there will be features. "There will be trees and it's going to be landscaped and have window boxes. All this has been discussed with Oxford City Council."

City planners opposed the application for the new building, but were overruled by an inspector from the department of the environment who said it could go ahead.

Col Lucas said: "The site costs an awful lot of money to buy and you wouldn't expect us to put a tin shed on it.

"Of course, residents will be concerned but they would be whatever was there and this is surely better than what was there before, which was a grotty petroleum depot. I think we're going to be an enhancement rather than a detractment."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.