POLICE say plans to build on an Oxford car park risk creating a new crime hotspot.

They say the plans for 141 student flats on stilts over the St Clement’s car park, near Magdalen Bridge, would add to high levels of crime and antisocial behaviour.

The sale would net owner Oxford City Council an estimated £3.5m, but traders have hit out as it would lose about 40 of its 115 spaces.

Now the police have urged the council to reject the plan, submitted by the Watkin Jones Group.

It is among 100 city sites which the council said it could allow development on.

Thames Valley Police crime prevention design expert Lesley Nesbitt wrote: “The pillars that form stilts will hinder surveillance opportunities across the car park area to provide potential hiding places and during the hours of darkness may create dark shadowed areas, all of which will provide offenders with opportunity to conceal themselves and commit crime.”

She said the area under the flats risks concealing antisocial behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse and rough sleeping.

This “could make the area feel quite hostile and will increase the fear of crime in this area for the students and the public”.

The area already has “a high number of crimes and incidents of antisocial behaviour reported”.

And she said she was “disappointed” that “there is no specific mention of how the design of this development will reduce opportunity for crime and disorder” despite police warnings.

Josh Knight, a partner of the Indigo clothing and gifts shop in Cowley Road, said: “The really scary thing is that there may be no car park for a year or more while this development is going on, which would kill off trade.”

Oxford Civic Society’s Kate Joyce said: “The design of the blocks is dreary, bland, monotonous, undistinguished and overbearing.”

Architect Justin Griffiths said: “We will sift through them to see what we can do to address these comments. We want to try to incorporate people’s comments.”

A city council spokesman said: “We will take the comments made by Thames Valley Police design adviser and others and discuss them with the applicant before we consider the application.”

NEW SHOCK TRADERS have reacted with shock at news that a Headington car park could be built on.

Oxford City Council could sell its 130-space Old High Street car park, next to the Waitrose supermarket, which opened last year.

Waitrose said it was “very keen to meet the council to discuss their plans”.

Damion Farah, of the Jacobs & Fields delicatessen and cafe in Old High Street, said: “Most people are horrified about this prospect.

“The car park is pretty well always full.”

Elaine Bellenger, of the Monaco fashion shop in Old High Street, branded the move “outrageous” and said: “We already have customers driving around and around trying to find somewhere to park.”