Three plans involving almost 150 student flats should be approved according to council planners, despite concerns from residents, a school and conservationists.

Oxford City Council planning officers are urging councillors to back the East Oxford, Osney and North Oxford plans totalling 144 new rooms.

East Oxford Primary School objected to plans in Union Street to demolish a former school canteen for 26 ensuite rooms and two parking spaces.

It said proposed shared access with the school for the canteen, formerly part of defunct Oxford County Junior and Secondary School, is “highly inappropriate”.

It also has “safeguarding” concerns as students could use the school grounds due to a limited amount of amenity space at the development.

The school also raised concerns that flats will overlook the school, guests may park at its site and the “increasing amount of student accommodation” in the area.

Planning officer Matthew Perry said the site was not suitable for other uses.

St Hugh’s College in St Margaret’s Road, North Oxford, has applied to create a three and four storey building for 63 student rooms, teaching facilities and a basement for its China Centre.

The scheme forms part of a development plan drawn up by the college in 1997.

Phase two originally proposed 24 rooms but the college said it now needs more for its 219 students.

The Victorian group of the Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society said the plan would “seriously damage” the surrounding conservation area.

And 38 residents from North Parade raised concerns about extra traffic in Canterbury Road, illegal parking, noise, litter and vandalism.

But planning officer Angela Fettiplace said a design of three linked pavilions would “break down” its scale to “form an appropriate visual relationship” with the area.

In Mill Street, Osney, residents are concerned about noise and the size of a proposed two storey building to house 55 students.

Bellerbys College, which prepares international students for UK universities, had a 74-room, three-storey plan rejected by the council in July over its size. Planners said the scheme would “result in an unbalanced community” with a “disproportionate” number of students.

But planning officer Murray Hancock said the new scheme was sustainable.

All three plans come before the council’s west area planning committee at the Town Hall, St Aldate’s on Wednesday, November 9, at 6pm.