Residents are divided about Oxford Brookes' ambitions to create a 'city zone' dedicated to education and health.

The university last week unveiled £110m redevelopment plans, with public consultation showing strong support for contemporary architecture.

But Brookes faces a tough task to convince some of its neighbours that a modern new site, offering a new gateway into Headington, is the way forward.

London Road resident Dr Brian Anderson said the university's hope of creating a new education and health zone should start "alarm bells ringing for local residents".

Dr Anderson, a retired Royal Navy officer, said: "The area will become a student dormitory campus and further students will be drawn to the area, increasing the number of student housing rentals."

He is also unimpressed by the university's hopes of creating an "iconic" building in Headington Road. He said: "Prof John Raftery, Pro-vice chancellor of Brookes, is interested in making people aware that they're passing through a different kind of quarter.

"This may be fine for Brookes' replacement of lecture theatres, but the visual impact of a large accommodation block on the major route into Oxford centre would be devastating."

Ken Robertson, of Latimer Road, said it amounted to "a self-declared takeover of Headington."

He added: "What will be the long-term effect of student domination on Headington itself? It could destroy it."

But Brookes' expansion plans were welcomed by Tony Joyce, chairman of Oxford Civic Society. He said: "The idea of rethinking a university in this way sounds extremely exciting. Until now, Brookes has grown in a piecemeal fashion, having to respond as best it could to government diktat.

"Hopefully Brookes now has a chance to draw breath and think where it wants to be. It still faces the great problem of finding more accommodation for existing students. This is why we're currently seeing its interest in the Slade Park Barracks and Dorset House."

The university's hopes of accommodating 360 of its students in the London Road property received a blow last week, with plans to demolish Dorset House to make way for new student blocks withdrawn.

Mr Joyce, chairman of the coordinating committee of Headington residents' associations, said: "The question of accommodating students needs to be looked at to find a better solution. Multi-occupancy and a high proportion of students in a residential area destroys the cohesion of a community."

Brookes wants the number of students in halls to rise by 1,000 to 4,955, but no accommodation would be built at the Gipsy Lane campus.

Rex Knight, pictured, Brookes' deputy vice-chancellor, confirmed the university had spoken to the Ministry of Defence about the barracks site.