THE refurbishment of Oxford’s five tower blocks may be much-anticipated, but some residents are not so happy about plans to destroy their garages and sheds.

Plowman and Foresters Towers, in Headington and Wood Farm, respectively, are losing all of their garages and as much as half of their storage sheds and have to vacate them by January 9.

Oxford City Council is planning to demolish 30 garages and 44 out of 85 sheds from Plowman Tower.

Foresters Tower will lose 36 garages and 13 of its 85 sheds.

The council said it will replace them with about 40 car parking spaces at each tower, as well as more bin space.

Blackbird Leys towers Evenlode and Windrush are not losing any, and Hockmore Tower in Cowley does not have any to lose.

Plowman Tower resident Jenny Webb has had a garage and a shed for the last nine years and wants them to stay.

She said: “They’re saying they’re going to pull them down to benefit the local community, but I can’t see how that will affect anyone else.”

The 65-year-old added: “There’s no storage space inside the flats so I don’t know how the council are going to decide who will get the sheds that are left, or what people who don’t get one will do.

“I keep bits and bobs that are too good to throw away in mine. People keep their kids’ bikes and all sorts in there.”

Ms Webb, who works behind a bar, said: “In my life I’ve had three cars pinched when they have been parked outside, it’s not safe.

“I come in from work late and I don’t want to be walking for miles across the estate because I can’t find a parking space nearby. I pay £58 a month for the privilege of that space.”

But Wood Farm resident Peter Bonney, who used to rent a garage outside Foresters Tower five years ago, said: “The garages are all out of date and old.

“They were built for Minis and Morris Minors, you can barely get a car in there now.

“You have to let your passenger out first before you pull in.”

The 75-year-old added: “They’ve got to be demolished and put something more useful on there. It’s a waste of space.”

Oxford City Council spokesman Chofamba Sithole said that only 14 of the 66 garages were used by the towers’ residents.

He said that the plans would help ease parking problems: “As part of the consultation with residents, 76 per cent advised that parking was one of the most important factors requiring improvement.

“The existing parking areas and surrounding roads and verges are very congested with vehicles.

“While it was recognised that the decision to demolish the garages would undoubtedly be unpopular with the users of the garages, the result of the wider consultation with residents of the blocks and local community was clear.

“We will be speaking with residents in the coming weeks to identify who does actually want to use a shed and we will be reallocating them where possible.

“Our garage team have been in touch with garage users and will do their best to find an alternative garage nearby.”

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