THE councillor whose committee approved the controversial Castle Mill student flats has told campaigners it was technically possible for its planning permission to be revoked.

Oscar Van Nooijen was speaking at a meeting of people who are fighting for the Oxford University buildings in Roger Dudman Way to be modified to reduce their impact on historic views of the city from Port Meadow.

A retrospective environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the buildings agreed they had “adversely impacted” on 22 heritage settings and a consultation on mitigating options – from a few more trees and a change of colour through to cutting off the roof and a storey on six of the flats – is now running.

At Thursday’s meeting of about 160 people, organised by the group Save Port Meadow, Mr Van Nooijen said: “The answer to the question ‘is there a mechanism to force the university to do an option of our choosing?’ is no. That power does not exist.

“At this stage [the university] can bring forward ideas for what they might do as part of negotiations and we can give suggestions as to what they might also do.”

When a member of the audience asked if the council could revoke the original planning permission he said: “That is a possibility.”

He added: “What we are now in is not a fixed process, this is just the next gambit.”

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Mr Van Nooijen – who told the meeting that people should blame councillors for approving the application and not planning officers – declined to comment on what action the university could take if the council revoked the planning permission.

Oxford Mail:

Castle Mill accommodation at Port Meadow

The university has said it supports the first option, to put up tree screening around the site and “soften the colour and textures of the buildings” at a cost of £12m.

It has said that the creation of the 300 student rooms has helped Oxford’s chronic housing shortage.

Save Port Meadow want the removal of the top floors on six of the eight buildings, which would cost a total of £30m.

Labour councillor Susanna Pressel revealed that the city council is now seeking legal advice from a Queen’s Counsel to consider all options, although the council’s spokesman Chofamba Sithole yesterday refused to confirm or deny this.

Ms Pressel said: “It is a very difficult and unusual legal case and so we are taking the opinion of a QC to make sure we are sensible in our use of taxpayers’ money.

“We are considering all the options and potential implications, although we do not expect to hear back until January.

“Until then it is difficult to say more about what the possibilities are.”

The university is holding a public meeting about the EIA today in the Said Business School, Park End Street, from 10am to 1pm.

 

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