PLANS have been unveiled for 48 homes at the former Temple Cowley Pools site.

Almost 18 months after the leisure facility was controversially sold, Catalyst Housing yesterday said the proposals would bring "high quality, much-needed" housing to the area.

The development would see 13 houses and a total of 35 apartments – across three blocks – built around the existing Temple Cowley Library.

Of these, two houses and 16 apartments would be socially-rented and five other apartments under shared ownership.

It comes after Oxford City Council agreed to sell the site for £3.5m in December 2014, despite a long-running fight by campaigners to keep the pools open. They say its closure has left local people without anywhere to swim.

A spokesman for Catalyst said: "If approved, our application will bring new homes to the area and improve the green space within the development.

"It strongly contributes to the housing targets of the city council and we want people to move into their new homes as soon as possible."

But the Old Temple Cowley Residents’ Association warned the development would be "too dense... and grossly unacceptable".

An assessment carried out by the city council in December 2014 recommended no more than 39 homes for the site.

Writing to residents, association chairman Trevor Williams and planning representative Judith Harley said the homes were also out of character for the area and would block emergency vehicle access to fields used by neighbouring St Christopher’s School.

And they said 48 parking spaces included in the scheme were "totally inadequate", claiming the apartment blocks would "overshadow" the library.

The pair added: "As many of you know, we have been fighting to save the pools for a number of years, and the majority of residents wish to them refurbished and reopened on this site, with or without housing development.

"This planning application is unsuitable for this site for many reasons, and it is most important that you e-mail or write your objections."