PLANS for Burgerfest, a street festival to celebrate Oxford's links with its German twin town, have resulted in a row over territory between Town and Gown.

The traditional German festival, featuring food stalls, and performances from visiting German cultural groups, are a central part of the 70th anniversary celebrations for the Oxford-Bonn twinning link.

But Oxford University's Balliol College has raised concerns about the event, due to be held in Broad Street on Saturday, May 27 from noon until 4pm.

Bonn Week 70th anniversary celebrations will run from Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, May 28, and the college has complained Burgerfest is scheduled for a 'Red Zone', according to a protocol designed to ensure students studying for exams are not disturbed by civic events.

Saturday May 27 is one of the dates in a 'Red Zone', when undergraduates are expected to have 'very heavy work levels'.

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said Dr Rachel Quarrell, Dean of Broad Street-based Balliol College, wrote to the council's events manager to say Burgerfest should not go ahead.

He said: "She said it should not go ahead because of the protocol but it is a key part of the anniversary celebrations and I am quite certain it will go ahead.

"It is essentially a market stall day and while you can not say there will be no noise, the noise will not be much greater than what you will get normally.

"There will be some music with normal instruments – it won't be amplified.

"From a civic point of view Burgerfest is an important part of the 70th anniversary celebrations. The Oxford-Bonn link was one of the earliest twinning links and part of the reconstruction of Europe after the war.

"Discussions will continue with Balliol and there is scope for negotiation but there is no way we will not have Burgerfest."

Mr Price said he hoped ongoing discussions would lead to a 'peaceful outcome'.

Colin Cook, vice-chairman of the Oxford International Links committee, said: "We are aware of the protocol and we know when the busy times are for the colleges.

"We try to fit events around that but you can't put off the Oxford-Bonn celebrations.

"I think there has been a misunderstanding about the level of noise that could be created."

On the same day, the Oxford Philharmonic celebrates Bonn 70 event will take place at the Sheldonian Theatre.

The protocol said events were not permitted in the 'Red Zone' unless special exemption was provided by the city council’s events officer and the Broad Street Stakeholders committee.

The committee includes representatives from the city and county councils, Oxford University and the Oxford colleges in and around Broad Street, Carfax ward councillors, Broad Street Traders Association and the Covered Market Traders Association.

Dr Quarrell said: "All stakeholders in Broad Street are invited to make comments and we have given feedback and are now in discussion with the city council. We don't want to comment further."

Alan Pope, chairman of the Oxford-Bonn twinning link, was in Germany and unavailable for comment.

The Love Oxford Christian celebration featuring thousands of worshippers switched from Broad Street to South Park in 2009 after colleges complained about noise disturbing students.

It returned to Broad Street in 2013 but did not go ahead the following year due to a clash with exams.