Oxford University has pledged to consult with local residents before continuing its Headington developments.

The promise comes as the university finalises its plans to purchase the Park Hospital site which is next to the controversial Old Road campus.

At a meeting of Headington residents, Mike Wigg, the university’s acting director of estates and head of capital projects, said the university would listen to local concerns.

He said: “We want to reassure residents of the importance of any future development being manageable and it is critical for people to see we are listening.

“What we want to do is to start a dialogue.

“People need to feel they can pick up the phone or email us.

“The issue the university has is the need for research facilities. Oxford University is among the top three in the world, and that is where we need to stay.”

The building, which is now known as Boundary Brook House, provides mental health services for children and young people.

Once it acquires the site, the university hopes to lease it back to the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, which currently owns it, for an as yet undetermined period of time.

Concerns have been expressed that the former Park Hospital would be used as a second phase of the Old Road campus redevelopment.

Plans to expand the Old Road campus were given the go-ahead earlier this year by Oxford City Council’s planning review committee after being called in by 18 councillors.

Residents were concerned about the “overbearing” nature of the buildings and the lack of parking.

City councillor for the area David Rundle said: “We see this as the start of a dialogue, not as a one-off. The key thing is getting that communication to continue.

“I think everybody realises that what happened with the Old Road campus was to nobody’s advantage. It is important to make the campus a part of the community.”

Patrick Coulter, of Headington Action, said: “It is good to hear Mike Wigg say that residents will be consulted but we would like an opportunity to influence the decision from the outset.

“If the university gives residents a proper input to the process then it may be that we can reach an agreement. We have differences which we somehow need to resolve.”