UNUSED garages should be bulldozed to help ease the city’s parking crisis and create space for much-needed new homes.

That’s the view of two leading  Blackbird Leys politicians – city ward councillor Linda Smith and parish council chairman Gordon Roper who both want something done.

Oxford City Council owns 2,015 garages, of which 429 – about a fifth – are not being rented out, with up to 30 unused garages in some streets.

The council is now undertaking an audit of all its garages to work out the best use for each location.

According to information gathered by Ms Smith, the rate rises to 37 per cent in the Blackbird Leys area, which would amount to more than 200 of its 592 garages.

She said: “Lots of them were built in the 1960s and are actually too small for modern cars.

“And back then you’d want to keep a car in a garage so that it didn’t rust, but that is no longer a problem.”

Roads on the estate with more than 10 unused garages include Kestrel Crescent with 30, Sorrell Road with 21, and Field Avenue and outside Evenlode Tower with 16 each.

Ms Smith added: “It’s a waste of space and council assets; some are actually boarded up. The ones that are in good condition there are no takers for. Parking is the number one issue for residents here. The council is doing what it can through the Great Estates programme to build more spaces, but it seems ludicrous that these were built for the purpose of getting cars off the road but a large number of them are vacant. We should look at demolishing some of them.”

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Gordon Roper added: “I totally agree. They are not being used, they are too small for the cars and they are being vandalised, so why can’t they be pulled down?

“The problem is if they’re in blocks they have got to all come down in that area or unfortunately we have to leave them.

“But if they are all in the same place then flatten them all.”

In 2009 the city council launched an advertising campaign to encourage people to take advantage of the empty space. Since then about 40 have been sold or knocked down.

Rent can cost up to £798 annually – at a rate of £15.19 per week – for council tenants, and between £823 and £947 a year for other residents.

Mike Rowley, city council executive member for leisure, parks and sports, said he was unsure why so many garages were unused.

But he added: “Some of the larger sites, if they are not being used, could be developed for housing but government policy has made that more difficult.

“Some, for example the ones next to Underhill Circus, could be used for extra parking at the Neighbourhood Centre.

“We don’t want derelict garages that nobody is using. Where they have become in poor condition and they are knocked down it’s still a residents’ parking area.”

Ann Ganter, who lives in Pegasus Road where there are 13 unused garages, said: “There are some garages used, and some that aren’t. A lot of people park outside them.

“The parking situation is terrible. We just haven’t got the room and it’s absolutely horrendous.

“I’m in an electric wheelchair but I have trouble getting down the path because people are parking there, some for seven or eight hours.”

Plowman Tower resident Jenny Webb is still desperate to have her old garage back. All 30 were closed in September 2014 by the council with the intention of building parking spaces, but are still standing.

Ms Webb said: “The problem is there is no provision to stop all and sundry parking in our area. We have vans and a taxi driver here.”