CAMPAIGNERS hoping to appeal against a blueprint for a major new science park in North Oxford have suffered a blow to their efforts.

The Wolvercote Action Group has been raising cash to consult legal experts on whether it could contest Oxford City Council’s approval of an “area action plan” for the Northern Gateway, given in June.

The development would be built on land south of Pear Tree and include up to 500 homes, a hotel and 90,000sqm of employment space.

Developers in the Northern Gateway Consortium, which includes Kier Group, St John’s College and Worcester College, are expected to reveal more detailed proposals later this year.

But residents in Wolvercote, who live south of the proposed site, fear the science park will cause traffic and air pollution problems and have previously urged both a Government planning inspector and the city council to reject the plan.

After it was approved, they set up a webpage on website justgiving.com to raise money for a legal challenge.

But in a statement yesterday, the group admitted there was “little chance” of a successful legal challenge.

It said: “The Wolvercote Action Group has now received a legal opinion on the possibility of seeking a judicial review of the Northern Gateway Area Action Plan.

“Very sadly, the advice we have received suggests that, for technical reasons, there is little chance of a successful legal challenge at this stage. The group has therefore reluctantly decided not to pursue this further.”

But it added: “We are continuing to gather evidence on the air pollution impacts of the proposed development on both human health and the Port Meadow Special Area of Conservation, in readiness to challenge the actual planning application when it comes forward.”

According to its fundraising page on justgiving.com, it had raised £920 for the legal advice, through 24 donations.