As a result of the Independent Working Class Association calling it in, the decision to pass outline planning permission on council land at The Slade at Headington - land which, in theory, is owned by the people of Oxford - for the accommodation of 275 students, was debated at the November council meeting.

When asked to declare whether they had connections with Oxford University, more than a third of city councillors eligible to vote reluctantly raised their hands. Yet it was decided among them that this did not represent a 'prejudicial interest'.

It will ultimately be up to the Standards Board to determine if any rules were broken. However, from a commonsense point of view, the claim that these councillors could make an unbiased decision seems absurd, especially in the case of Labour leader Bob Price who holds the position of human resources director at Oxford Brookes, the university which stands to gain from the application.

For the record, not one Liberal Democrat or New Labour councillor voted to oppose allocating land at The Slade for student accommodation. Among the most vocal at the meeting was Labour councillor for the area, Joe McManners, who gave an impassioned speech in favour of the application (could this be because he relies heavily on the non-council tax-paying students' vote?), while Clark Brundin spoke for the Lib Dems, declaring that the council had a 'duty' to house students.

Arguments in favour of holding out for an offer for the land, which would deliver more social housing, and for the council having obligations primarily towards council tax-paying residents, from both the IWCA and the Green groups, predictably fell on deaf ears.

As far as we are concerned, the whole thing stinks.

CLAIRE KENT (Councillor) Independent Working Class Association, Churchill ward, Oxford City Council