The name of car manufacturer William Morris is set to be immortalised in Cowley after councillors decided to name a road after him.

Names for two new roads being built in a new development off Barracks Lane and Crescent Road were chosen by Oxford City Council's Cowley area committee yesterday.

The two new roads will be called William Morris Close and Beresford Place.

Both names were chosen for their links to the community, as the site is home to the Morris Motors and Social Sports Club, which Mr Morris, later Lord Nuffield, founded. Beresford Place comes from Mr T Beresford, who was a conductor for the Morris Motors Band.

Two alternative road names, Sher Afzal Place and Bill Fagg Place, were also considered by the committee.

Sher Afzal Khan, who died in 1999, launched the Pakistan Welfare Association in the city and worked to integrate the Asian community in East Oxford and Cowley. City councillor Shah Khan was particularly keen to mark his name.

But it was agreed that, as Mr Khan had no direct links to the site, his name could be put forward for a planned development in North Way, Marston, near where his family live.

Mr Khan, who had initially backed Sher Afzal Place as a name said he thought the development in North Way would be an even more appropriate place to recognise Mr Khan's contribution.

He said: "I think a lot of people would appreciate his name being remembered like this because he has done so much work for the Asian community in Oxford."

Long-serving city councillor Bill Fagg, who worked at the Morris Motors car plant, was twice Lord Mayor of Oxford.

The two names eventually chosen by the committee were both put forward by Morris Motors Sports and Social Club, after members of the club voted for them.

A spokesman for the club said that the £4.5m clubhouse which was being built as part of the new development was going to be named the Lord Nuffield Club, as members did not want to infer that the organisation was only open to former factory workers.

Road names in the city are chosen using a series of criteria following consultation with councillors, developers and the Royal Mail.