A proposal to increase the number of homes and student flats to be built on the site of Oxford's Territorial Army barracks would cause parking and traffic chaos, councillors were told.

The city council's north-east area committee, which was asked for its comments on the move at a meeting this week, expressed concern about the increased density of the development at Slade Park barracks, in Headington.

The scheme, which will be decided by the council's strategic development control committee on April 25, seeks approval for 353 student bedrooms and 72 houses and flats. Last year, permission was granted for 276 study bedrooms and 53 homes.

Committee chairman and deputy city council leader David Rundle said: "The image that we have seen of the front of the building on to Horspath Driftway concerns me, because it does represent a significant massing, which may raise questions about the density of the development.

"The issues which have been expressed about cycle and car parking are significant issues and we need to express concern about that."

Barrie Drury, who lives in Awgar Stone Road, alongside the site, said: "Hollow Way is already chock-a-block full of traffic, cars that park all over the place and it's going to take them five years to demolish this place and another five to build. It's going to be chaos, unless something is done about the traffic and parking before anything else is done."

The council's planning officers have recommended approval of the extra homes and flats - which could net the city council more than £133,000 for allotments, sports and play areas and community facilities and the county council more than £525,000, including substantial school and transport contributions.

But residents and local councillors said they believed the increased number of homes would exacerbate existing problems in the area.

Les Foster-Barnes, of Risinghurst and Sandhills Parish Council, told the meeting: "What you haven't taken into consideration is the residents of Wood Farm are very concerned, even at the moment, with the flow of traffic in that area.

"You're going to have more traffic and cars, more buses and more movements."

And Liz Brighouse, who represents the Churchill division on Oxfordshire County Council, said: "I'm deeply concerned that what will happen from the development is people will actually park in the closes nearby, as some people are already doing."

The Territorial Army is moving out of the site to a new county headquarters at Dalton Barracks, in Abingdon. The scheme would also see a war memorial to soldiers who died in the Boer War in South Africa being moved to the Abingdon barracks.