RESIDENTS will tomorrow speak out against plans to expand a retail park in Oxford.

They will oppose proposals to redevelop Seacourt Retail Park, in Botley, at a meeting of Vale of White Horse District Council’s development committee.

The existing Homebase, Habitat and Allied Carpets stores would be divided up and extended to create 11 smaller shops and the BP petrol station would be removed.

A planning officer has recommended that councillors approve the plan but residents say it will create more traffic and leave them without a filling station.

Andrew Pritchard, 71, from Laburnum Road, said: “I find it very difficult to believe that there’s really a need for these shops in the area.

“I think there’s much more need for the petrol station.”

Planning officers said that filling stations two miles away in Oxpens Road and three miles away at the Pear Tree interchange could meet demand.

But Mr Pritchard said: “People will be driving down the A34 and Botley Road, which are already heavily congested.

“This will only add to that congestion and increase the travelling costs for people wanting to fill up their cars.”

Other concerns include the impact on parking for office workers at Seacourt Tower, and poor cycle and pedestrian access.

The plans would create a new exit to link the retail park to the A420 in place of the exit from the petrol station.

Permission was given for this change in 2007 but it has not been implemented. North Hinksey Parish Council warned then that it would cause problems for traffic leaving Oxford.

Mr Pritchard added: “I’m not sure if the council will listen to our objections, but it’s important that we make ourselves heard.

“Too often, these kind of applications slip by without people noticing them until it’s too late.”

Brad Critcher, a director of TDH Estates, which is developing the site on behalf of British Airways’ pension fund, has said the smaller units would be easier to let.

He said last year: “This is not the creation of new space but the reorganising of space that’s already there.

“The impact on the road network will be negligible. Trips to retail parks are not taken at times when the rest of the road network is busy.”

The meeting is at the Guildhall, in Abbey Close, Abingdon, at 6.30 pm rpope@oxfordmail.co.uk