AN £8m housing redevelopment providing social housing and student accommodation is being planned for the centre of Oxford.

Housing association The A2 Dominion Group wants to demolish buildings in Luther Court, off Speedwell Street, and replace them with 43 new affordable homes and 19 apartments for students.

They say the scheme would include a greater number of two-bed social homes, which are in demand.

A planning application is yet to be submitted to the city council, but proposals are in the final stages of being drawn up and neighbours are being consulted. Luther Court currently provides 56 affordable homes, with a large number for single residents.

But the new development would offer eight one-bedroom homes and 35 two-bedroom homes for rent, and 19 student flats with 76 bedrooms for students.

Existing residents will be offered the chance to move temporarily or transfer to a new home, and housing association managers say they are liaising closely with residents.

The housing association’s area director Laurinda Hornblow said: “This is an exciting redevelopment.

“The new scheme will improve access and privacy for residents and subject to planning permission we hope to begin building work in late 2012.”

A2 Dominion spokesman Lizzie Yates said mixing student accommodation with social housing would “improve the long-term sustainability” of the site.

She added: “Our consultation included a session in September where there was the opportunity for residents to speak with the architects and ask any questions about the proposals.”

The rent for the student accommodation will be at current market rates, compared to the social housing, where the rent will be at an “affordable” rate set by the Government.

The developer is a not-for-profit organisation and will plough any profits back into providing affordable housing.

It is part funded by grants from the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency.

The group is one of the country’s leading providers of affordable housing, with 2,500 homes in Oxford and 34,000 homes across London and the South East.