A COUNCILLOR tonight reviewing a bid to build 26 student flats in East Oxford has labelled concerns about the plans as “sounding horribly” like racism, homophobia and sexism.

Oxford City Council’s planning review committee will decide on the application for student housing in Union Street, but chairman Tony Brett was yesterday criticised for linking residents’ comments that students caused problems and the area had too many student homes to hate-crimes.

In the Carfax councillor’s online blog, he wrote: “The language I have read in emails sounds horribly like the racism of the 60s, the homophobia of the 80s and the sexism of the 70s.

“I wonder – would people oppose an afro-Caribbean resource and advice centre or an LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) resource and advice centre on that site with such gross and frankly disgusting generalisations.”

But neighbours and council leader Bob Price accused Mr Brett – elected last year and who is standing by his comments – of overreacting.

Ed Chipperfield, 35, chairman of the James Street Residents’ Association, said: “Tony is clearly unsympathetic to locals who have aired open and honest grievances, preferring to compare them to racists, homophobes and sexists.

“People around here are just passionate about the area they live in.

“They should feel free to get in touch with their councillors. And they shouldn’t be labelled as bigots for doing so.

“They’ll be scared off.”

The row was sparked by an application for 26 rooms in a former Union Street canteen.

Six locals, including the nearby East Oxford Primary School, officially objected to the plans due to traffic, loss of privacy and the number of students already living in the area.

It was supported by the west area planning committee, but called in by Elise Benjamin supported by 11 other councillors.

That brought it to the planning review committee.

Parent governor Halima Banaras, whose children Khadija and Fatimah go to the school, said: “You can’t make statements like that.

“It’s not a good statement to make. It’s not like sexism at all. We have got genuine concerns.”

Fellow resident Taryn Storey said: “I am a full-time PhD student living in East Oxford. Councillor Brett is polarising a complex situation into a student versus resident debate.”

Mr Brett, a former Corpus Christi student who works at Oxford University and was made chairman of the committee in May, said he had also received emails telling him it was “morally wrong” to have student flats overlooking a school.

The Liberal Democrat claimed he was not labelling the residents bigots, just the language they were using.

He said: “I have received emails in which residents say students bring nothing positive, they use offensive language in every sentence and that our community is being destroyed.

“That is not the way to get on with people.

“I am always happy to listen to the views of residents’ associations and have not yet made a decision about the Union Street development.”

Mr Price said: “While anti-student views have clearly been in evidence in public comments, they could hardly been compared with racist, homophobic or sexist language.”