REVISED plans for a campus of 190 students in residential East Oxford have been revealed.

The student flats would be built on a former builders’ yard site in Chapel Street that had earlier been earmarked for St Hilda’s College’s multi-million-pound ‘Cowley Road quad’.

But after St Hilda’s pulled out of the project, the site was sold to Dominion Developments, part of a major affordable homes group.

The new scheme proposes more student rooms on the former Travis Perkins site.

Residents say the new scheme is inferior to the original St Hilda’s quad plan. And they fear it will increase levels of antisocial behaviour and rowdiness in a predominantly residential area.

Chris Honeywell, whose home in Ablett Close backs on to the site, said: “With the loss of the amphitheatre, this scheme seems to be less classy. Rather than being college premises, this scheme seems much more utilitarian.”

He added: “We must have assurances that it would be properly managed.

“This are a lot more students for East Oxford. The prospect of even more coming back from the midweek Fuzzy Ducks nights at the O2 Academy in the early hours is not good.”

The scheme claims that outline planning permission given to the St Hilda’s scheme in 2010 should still apply if revised details about layout, appearance and landscaping are approved by Oxford City Council.

If a new planning application is needed, the project could fall victim to changes in city planning policy.

New planning policies direct student accommodation away from residential areas “to minimise the noise and disturbance” from students passing late at night.

The St Hilda’s plan, which would have provided accommodation for 170 postgraduate students, promised to be one of the biggest college schemes in recent years.

However, with the original developer having received planning permission, in January the college governing body said that it did not want “such a large financial risk” and pulled out of the deal.

Nik Lyzba, planning consultant for the revised scheme, said the outline permission allowed up to 200 student rooms.

He added: “Slight changes to external materials and windows are being proposed rather than any wholesale redesign.

“In relation to the neighbours, it is all consistent with what has already been approved.”

Spokesman for the East Oxford Area Residents’ Associations Forum, Sietske Boeles, said outline planning permission had been given on condition that St Hilda’s would help the housing market by releasing college-owned homes on Iffley Road. But this no longer applied.

Local city councillor Craig Simmons is pressing for part of the site to be used to create jobs.

He said: “The Local Plan requires that there are employment opportunities on this site. I want that included in any development.”