CONTROVERSIAL plans for a new nursery in North Oxford have been approved by Oxford City Council.

St John’s College put forward plans for the building in Bainton Road, that would be open Mondays to Fridays, 8am to 6pm and cater for children from six months to pre-school age.

But residents of nearby homes claimed it would create extra traffic and posed a safety risk to families and cyclists who use the route, because the entrance and exit to the nursery’s semi-circular driveway was next to two “blind bends”.

They raised doubts about a traffic survey done for the scheme and claimed it did not account for a large number of cyclists that use the route.

At a meeting of the west area planning committee on Tuesday night, there was also concerns raised about parking spaces opposite the proposed site, just north of the college’s sports field.

Liberal Democrat city and county councillor Jean Fooks said parked cars would mean cyclists had to veer further into the road near the bends, raising the likelihood of an accident.

But senior planning officer Fiona Percy told councillors that it was a matter for the highways authority, Oxfordshire County Council, which had reviewed the scheme again that day – due to residents’ concern – and stuck with its decision to raise no objection.

The application was approved unanimously by councillors, but residents said afterwards that they would write to the county council about their road safety concerns.

At the same meeting, scaled-back plans for a temporary building to house train operating company staff at Oxford railway station were approved.

Network Rail changed the plans due to concerns raised by residents about the overshadowing of homes to the east in Staple Close.

Proposals for an extension at Magdalen College School, to provide a new sixth form centre, were also agreed.