Headington residents are calling for compensation for a £14.8m project, which will see their roads and lives "turned upside down".

The Hospital Energy Project will link the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals with a heating pipeline and will involve the temporary closure of many of the area's main roads for 32 weeks.

Residents affected by the scheme were invited to a consultation event at the two hospitals today with most saying contractors for the project, Vital Energi, should compensate them for the inconvenience it will have on their lives.

Maurice Daly, 56, from Lime Walk said: "I think we need to see some kind of compensation in terms of traffic calming on the affected roads because it might mean people are more likely to get in board with the project considering our roads are being turned upside down.

"All the people in Headington want is to create a positive proposal and to see the management of the traffic dealt with properly because it's not too late to salvage the whole project but they need to listen to us.

"This whole thing needs to be a two-sided affair and if they want to carry on the project without too much uproar, they need to start listening to us."

The project is set to affect roads including Woodlands Road, Sandfield Road, London Road, All Saints Road, Lime Walk and Churchill Drive, with the work to install the 2.2km pipework talking place in stretches of 120 metres at a time on each individual roads.

County Councillor for the area Roz Smith agreed with residents, saying she hoped Vital Energi would provide residents with compensation.

She said: "I think people are most interested in having LED speed detectors on the roads that show how fast people are going as they've been proven to work in other areas.

"But another thing I'm really worried about is the fact that the pipeline is going to be going down Churchill Drive and that the road to the hospital will be closed.

"Can you imagine being stuck in traffic on that road and needing to get to the hospital to see a loved one? It would be horrendous and it needs to be taken into consideration."

Ashley Malin from Vital Energi said he was very happy to listen to the opinions of the residents and would be taking their thoughts onboard.

He said: "We will listen to residents suggestions for compensation in terms of traffic calming measures and see what is most popular during the consultation period and then look into it.

"We will be putting the planning application in in the next week or the week after."

It is hoped the planning application will be determined by August 2016, with working beginning in September 2016 and continuing for 32 weeks.

Work is already underway at the John Radcliffe Hospital, with a new boiler being installed, but the Churchill Hospital is still home to an old boiler from 1963.