A PUBLIC inquiry into whether hundreds of student rooms should be built next to a historic cemetery will begin today, pitting the city's heritage against the housing crisis.

The controversial proposals to build 286 student rooms on land next to Holywell Cemetery where The Wind in the Willows author is buried, were rejected by Oxford City Council in April last year.

But developers Merton College and McLaren Property appealed the decision and the case will now be heard by a Government planning inspector over the next four days.

City council board member for planning Alex Hollingsworth said the local authority would defend its original decision 'in the strongest possible terms' and cite the heritage value of the site in St Cross Road.

The council revealed it would use a long list of Grade I and Grade II-listed building surrounding the site in its argument.

In a statement it said: "[We] will set out what we understand to be the significance of the heritage assets, such as the Central Conservation Area, St Catherine’s College buildings and gardens, Magdalen Deer Park and boundary wall, the Holywell Cemetery, Holywell Ford, St Cross Church and the Holywell buildings, and provide an assessment of the harm to those heritage assets that...would result from the appeal proposal."

It added that the site was in a 'sensitive' location and that the proposals were overdevelopment of the area.

Magdalen College were among a number of colleges to object to the plans, along with St Catherine's and organisations including Oxford Preservation Trust and Oxford Civic Society.

Magdalen College domestic bursar Mark Blandford-Baker said: "The college’s position is unchanged – we are not opposed to a development on this site but it should be proportional and fitting to the surroundings.

"The McLaren scheme is far too big in terms of height, mass, capacity, and of little architectural merit.

"Because the students housed there would not be from any one establishment there will be no sense of community and this could lead to problems which would have an impact on the surrounding area."

McLaren Property and Merton College are expected to produce a detailed analysis by estate agent Savills on the student housing market to argue their case.

The report said there was a 'strategic need' and that half of full-time students in Oxford currently rely on private sector housing.

The scheme would also contribute £1.1m towards affordable housing elsewhere in the city.

Proceedings will begin at 10am at the Town Hall and are expected to last until Friday.

McLaren Property and Merton College did not respond to a request for comment.