THE end of a long-winded saga over whether residents living in an apartment block will get permission to park is edging closer.

The county council’s cabinet will be asked to finally scrap any possibility of parking permits for residents in what was built as a car-free development.

Opponents of the scheme were worried that any plan to allow permits for Wingfield House in Gathorne Road, Headington would set a precedent that would have been seized by other landlords across the city.

Headington city and county councillor Roz Smith said: “Although it might seem a little harsh on those who live in car-free developments, it’s a way of reducing car journeys in the city centre.”

But she said she was unsympathetic towards the owner of Wingfield House, Harold Grant.

He was told by a deputy High Court judge in April that his argument for new permits was ‘wholly lacking in merit’.

Ms Smith said: “This is somebody who wants to have more income from his tenants, who does not like the fact that he will not be allowed to raise rents.”

Wingfield House was given planning permission by Oxford City Council in May 2007 and again in May 2011 as a car-free development.

Last October, cabinet member Yvonne Constance was applauded by opponents of the parking permits extension, including Ms Smith, after she turned down the application.

In December, Mr Grant’s representatives then challenged Mrs Constance’s decision. They argued that her decision was invalid; the county council then wrote back on January 4, 2018 rebutting his arguments but admitting minutes from October’s meeting could have been ‘better expressed’.

Because of that the council suggested Mrs Constance rescinded the decision to make it clearer.

Despite that, in late January Mr Grant filed a judicial review and it was rejected on April 27.

But deputy High Court Judge Robin Purchas QC said it was ‘wholly unarguable’ that the council did not have any right to reject the proposal.

He said: “There is no arguable basis for contending that the decision was not lawfully delegated to the cabinet member [Mrs Constance] who took the decision.”

Residents’ groups were readying themselves for the loss of the judicial review and the possibility that Mr Grant would have been able to ask again for tenants’ parking permits.

They were overwhelmingly opposed to any extension.

According to county council figures, of 35 residents asked, 34 were opposed.

But of other respondents, 18 were in support; none were opposed.

Thames Valley Police said it had no problem with allowing the permits; Quarry Rovers Football Club were in favour.

Parking surveys carried out by the county council showed nearby roads were either significantly over capacity or edging towards it.

And in a draft letter seen by the Oxford Mail from residents’ groups, they were set to argue that: "There is no space in Gathorne or adjacent roads, which will be compounded by the Access to Headington project."

The cabinet will be asked to end the possibility of the new permits at a meeting on Tuesday.