RESIDENTS are furious after a housing association submitted plans for the third time to tear down garages and replace them with homes.

Charter Community Housing wants to knock down 11 garages and build three houses with driveways and create an additional six parking spaces in Langford Gardens, Bicester.

Householders say if the plans were approved it could cause “ructions” over parking in the already overcrowded street.

They reckon overall the street will lose parking spaces, the changes will cause access problems and locals will lose an amenity – the garages.

Residents who rent the garages from the association will be offered spaces in a nearby block.

Campaigner Rachel Taylor, 34, of Langford Gardens, has now launched a petition and lobbied Bicester town councillors at a planning meeting.

She said: “They have not looked at the broader picture and seen how it will effect other residents.

“It is the third planning application, but there are still the same issues; loss of parking, access and loss of the garages.”

Mum-of-three Mrs Taylor said last year on-street parking caused problems for the fire service, which had to move a car before it could reach a burning house.

The teaching assistant at Bardwell School, Hendon Place, predicted more misery if the plans got the green light and raised concerns it could pave the way for similar development across the town.

Town and district councillor Nick Mawer added “We are going to be building more affordable homes in the new developments over the next few years. It won’t have much of an impact on numbers needing housing if these three houses are not built at Langford Gardens, but it would make a big difference to the community of Langford Gardens if this blight on their lives was lifted once and for all.”

Charter’s first application was submitted in 2007 but was withdrawn, a second in spring 2008 was refused by Cherwell District Council.

Jonathan Mullins, Charter Community Housing’s regional development manager, said: “We listen to our residents’ concerns, which is why we carried out a parking survey in February.

“We have made a number of changes to our initial plans to ensure that the residents have adequate room to park safely and are confident that our improved plans now address all their concerns.”