RECENTLY we warned Oxford City Council that it was facing a stern fight, when university colleges issued a highly critical statement about its housing policies.

Now it is facing a full scale assault on its policy to try to raise money off the back of student accommodation developments.

And worryingly, no matter whether you are town or gown, it seems the council is making its first moves to back-track.

The dispute is over a new policy where those building student accommodation would have to pay £140 a square metre plus a five per cent admin charge, with the money going towards social housing.

The colleges say there are “significant legal, policy and viability objections” and have a legal team challenging it.

All but the most rabid developer would agree contributions should be made to infrastructure and affordable housing.

The council is defending its policy, but is already saying it needs to “tighten up the wording” of its planning document. That is hugely worrying, coming on the back of the privacy fiasco over recording conversations in the back of taxis.

This is a significant policy that we assume was worked on thoroughly by politicians, planners and legal officers.

So why, at the first whiff of complaint, is the council saying the two universities have misread its intentions and it is going to change its wording to sort out any confusion?

This policy involves millions of pounds and it is completely unacceptable for our taxpayer-funded council to be tweaking the wording, seemingly on the hoof.