Politicians have raised concerns Oxford University is "dominating the map" of the city in a new form of "town and gown" division as major "campus" developments take place.
Works taking place which will create new mini districts include Oxpens, a new Oxford quarter with student accommodation, as well as a series of university laboratories for areas such as Botley Road and Hythe Bridge Street.
It comes as the development company of St John's College is also constructing Oxford North, one million square feet of new labs and workspace near Wolvercote, which includes cafes, bars, a hotel, a nursery and green space.
Labour city council leader Susan Brown has responded to criticism of this "campus-style development" suggesting it is misdirected and "shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the planning system and the powers of the council".
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This was after Independent Temple Cowley councillor Saj Malik stated Oxford University "has been dominating the map of Oxford".
"It is becoming the dominant force directing which path the city will take," Mr Malik said.
"The council is pushing independent businesses out.
"The university wants to make Oxford a student town."
The city council also came under fire from Green councillor Lois Muddiman, of the Osney & St Thomas ward.
She said: "Oxford City Council seems to be encouraging proposals for many employment sites to bring lots of new jobs to Oxford. However we do not have an employment crisis. What we have is a housing crisis."
But Labour leader Susan Brown responded: "Unlike other parties we don't pretend that the city's economy is a tide that can be somehow held back and stopped, but instead seek to manage it to make it as inclusive as possible.
"These comments show a fundamental misunderstanding of the planning system and the powers of the council.
"Labour councillors have ensured that the city council's local plan and our housing and economic policies are delivering council housing, shared ownership housing and improving the quality of private rented housing to address the very real housing need in our city.
"The city council has not assigned any new sites for employment use for about 10 years.
"Every single employment site in the city, from the car factory to the hospitals, can be used for housing if the owners of those sites want to.
"Equally if the owner of a site that is already used for employment wants to carry on using that site for employment, then they can also do so.
"There is no ability for the council as a planning authority to prevent the owners changing the type of employment on their site, as has happened in a number of places, from retail to laboratory or office space.
"The city council's role is to help make sure that when proposals for new buildings on existing employment sites come forward, those buildings are of the highest possible environmental standards, that they are well connected for pedestrians and cyclists, and that car parking is kept to a minimum."
The Oxpens site - a multi-million-pound plan for new apartments, student rooms, a hotel and an amphitheatre - is a joint venture between Nuffield College and Oxford City Council at an under-used, 15-acre brownfield site into an extension of the city centre.
Some householders in Oxford have raised concern saying the council should be pushing to prioritise affordable housing in the site rather than employment use.
Ms Muddiman said the council's part in Oxpens was an example of where the council had the power to change things, when we went back to her with Ms Brown's comment on a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the planning system.
Dr Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini, Oxford Community Independents councillor for Northfield Brook and chair of the Child Poverty Review Group, said: "Whilst well paid jobs are important for lifting local people out of hardship, it’s clear that trickle down economics doesn’t work.
"Our workers are paying almost two thirds of their salary on rent.
"The division between town and gown is sadly persistent with housing prices rocketing in no small part due to university programmes.
"The Oxford North development is not even meeting the recommended 50 per cent affordable housing benchmark.
"If the university is serious about tackling its role at the root of inequalities our residents suffer then it’s high time it acknowledges the above and puts the people of Oxford before it’s growth and profits."
Meanwhile traders in Oxford have also shared their thoughts on changes in the city.
Graham Macdonald, founder of the iScream Gelateria in the Covered Market, suggested he thought the university contributed a lot to the economy.
He added: "The university is one of the major draws to the city centre both for academia but also for tourists – anything that enhances that has got to be a good thing."
But Amir Steve Ali, who works at the Rice Box restaurant on Cowley Road, said: "They (the city council) should really focus on the local residents as well because there’s a housing crisis.
"People are struggling, there’s a long waiting list.
"To me it looks like this is all about money.
"Us local people should be the priority.
"Everyone is welcome but obviously sort out the mess in Oxford first."
Independent Oxford Alliance (IOA) councillor David Henwood said: "It is really important that both the universities work with us and we work with the universities to get an outcome that’s right for Oxford.
"It shouldn’t be a one way conversation."
But he identified science and technology as "one of the sectors" giving significant growth and said "anything that improves growth in Oxford we would be willing support".
We have contacted the University of Oxford for comment.
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About the author
Noor is the Local Democracy Reporter for Oxfordshire who covers political stories from across the county.
She began working as a journalist in Oxford in September 2023 having graduated from the University of Oxford.
Noor was trained at the News Associates journalism school and can be found on X through the handle @NoorJQurashi
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