A £500m mixed-use scheme in Oxford which has been masterminded by the development arm of St John’s College has finally been given the all-clear after being called in by city councillors.

The planning committee gave Fletcher Priest’s Oxford North project the green light at the end of last month but, days after that decision, it was called in when 13 councillors said the local authority needed to take a second look.

The project has been on the blocks for nearly a decade and involves building almost 500 homes, along with shops, bars and restaurants as well as public space centred around an “innovation district”.

…