OXFORD University has been told it cannot "have its cake and eat it" by senior councillors after calling for changes to requirements for social housing in new developments.

The university says the rule demanding 50 per cent of new homes to be "affordable" should include housing for key workers, such as teachers, university researchers and emergency service workers.

But the idea was rebuffed by Oxford City Council leader Bob Price and executive board member for planning Alex Hollingsworth, who said it should build key worker homes at its own expense.

Speaking at a full meeting of the council on Monday night, Mr Hollingsworth said: "There is nothing to stop these institutions coming forward with a mix of tenures.

"I am trying to encourage them to do just that, rather than having their cake and eating it."

Mr Price added: "In the university and health service we have significant amounts of land which are put up for sale, for example at Littlemore and Wolvercote, which do not allow a key worker element.

"Why? Well, they could make more money out of the site from other kinds of properties.

"That is a perfectly reasonable thing to want, but they should not expect the council to change its policy for that purpose."

At present the city council demands 50 per cent of homes in a development are "affordable", meaning about 80 per cent should be socially rented and 20 per cent other categories such as shared ownership, intermediate rental, affordable rented, or low-cost market housing.

The local authority is reviewing all of its planning policies as it looks to create a new Local Plan.