A COLLEGE has called for a dispute with homeless people who have set up shelter in a disused property it owns to be resolved 'amicably'. 

Wadham College said it was ' profoundly sympathetic' to the plight of homeless people in Oxford but warned the former VW garage in Iffley Road was unsafe and contained large amounts of asbestos.

A spokeswoman said representatives of the college had met with the group known as Iffley Open House and were seeking 'a consensus'.

From the end of February, work is due to start on the site's redevelopment into student accommodation but on New Year's Eve about 36 homeless people set up camp there.

In a letter sent yesterday, the college told the group that building leaseholder Midcounties Co-operative Investments Ltd had started legal proceedings to evict them. 

They have urged the college to let them stay for the winter.

thisisoxfordshire: Pictures of the group rolling out a banner from the roof. Near to far: Miranda Shaw, Hannah Murray, Jemima Blake and Andrew Taylor.

The college said: "Wadham College is profoundly sympathetic to the plight of homeless people in and around Oxford.

"The college has a longstanding relationship with The Gatehouse and has been raising money to support a variety of local homeless groups for many years.

"However, as a charity and part of the University of Oxford our obligation is to our students.

"We purchased the Iffley Road site to provide a home for these students, many of whom find the cost of living in public rented accommodation in Oxford prohibitive.

"We are obliged to ensure that the college’s assets can be used to their fullest extent and, in relation to the Iffley Road property, to construct new student accommodation, which will be particularly important for students of more modest means.

"As part of that process the college will be contributing over £900,000 towards affordable housing in the Oxford area.

"Subject to planning consents, the pre-demolition process for this site is set to begin at the end of February 2017 in order for demolition to start in March.

"The ground floor of the property is currently let to The Midcounties Co-operative Investments Ltd who we understand are taking steps to recover possession.

"We are seeking to establish a constructive dialogue with all of the interested parties.

"We have met with representatives of the Iffley Open House and are working to reach a consensus on how best to resolve this matter. The College would prefer to resolve the situation amicably."