MULTI-MILLION pound plans to completely transform Balliol College sports facilities and student accommodation have been unanimously approved.

The proposal includes demolishing several buildings bordering St Cross Road and Jowett Walk and replacing them with eight new buildings including student rooms, a new pavilion and an assembly hall.

Oxford City Council officers dubbed the plans "extremely well considered and of high quality" before the committee voted unanimously at a meeting tonight for approval.

Balliol College say the scheme will enable them to house all under graduates, as well as redevelop the "dated" existing sports facilities.

Speaking at the meeting Sir Drummond Bone, Master of Balliol College, said: "Balliol College ranks among one of the oldest Oxford colleges and as of this week one of the best thanks to University Challenge.

"We are a community of about 930 people and currently we are only able to house about 80 per cent of our under graduates and somewhere about half of our post graduate students.

"This is not a position a modern college wants to find themselves in."

He added: "Just as Oxford has to solve its housing crisis, the college has to do the same."

The college have pledged to complete the building by January 2020.