Class war breaks out as council tarmacs only the posh end of Oxford street

A ‘class war’ has erupted among angry Oxford residents after the council only resurfaced the road at the ‘posh end’ of a suburban street.

Residents have called out the local authority after pointing out the fresh tarmac only goes as far as the spot where a wall, complete with spikes, once divided council houses from the rich.

The long Oxfordshire street, built in the 1930s, is split into two.

At one end is wealthy Wentworth Road. At the other is Aldrich Road.

But although the wall was taken down some 60 years ago, it seems class barriers still exist. And the resurfacing has not gone unnoticed.

A graffiti artist turned social activist has spray-painted the words ‘class war’ in bright block capitals at the border line.

Naomi Langlais, who lives on the less well-to-do Aldrich Road, said: “It was around April or May time that they decided the ‘middle class’ side deserved to be resurfaced.

“So we waited patiently for our end to be resurfaced too and thought it was just taking time as they had run out of money or something.

“But we soon realised it was just the one end they were doing, apparently we should put up with potholes and uneven surfacing.”

The mum-of-four said the resurfacing ‘does make you feel like second class citizens’.

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She added: “We have not moved on at all – now we have a visual divide but a much less obvious one.

“It is just so weird it stops at the exact spot that used to occupy the wall, half way down the road.

“The resurfacing is desperately needed on our end as well.”

But Oxford City Council has denied the class claims.

It says the roads are still classified as separate road, hence why only one had been resurfaced.

“Oxford Direct Services resurfaced Wentworth Road earlier this year,” said a spokesman.

“The decision to resurface this road was purely based on need.

“The structural condition was far worse in Wentworth Road and this led to the decision to resurface this road first.

“Wentworth and Aldrich are different roads and the need to resurface Wentworth was greater.

“Oxford Direct Services will be inspecting Aldrich Road to assess the need for pothole repair.’