PLANNING is not a chicken and egg scenario. Infrastructure is essential prior to any development.

Without it, the impact felt from a proliferation of people on an area can be huge.

From overcrowded schools to congested roads, the list of problems from a lack of foresight can be extensive.

The Northern Gateway scheme is proposing 500 homes, a hotel and a business park.

With such a grand plan, care and attention are needed in making sure the North Oxford area can cope.

It is worrying then that a transport consultant has crunched the numbers and come up with a result that does not make for good reading.

If Mike Schofield is correct in his calculations, traffic could increase by almost 50 per cent.

The county council needs to come out and make clear exactly how it is planning to implement infrastructure to stop this traffic turning Wolvercote into a glorified car park.

So far it has been silent on how it will deal with residents’ worries.

David Nimmo Smith has sought to reassure residents by claiming a strategic link road west of the A34 is high on the list of their priorities and has at least part-funding from the Oxford City Deal.

But until detailed plans are unveiled and a budget released, there will still be questions over how such a large scheme will be adequately accommodated.