CAMPAIGNERS have warned that if plans for 240 houses near Radley are approved it will destroy local wildlife and leave ‘a single field’ between the village and Abingdon.

The application, submitted by Radley College for land off Kennington Road – including a former quarry – is set to go before Vale of White Horse District Council’s planning committee this evening.

It is recommended for approval, with planning officers saying the ‘limited harm’ to local habitats and green space was outweighed by the benefits of the development in contributing towards the area’s housing need and providing funding for local infrastructure, including the long-awaited scheme to create a ‘diamond interchange’ at the Lodge Hill interchange in Abingdon.

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Julia Hammett, chairman of the Oxfordshire Badger Group, however, said the development would impact the ‘rich biodiversity’ of the area and leave ‘a single field’ between Radley and Abingdon.

She said: “Most of the former Green Belt site is owned by Radley College but Kibswell Homes owns the old quarry which boasts a mosaic of habitats and grassland which is species rich and has a well established badger sett.”

Following concerns, which were also raised by the district council’s countryside officer, this part of the development has been reduced but Ms Hammett said that much of the land was still being lost.

The campaigner added: “It is questionable why the species-rich former quarry was ever considered suitable for housing by the Vale of White Horse and why, over a two-year period, a more sustainable plan which met the concerns of local residents, the parish council and district council and preserved the rich biodiversity on the site, was not reached.”

She added: “Radley College as part of their Community Partnership Programme aims to, ‘develop a deeper sense of social responsibility through a greater awareness of the wider society’ .

“We therefore ask Radley College, in the spirit of a wider responsibility to society and the natural environment, to address the concerns of local residents and also ensure that habitats will be retained in a more environmentally friendly scheme which respects rather than endangers wildlife.”

Along with 30 objections from residents who live near the site, Abingdon Town Council and Radley Parish Council have also opposed the plans.

The parish council cited not just environmental fears but also the impact of the houses on traffic at Sugworth Lane, as well as other routes around the village during construction.

The application will be discussed at The Beacon in Wantage at 6.30pm.