CONCERNED residents expressed fears over the impact of plans for 1,200 homes, a primary school and a link road east of Chipping Norton.
Homeowners had their first chance to speak out on the proposals at a public consultation at the town’s Glyme Hall on Wednesday.
Several people shared their views on how the site, which forms part of West Oxfordshire’s Local Plan, would impact traffic, health care and school capacity in the town.
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A range of opinions were expressed, but one Chipping Norton resident of 20 years, Claire Williamson, admitted she was worried by the number of houses.
She said: “There’s always opportunities for the town and this isn’t a NIMBY view of no more housing.
“But I would question the size of the development and I’ve heard other people raise that concern.
“There’s a bit of frustration about more agricultural land being built on, but I do understand those sites are complex.”
The land is part of the local plan’s East Chipping Norton Strategic Development Area and also includes five hectares of business land, plus potentially shopping, community and leisure facilities.
The primary school could stand south of the road between Chipping Norton School and the link road, although a central location is also an option.
About 280 homes would be built north of London Road, with 100 already approved for land south of Banbury Road.
The other 920 would be south of London Road, including 73 already approved off Trinity Road, while 40 per cent of the 1,200 homes will be affordable.
Some residents said they were worried about the impact on traffic, despite the link road connecting the Burford and Banbury roads, via London Road.
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The road would run across land currently occupied by allotments and this was a key concern for some residents.
The site might not be finished until the end of the local plan period in 2031, but Chris Hargraves, West Oxfordshire District Council’s planning policy manager, said ‘the majority’ could be three years away.
He added: “We understand the concerns about the scale of development, but we’ve found that a bigger scheme with the road performs better than a smaller scheme without the road.”
A second consultation is at the Town Hall on Monday, February 25.
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