Families in a tiny south Oxfordshire village fear plans for a 1,500-acre country park will turn the landmark Wittenham Clumps into a theme park.

People living in Little Wittenham near Didcot say the proposals - published in a report by South Oxfordshire District Council last month - would urbanise the ancient landscape, threatening the character of the famous Clumps.

The council said the plans would help meet a growing shortfall in green spaces in Didcot and proposed linking the town to the Clumps by a network of paths or greenways.

Andrew Lea, chairman and clerk to the parish meeting, said: "Fundamentally we don't think the Clumps should become a country park.

"We think a country park is more appropriate closer to Didcot and it should not be as far out as the Clumps. It will mean car parks, cafés, toilets and other recreational facilities.

"Traffic is also another concern for us because it's particularly bad as it is and a country park would attract a great deal more cars. We think the Clumps should not be turned into an urban park."

Villager Billie Dowse, 70, said: "I fear we are going to finish up with a commercial theme park. There's too much emphasis on bringing in the public and they don't seem to see the implications of it."

Mark Nicholls, 58, said: "The country park idea is in effect sub-urbanisation of the countryside."

Sir Martin Wood, 80, a patron of the Northmoor Trust, was fully in favour of making more green spaces available to people in towns.

But he said: "I think the park goes much further away from Didcot than I think is reasonable."

Northmoor Trust spokesman Ben Earl said: "The trust is also concerned that any plans are sensitive to the existing pressures and relevant stakeholders are consulted before any such plans are finalised. We have stressed the trust's estate will not be included within the boundaries of any new country park."

Dominic Lamb, the council's countryside officer, said the majority of the comments received from the consultation had been supportive of the park.

He said the council would amend the report to reflect some of the concerns raised.