Plans to build an eco town at Weston-on-the-Green have been backed by a Bicester councillor who said it could help boost the town's ailing community hospital.

Town and district councillor Les Sibley said people should not dismiss the scheme - which would mean 15,000 homes built on 800 acres of farmland close to the A34/M40 junction - until they had seen the details.

He said the scheme, which has made it on to the Government shortlist of 15 proposed eco towns - dubbed "Brown's Town's" - could make a case a lot stronger for the Bicester Community Hospital.

He said: "Let's have a look at the plans instead of maintaining a campaign to dismiss it.

"If the eco town does go ahead at Weston-on-the-Green, the demand for health care in Bicester is going to be a lot greater and more beds will be needed.

"This blows the PCT's argument about numbers out of the water."

Residents and campaigners have been fighting for a 30-bed community hospital for more than a decade.

They believe the town's 12-bed cottage hospital, near King's End, should be replaced with an improved version. However, Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust wants to replace the hospital with a care centre.

Health chiefs said the town would get some beds - but not the 30 that was hoped for. Heather Wicks, head of non-elective care-commissioning for the PCT, said: "If plans were to proceed to build 15,000 new homes, the PCT would work with Cherwell District Council to ensure sufficient health care services were in place to meet the needs of the new population."