PEOPLE living in a small Oxfordshire village are concerned that plans for 150 new homes would have a detrimental impact on existing infrastructure.

Croudace Homes has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, for outline planning permission for 150 dwellings, including affordable housing, public open space, landscaping, and more on the land west of Braze Lane in Benson.

In a planning statement prepared on behalf of Croudace Homes by David Jarvis Associates, it states the ‘benefits’ on the new estate would be a ‘high-quality, design-led development’ with homes that will be 40 per cent affordable.

READ MORE: 150 new homes planned for rural Oxfordshire village

However, neighbours living near to the proposed site are concerned the village could not take on new residents with the existing infrastructure.

There are concerns about available spaces in GPs and schools as well as the impact on traffic.

Catherine Randall, of Coppice Piece, said: “I fully appreciate the need for housing, especially affordable housing. However, nothing is being done with regards to infrastructure.

“The school is not big enough, the doctors isn't big enough, the shop/high street is not big enough. We do live on the new estate now, so don't want to appear hypocritical but this development is not on the neighbourhood plan so why is it even being considered.”

Kerry Sawyer, of Hampden Way, said: “The volume of new houses the village of Benson has already received is already having a detrimental effect on the local infrastructure.

READ MORE: Popular Oxfordshire fish and chip closes

“Services (like the primary school and GP surgery) have been expanded already but have once again reached capacity.”

Dionne Simpson, of Passey Crescent, said: “This development would increase road traffic through the village and affect road safety.

“It would cause significant loss of open space. Residents are already struggling with not enough school spaces, the GP surgery is now closed to new patients and there is not enough before and after school childcare provision.”

Andrea Powell, of The Street, said: “Benson has absorbed many hundreds of new homes in recent years, with more still to be delivered, and its infrastructure is now already under considerable strain.

“Another 150 unplanned houses, on a site which is isolated from the rest of the village, would push that infrastructure well beyond capacity.

“Where would the sewage go? Where would the children study?”

Josie Cartridge, of Chapel Lane, said: “The GP and dentist can take no new patients, traffic is already significantly increased on the B4009, parked cars make Benson hard to navigate and local nurseries and schools are at capacity.”

READ MORE: Outdoor activity company win prestigious award THIRD time in a row

The application is currently open for consultation until December 7 and the planning authority will make a decision by February 3.

-

Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

A message from our Editor

Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.

If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more. 

You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile. 

If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here.