New homes will come to a "swamped" Oxfordshire village despite concerns it is "seriously overdeveloped" and a plea that "somebody has got to say enough".

Planning committee members at a Cherwell District Council meeting on Thursday (June 6) gave the green light to the 55 homes for land west of Church Ley Field adjacent to Blackthorn Road in Ambrosden near Bicester.

Applicant L&Q Estates, which is based near Warwick, said the site would include 35 per cent affordable houses as well as landscaping and that a new secondary school would also be built following approval.

But speaking out at the meeting, Independent councillor for Bicester West, John Broad, said: "That whole area is just becoming totally swamped with housing where the infrastructure is not keeping up.

Oxford Mail: John Broad.John Broad. (Image: Cherwell District Council.)

"You can't just keep adding houses into something which is very swamped."

Meeting chairman Barry Wood said: "Had I pound every time I'd heard that argument expounded I'd have enough to buy everyone a pint.

"Well - maybe not these days actually."

Oxford Mail: Ambrosden.Ambrosden. (Image: Google Maps.)

Mr Broad later added: "This application is very annoying in being a good application in the wrong place.

"When does the village change into a town and kind of suburb (in light of overdevelopment)?

"Adding another piece on top - somebody has got to say enough."

Oxford Mail: Barry Wood.Barry Wood. (Image: Cherwell District Council.)

The application was recommended for approval by a planning officer, Sophia Browne, who had noted earlier there was an existing housing site to the west of the site and one recently approved to the north.

Ms Browne added the application for homes on the greenfield site had previously been refused last year but was being resubmitted before it was due to be heard in an appeal.

Independent councillor Les Sibley said in relation to questions around the appeal: "Are there any implications of what we might do today?"

The head of development management, Paul Seckington, said: "The appeal will carry on if permission is refused and there could be an award of costs against the council if it is found to have acted unreasonably."

Oxford Mail: Illustrative masterplan.Illustrative masterplan. (Image: Cherwell District Council.)

Stuart Field, who spoke out in favour of the development, noted a "lack of objection from technical consultees to the application".

He also said there had been "extensive dialogue and collaboration" and added that the applicant was "going above and beyond to construct 11 per cent of the new homes as bungalows".

A planning officer said the environmental protection officer was satisfied, previous refusal for the application could "no longer be justified" and officers were "satisfied appropriate standards of amenity can be achieved".

Oxford Mail: Bicester town centre.Bicester town centre. (Image: Ed Nix.)

But objector Dawn Seaward, chairwoman of Ambrosden Parish Council, added: "The NHS for the area reports that these additional houses would have a significant affect on local GP surgeries which are already under enormous pressure."

The application was approved with nine in favour, three abstentions and six against to which meeting chairman Mr Wood said "phew".