Nearby residents have objected to proposals to build 73 homes in an Oxfordshire village.

Plans have been submitted by L&Q Estates to build the development at land north of The Bourne in Hook Norton and will arc around the existing sports and social club.

This includes building an access road from The Bourne which has caused concerns to be raised by locals of increased traffic on the road and delays in the area.

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Objections also include worries over the lack of public facilities including GPs, dentists and schools given the amount of housing planned. 

(Image: Cherwell District Council)

Margaret Jerman, who lives at The Bourne said: “The infrastructure of the village is already suffering from the impact of the three developments from the past 10 years, the roads are not wide enough to accommodate all the vehicles from all of the houses now.

“The roads are full of potholes which despite them being reported, rarely get fixed. These are dangerous in themselves.

“It is now almost impossible to park outside the shop or post office during opening hours.”

Tom Molmans of Brookside, added: “Think we've had enough new development over the past years.

“Will we get a bigger doctor's surgery? Or more NHS dentist capacity? And what about the infrastructure? The roads are diabolical as it is.”

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Michele Booth of The Bourne, wrote: “The plans show vehicular access via the Bourne, as most households have two cars that are 150 plus outward journeys and 150 inward.

“The road is already busy and this would not be sustainable or safe.

"We do not have an easy route to a major hospital, if there was a road traffic accident the air ambulance would need to attend as it has twice recently within the last two months.

“What about a GP surgery, it is already impossible to get an appt often for the same day.

“There is no NHS dentist in the village and the village school might not cope with a possible influx of scores of children of primary school age.”

However, developers say that there are number of local amenities close to the site that could serve the residents of the proposed development.

These include Hook Norton Surgery, a local ‘SPAR’ shop, Hook Norton Church of England Primary School and two public houses, The Pear Tree Inn and The Sun Inn, Hook Norton Brewery and Hooky Co-working Club.

“The proposal makes effective use of land in providing much needed housing at an appropriate density for its location,” a section of the planning documents said.

Another part adds: “It is considered that the proposal does not result in any adverse impacts that significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.”

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About the author

Rob is a digital reporter who covers a wide range of topics.

He joined the Oxford Mail in February 2023 having previously been at sister paper The Bucks Free Press for two years. 

Rob completed a Sports Journalism degree before earning his NCTJ Diploma at Darlington College and can be found on X at @RobertFolker.