Developers are proposing 400 new houses on land beside the A40 and almost running up to a nearby village.

Hallam Land Management hopes to build a development near the new Downs Road roundabout in Witney, almost bordering on Minster Lovell.

A "significant area" of the western part of the site will be parkland "to prevent any coalescence with Minster Lovell to the west", said developers.

The site is currently farmland and the working Peashell Farm with holiday lets and farm cottages which will all be retained.

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The plans say a proportion of the development will be affordable homes with allotments/community orchards, play areas and, a new footpath, cycleways and bridleways will connect it to Witney.

Vehicle access will be from the new roundabout on Downs Road and the developers plan additional planting alongside the A40 to mitigate noise impact from the road.

A document submitted in a screening request, before submitting an outline planning application, says the site is "within an established location of growth" to the west of Witney.

On Downs Road the Windrush Place development will eventually comprise around 1,000 homes and there are also 257 houses under construction at Colwell Green. 

The site has not been identified for housing in West Oxfordshire District Council's Local Plan.

However, West Oxfordshire District Council has previously considered it, but wanted it to be developed together with Witney Lakes Resort golf course to the north.

At the time they said it was “distant from any services and facilities” but had good bus connections.

Currently the council is currently unable to show it has a five-year supply of housing land which means developers are able to bring forward speculative planning applications.

In April, Catesby Strategic Land won an appeal allowing it to build more than 100 homes in Minster Lovell despite huge opposition.

Minster Lovell parish council said the homes would have a "very detrimental impact" on the village's "distinctive character and setting".

WODC refused permission in 2023 but it was granted at a hearing in February.

In that case the planning inspector also noted that the council could not demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.

Liam Walker, district councillor for the Hailey, Minster Lovell and Leafield ward, said the council needed to re-assert its authority by speeding up building on the suitable sites that have been earmarked for housing. 

Mr Walker, deputy leader of the Conservative group, said: “This is just another example of the council losing control of housing and letting developers decide where they should build.

"Minster Lovell after this development, the site lost on appeal to the west of the village, and the future plans that could see a major housing estate south of the A40 in Brize Norton, the village is soon to become a part of Witney or Carterton at this rate.

"Whilst the council sits on the strategic housing sites and not meeting the five-year housing land supply it needs, we are going to see more of this I’m afraid.” 

West Oxfordshire District Council pointed out that a planning application for the development has not been submitted.

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A spokesperson said: “Our current Local Plan, which was agreed in 2018, requires nearly 16,000 homes to be built in a 20-year period to meet Government targets.

"Slower than expected progress by landowners and developers on some larger strategic sites means that the anticipated supply over the next five years is not enough to meet the targets.

“We are doing what we can, but we do not have the powers to push the developments forward and it leaves us without a five year land supply."

He added: "We are not the only council facing this issue and we will be responding to a government consultation asking them to do more to get landowners and developers to build homes on allocated sites to avoid this scenario.

“We are moving as fast as possible to get the new local plan in place to not only address the issue of a five year land supply, but also do more to deliver affordable homes, tackle the climate emergency and get the right infrastructure in place for our communities.

"In the meantime, we will continue to do all we can within our limited powers to work with landowners and developers to encourage them to bring forward development on our allocated sites.”