PEOPLE in West Oxfordshire are being asked where more than 7,000 new homes should be built.

Draft documents published by West Oxfordshire District Council outline possible locations for the developments.

Three thousand are planned for Witney, while a minimum of 1,500 homes could go to Carterton and 1,000 to Chipping Norton.

The remainder will be built in surrounding villages. The Government has said 7,300 homes must be built in the district by 2026.

District councillor Warwick Robinson, cabinet member for planning, said the past two years’ consultation had been taken into account in the council’s approach.

“Before finalising our plan we want to know whether there are any difficulties with our approach and whether any key issues or challenges are inadequately addressed.

“We are particularly seeking comments about further major growth at Witney, Carterton and Chipping Norton.”

The council has earmarked land west of Witney, an area off Swinbrook Road, in Carterton, and land east of Chipping Norton.

Most of the houses will be on greenfield sites.

Jo Mannings, 47, of Alvescot Road, Carterton, said: “I am not sure how many more people Witney can take as the roads are gridlocked anyway.”

Colin Powell, 64, of Cogges, added: “It would be a shame to lose any more green land in Witney, so much has gone over the years.”

Last week developers Gleeson Strategic Land (GSL) and Taylor Wimpey, who were behind Thorney Lees, announced plans for 1,400 new homes in North Witney, along with a West End Link Road.

This has been welcomed by some people, but there are concerns that flood-prone land would not be able to cope with more houses.

The developers said a drainage system would manage surface water.

Crawley Parish Council chairman Colin Dingwall said: “The flood alleviation measures will hold the run-off water that often causes so much devastation in Hailey Road and keep the route into Witney open during inclement weather and, of course, improve safety.”

But David Condon, of Witney CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) and Witney First, said: “We are extremely concerned about the risk to flooding and I think this has to be looked at.

“When you build an estate, instead of water being sucked into the ground and gradually entering the water table and flowing into a river, the water runs quickly from the built-up area, into the drainage system and straight into the river and it’s almost instant.”

The council’s public consultation runs until the middle of next month.