There are fears that affordable housing on a new estate in Cholsey, near Wallingford, will look like a "ghetto".

Residents were commenting on plans to demolish farm buildings at Downside Farm, off Papist Way, and a bungalow in Papist Way, to make way for 17 new homes.

Neighbour John Bennett told South Oxfordshire District Council's planning committee: "We believe some development is inevitable -- but we object to the type of development, number of houses, lack of parking and amenity space."

The committee approved plans for two four-bedroom houses, six three-bedroom houses, five two-bedroom houses and four one-bedroom in a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced buildings.

The parish council had asked for the development to be rejected.

Pat Dawe, Cholsey's representative on the district council, said: "I am concerned about the design of the affordable housing element -- we should not be building what looks like it could turn into a ghetto."

In a report to the committee, planning officer Sharon Crawford said the farm buildings were old and dilapidated and did not provide a suitable habitat for bats, barn owls or other protected species.

She said: "Their removal would be a considerable enhancement of the area for a number of surrounding residents."