Homes planned for a major development in Didcot will be sited further away from power lines to allay public health fears.

Outline plans for the 642-home Ladygrove East estate, opposite the Tesco supermarket on the A4130, have been given the green light after planners and developers struck a new deal.

Developers Dare Warwick Properties Ltd redesigned the estate layout to ensure homes were at least 70 metres from power lines - 50 metres further than current Government regulations.

Fears were raised last month that plans might contravene future Government guidance currently under investigation by the Stakeholder Advisory Group on Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields.

A report on the guidelines is due out later this summer.

The changes to the estate layout only affect one of the 21 blocks of land up for development and will not reduce the overall housing numbers.

The developer's agent Terry Gashe of DPDS Consulting Group also reassured South Oxfordshire District Council's planning committee, on June 7, that the proposed primary school would be more than 200 metres from power lines.

Didcot councillor Margaret Davies backed the new development that will see the completion of the Northern Perimeter Road.

She added: "It is no surprise it is happening and we welcome it. We want to see the Northern Perimeter Road completed. Four-fifths of a bypass doesn't work."

A new primary school, a community building and a six-acre park will be provided on the estate.

Two hundred and fifty six homes will be available as affordable housing and developers will also have to make contributions to off-site infrastructure improvements including the multi-million pound expansion of Didcot Wave Leisure Pool.

The approved outline plan provides a framework that will govern the design, structure and general layout of the estate.

Parcels of the 30-acre site will now be sold for development with each requiring separate detailed planning applications.

All will have to abide by the approved design framework.

But not everyone was happy with the application.

Keith Hutchence, representing North Moreton Parish Council, told the committee that increased traffic on the A4130 would lead to problems.

He added: "This is a stretch of road with an above regular rate of accidents. Residents in the Moretons are concerned about how busy this road has become."