A FORMER planning adviser said she is "dismayed" by proposals to build on "sacrosanct" land in her hometown, as part of a huge city extension dubbed Greater Oxford.

Oxford City Council last week firmed-up plans for 12,000 homes in Green Belt land, pegging North Abingdon as a key development site.

Ticia Lever, of North Abingdon Local Plan Group, used to work as a planner for the city council and Vale of White Horse District Council.

The 59-year-old, who lives in Alexander Close in North Abingdon, said: "I am absolutely dismayed.

"Abingdon already has air pollution and traffic problems and more housing will inevitably generate more - there isn't the infrastructure."

Green Belt land is supposedly protected from development, but the Government states that in “exceptional cases” this can be overridden.

The city council referred to proposals set out by the district council in its Local Plan draft, outlining 800-home and 200-home sites between North Abingdon and Radley.

Mrs Lever added: "The Green Belt forms a barrier between us and Oxford, otherwise before too long it's going to become Greater Oxford. If this goes ahead it could open the floodgates to the whole of the country."

In previous research published by the Vale, the triangle of North Abingdon pencilled in for development lies between Dunmore Road, Oxford Road and the A34 near Tilsley Park, plus another area encroaching into Radley.

Bob Johnston, county councillor for Radley, said: "The Green Belt should be sacrosanct - it's there with a purpose to prevent urban sprawl. The city council is being very precious about safeguarding its own land."