One of the five Oxfordshire district council leaders has refused to support "flawed" plans which will see some 14,300 homes divvied up across the county to meet housing need.

At a county council meeting held yesterday at County Hall each of the District Council heads were asked to agree plans which set out housing need across each area of Oxfordshire.

But South Oxfordshire District Council leader John Cotton was the only council chief to object to the proposal and refused to give his support for the plan.

Mr Cotton, whose district would take the highest share of the homes at 4,950 blamed his decision partly on the report prepared by council officers.

He said: "My concern is that by using the wrong set of data to make decisions then you are making flawed decisions."

Council leader for Cherwell District Council Barry Wood argued however: "If you don't have a local plan you are open to planning by speculation."

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council and chairman of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, said: "The recommendations made to the Growth Board on housing apportionment was the result of years of hard work by all six councils in the county who have worked in partnership to develop a sustainable approach to meet the county’s future housing needs.

"I am disappointed that South Oxfordshire District Council was not in a position to support the recommendation. However, I am pleased that all other councils voted in support of the recommendations."

Council leaders ultimately voted through the proposal by a majority of five against one.

The plan, designed to meet housing need up until 2031, will see 4,400 homes in Cherwell, 2,750 in West Oxfordshire, 2,200 in the Vale of White Horse and 550 in Oxford itself.