MORE than 200 petitioners in North Oxfordshire have backed a campaign to stop a development which it says could more than double the size of their village.

Residents in Finmere, near Bicester, have hit out at plans to build 47 homes north of Fulwell Road amid fears of flooding and the potential strain on local services.

Applicants Siteplan UK have put forward proposals for the development but campaigners fear a potential follow-up application of another 50 homes is in the works.

Resident Stephen Wynne-Jones said: "More than doubling the size isn’t minor development and given the thousands of houses being built in Bicester they aren’t needed anyway.

"We are only a small community of 168 houses on the very edge of the county just outside Bicester.

"These houses could more than double the size of our small village with no investment in services.

"We only have an intermittent bus service, a church and school, but no shop, pub or any other local amenity that can support such a dramatic increase in the population.

"Also, access to the new estate will be provided from a currently pedestrianised part of the village that’s used by children to play and horse-riders."

Campaigners have started a petition against the proposals, which has gained 210 signatures from those in the village.

It is believed this is more than 80 per cent of its adult population.

Another major concern is the flooding risk it poses to the north Oxfordshire village.

Mr Wynne-Jones added: "The village drains were deemed by Anglian Water to be at capacity in 1999 and we routinely experience floods after heavy rain.

"This development is on a slope at the highest point of the village, so we’re concerned we will flood after every rain fall when the field is concreted over.

"Enough is enough for Finmere, we have been blighted enough."

Applicants Siteplan UK were not available to comment on these concerns but a flood risk assessment at the site submitted with the application found the risk to be "low" and needed no specific design restrictions in place.

It added that "all surface water from the development will either be infiltrated in to the ground or discharged to the Tertiary Watercourse to the north of the site.

Plans are believed to be put to councillors over the coming weeks for a decision on the development.