A NEW development to include 1,700 homes, a retirement village, commercial space and a primary school has been given the go ahead.

At a Cherwell District Council planning committee meeting on Thursday councillors backed the Himley Village project at Middleton Stoney Road, Bicester.

Speaking at the meeting Councillor David Hughes called it a ‘great opportunity’ for the town.

He said: “The benefits of this application to our town and to our district are endless from what I can see and what the developers need it certainty.

“I think the community of Cherwell will welcome it and we will all benefit.

“The risk as I see it is we have a strong economy at the moment and a window of opportunity and that can pass if we wait so I think we should grasp it with two hands.”

Ultimately councillors sided with the officer’s recommendation and approved the project.