A KEY development site that will bring 950 homes and a host of community facilities to Abingdon has been unanimously approved. 

Last night Vale of White Horse District Council's planning committee passed CEG's controversial application to build the estate off Dunmore Road and Twelve Acre Drive. 

The three hour meeting at Abingdon School's Amey Theatre saw several speakers demand that plans were passed only on the condition that a diamond interchange at Lodge Hill must be in place, before any homes are occupied.

But the Vale's planning team insisted this would be 'unreasonable', and the plans were passed with no change to the Lodge Hill condition recommended by council officers. 

The condition regarding Lodge Hill states: "No more than 150 dwellings [can be] occupied prior to written confirmation of central government funding for Lodge Hill slip roads."

Yesterday the Government announced a pledge of £9.45m towards the long-promised A34 interchange, which largely seemed to appease several objectors' concerns about traffic. 

Others were concerned that the cash was only a pledge and had not yet resulted in money in the bank. 

Another condition states that no more than 400 of the homes could be occupied before a contract is agreed to build the slip roads.

There is no limit on how many homes can be built before the southern slip roads are in place; conditions only limit occupation. 

A representative from Oxfordshire County Council, speaking at the meeting, said he was 'very confident' that the full interchange at Lodge Hill would be built by 2020. 

The site will contain 900 houses, 50 retirement homes, a care home, a school, a GP surgery, a community hub, sports pitches and green spaces. 

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Above: The location for the housing shown in VOWHDC's Local Plan

The land had been removed from the Oxford Green Belt during the district council's Local Plan process, and had already been approved within that document for 800 homes.

Councillors last night questioned why CEG had been allowed to add another 100 houses to this, plus an additional 50 retirement homes, but planning officers said they felt it was an 'acceptable' increase.

35 per cent of the homes will be affordable, in line with council guidance.

But there will be fewer one and two bedroom homes than Oxfordshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) deems acceptable: 21.8 per cent of the total homes, compared to the suggested 28 per cent.

CEG told councillors this was because 'following the SHMA does not use that land efficiently', and smaller houses would change the density of buildings on site.