THE county has a 'duty' to respond positively to the Government's backing and build thousands of homes in the coming decades.

Oxfordshire Growth Board discussed a housing deal that would see them given £215m in exchange for building 100,000 homes by 2031.

But the Oxford to Cambridge corridor growth could mean even more homes will be needed in the county by 2050.

National Infrastructure Commission senior adviser Alastair Gordon told the board Oxfordshire needed to respond to the Government's challenge and support growth along the corridor.

Cherwell District Council leader Barry Wood said: "It is absolutely crucial for us to respond positively and engage on this and central Government needs to know that we will - we have a duty to do that.

"We need to be at the forefront of this growth because if we are not or do not take part it will be done to us - the system will go around us."

The National Infrastructure Commission's report, backed by the Government in the Budget, recommended 1 million new homes in the Oxford - Milton Keynes - Cambridge corridor and the creation of 1.1 million jobs by 2050.

It said that five new towns - some built to city scale - would be needed.

But South Oxfordshire District Council leader John Cotton said the report focussed too much on things that worked in the past.

He said: "It says let's build some big new towns, we have done that before.

"But it's the small sites that can be brought forward a lot more quickly."

He added that the NIC report missed out opportunities to grow businesses along the corridor in the short term.

He said: "It should have included broadband infrastructure and 5G infrastructure.

"These are the things that can help companies grow today - they might be expensive but they are not difficult to do."

Despite plans for new settlements along the corridor, Mr Gordon admitted that more than half of the million homes would come from expanding existing communities.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England said the corridor had been chosen 'in secret' and called for a full public inquiry.

CPRE Oxfordshire trustee, Michael Tyce, told the Growth Board: "Apart from the inadequate infrastructure money you are getting, it is hard to understand why you are eager to overdevelop and blight our rural county in this way.

"Especially as there has been no consultation with the public as to whether becoming an industrialised growth hub is most people's or indeed anyone's vision for the future but yours."

He added: "The Budget was a bad day for Oxfordshire."

After the meeting fellow trustee Colin Thomas renewed calls for a full statutory public inquiry on the needs and effects of the corridor.