Homes plan disappoints

6:02pm Friday 18th July 2008

South Oxfordshire District Council tonight reacted with "disappointment" at an announcement that paves the way for a 4,000-home estate on the edge of Oxford.

As revealed in the Oxford Mail, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears gave the in-principle go-ahead for a development on land south of Grenoble Road, near the Kassam Stadium.

Although the scheme was put forward by planners working for Oxford City Council, the site falls within South Oxfordshire's boundary. Planners from each authority will meet to thrash out a way forward.

District councillor Angie Paterson, cabinet member for planning, said: "This is very disappointing - but not wholly unexpected - news.

"Once the panel charged with looking at the South East Plan had recommended an urban extension to Oxford, I feared it was unlikely the Secretary of State would reject it."