A SITE to the west of Witney is being lined up for 1,000 new homes.

West Oxfordshire District Council has set out where 3,200 homes could go across the district in the next 15 years.

A total of 4,100 dwellings have already been built or are planned as part of Government guidelines that say 7,300 homes must be built in west Oxfordshire from 2006-26.

Now fresh sites are being considered for development to the west of Witney town centre, to the east or west of Carterton and in Chipping Norton.

Public consultation into the proposals is under way.

District councillor Warwick Robinson, cabinet member for planning, said “There are some difficult decisions to be made and we need to know that all the possible options for the future have been fully investigated before we finalise our plan, ready for submission to the Government later this year.”

The council’s Core Strategy Preferred Approach identifies the broad locations for new homes, jobs and infrastructure such as roads and schools.

In Witney, at least another 1,500 new homes are proposed, of which 1,000 will be between Downs Road and Deer Park Road.

Dot Holloway, 61, of Wenrisc Road, Minster Lovell, said: “Hopefully, the more expansion we get, the more facilities we get.

“It has to be in conjunction with what has already been built, providing we have the traffic access.”

The development will include new primary schools and provision for secondary education.

There will also be open spaces, community and leisure facilities and a large area for new businesses.

Christine White, 56, of the Aquarius estate, Witney, said: “People need somewhere to live, particularly low-cost housing.

But my issue is, with all of these new estates coming up, infrastructure is not being improved.

“The traffic is horrendous. They have made no improvements.”

Brian Hunt, 67, from Minster Lovell, added: “There are only two open fields now left between Minster Lovell and the built-up area going towards Witney.

“The big fields are a nice place to walk around, which annoys me about building all of these houses.

“Until they do something about the roads we are always going to get problems with parking and traffic.”

Land to the north of Witney is under review as a possible location for a longer term housing development or as an alternative site to Downs Road.

In Carterton, land to the east and west could be developed with about 1,000 homes.

Improvements are proposed to local facilities, with new shops in the town centre.

A link road from Shilton Road to Shilton Park could be built to improve access.

In Chipping Norton, at least another 400 homes are proposed.

About 200 will be on land in the London Road area, together with new businesses, healthcare and primary education facilities.

Small-scale development will also take place in other towns and some villages, but the sites have not yet been identified.

witney@oxfordmail.co.uk Public consultation runs from Friday until Monday, March 22. Visit westoxon.gov.uk/ planning/CoreStrategy.cfm or call 01993 86142