A masterplan showing the proposed layout of 1,585 houses, a new hospital and three schools on the edge of Bicester has been released to the Oxford Mail.

The plans will give members of the public their first glimpse of how the 287-acre south west development is likely to look.

A 'health village' with space for a doctors' surgery, community hospital and nursing home is earmarked for the corner of Middleton Stoney Road and Oxford Road.

Space is also reserved for a third secondary school in the town, two new primary schools, shops, a community centre, business premises, a day nursery, pub, hotel and a sports pavilion.

More than 65 acres of the development will be dedicated to public open space, including children's play areas and sports pitches.

The masterplan is the culmination of 18 months work by the developer Countryside Properties.

Director John Oldham said his company had adapted the plans to reflect the wishes of local people, after a series of public consultations last summer.

He said: "The town needs far more health provision, that has made us change the masterplan to include a community hospital.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be the local primary care trust in there. It could be a private organisation that then rents bed spaces to the PCT.

"All I heard was people in this community seem quite keen - we are trying to reflect what we have heard from folk."

He expects 1,600 new jobs to be created.

Under the plans a peri- meter road would skirt the new development, linking the junction between Middleton Stoney Road and Howes Lane with the A41 near Chesterton.

Mr Oldham said: "We have tried to make it a bendy road to try and reduce speed, to follow existing hedgerows and trees and to try and fit it into the landscape."

He said Countryside Properties had carried out ecological, traffic and archaeological surveys around the site, adding trenches were about to be dug to check for any remains.

Mr Oldham said: "Bicester is at a crossroads at the moment, it needs to celebrate things like this and welcome them.

"It will add benefits to the community - sports space, schools, education and a large variety of good quality homes.

"The council has made this commitment, what they should do now is actually get the very best for Bicester, the very best for the existing folk and this new community. It has been a very long exercise and we are there now."

Countryside Properties is now ready to submit the final plans to Cherwell District Council for planning permission - but not before showing them to townspeople next week.

The plans will be on display in Garth House, Launton Road, from 4pm to 8pm on Thursday, from 4pm to 8pm next Friday, and from 1pm to 4pm on the Saturday.

Representatives from Countryside Properties will also be on hand to answer any questions.