THOUSANDS fewer homes could be built in Oxfordshire following a Government announcement which confirmed councils would be given more power to set their own housing targets.

The new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, this week wrote to all local authorities telling them he wants to “rapidly abolish” regionally-set housing targets, which said 40,680 homes should be built in central Oxfordshire by 2026.

Instead, councils would now decide how many homes should be built in their communities.

Mr Pickles’ announcement prom-pted South Oxfordshire District Council leader Ann Ducker to withdraw plans showing where 5,000 new homes would be built across the district.

The plans were only announced three days ago.

As reported on Thursday, a 4,000-home proposed development south of Grenoble Road on the outskirts of Oxford would also be scrapped because of the Government’s policy change.

If other councils follow suit, dozens of controversial developments across the county could be axed.

Mrs Ducker yesterday said the council would look at how many homes were needed, rather than allocate sites to fulfil targets.

She said: “We have to wait until we know from Mr Pickles, but we are hoping to reduce the number of houses we are required to build in some of the towns.

“Although the future is uncertain, I am now confident that the changes will happen sufficiently quickly to make any decisions under the existing rules redundant in no time.”

The U-turn means that just three days after a site in Wallingford was allocated 750 homes, protestors are sensing victory in their campaign to reduce the number to 350.

Protest organiser and district councillor Imran Lokhon said it was a “really big move forwards” for the town.

Sub-regional targets finalised last year said 8,000 homes should be built in Oxford, 4,000 at the Grenoble Road site, 6,400 in Cherwell, 8,240 in South Oxfordshire, 10,240 in Vale of White Horse and 3,800 in West Oxfordshire as part of Government plans.

Yesterday, Oxford City Council told the Oxford Mail it would continue with existing house building plans until the Government introduced proposed new legislation to change planning policy.

Vale of White Horse District Council, which had proposed controversial plans for 1,500 new homes in the Charlton district of Wantage, said its Local Development Framework would not be considered by councillors until October, by which time Government policy would be clearer.

In West Oxfordshire, where debates have raged in north Witney and Carterton over proposed developments, the council said it would be reviewing its position and awaiting further information from the Government.

In Cherwell, council member Michael Gibbard said the authority was considering Mr Pickles’ letter and would make its thoughts known in due course.