CAMPAIGNERS have issued a last-minute plea to councillors to reject plans for nearly 4,000 homes on Green Belt land north of Oxford.

Cherwell District Council will decide on its Local Plan partial review on Monday and could sign off the proposals to help Oxford's unmet housing need.

Villagers from Begbroke, Yarnton and Kidlington, who fear their communities will be destroyed by the move have urged councillors to turn it down.

Protests have been planned ahead of the meeting of full council at Bodicote House in Banbury.

Chairman of the Begbroke and Yarnton Green Belt campaign, Giles Lewis, called for the process to be halted until Oxford City Council could prove it couldn't meet its need - something which won't happen until its Local Plan is completed next year.

He said: "We urge our elected councillors to act in the interest of the entire Cherwell region and pause these plans until Oxford City identifies any future housing need.

"All districts can then work together to develop a plan that will truly meet the future needs of Oxfordshire, while preserving the rural identity that makes it such a beautiful county to live in."

Under the plans a 1,950-home community would be built on land east of the A44 at Begbroke along 1,180 homes, on land north of Oxford between Cutteslowe and the A34.

A further 440 homes are planned west of the A44 near Yarnton, with 330 more on the south and east boundaries of Kidlington and 500 on the edge of Woodstock - the only site chosen outside the Green Belt.

A decision will be made at 6.30pm on Monday.