TRAFFIC and infrastructure are the priorities for residents as plans to build up to 1,500 new homes on land in Bicester were shown to them for the first time.

Developer Wates and Redrow Homes hope to submit an outline planning application by the end of this year to build on farmland off Wretchwick Way, next to Langford Village.

Over the next 15 years the developers want to build homes, a primary school, shops, and a business park made up of light industry units and offices which, they say, will create up to 3,000 jobs.

The site will also provide sports land, a village green and play areas.

As part of the proposal a link road connecting the A41 Aylesbury Road, Graven Hill and the A41 Oxford Road, will run through the centre of the estate.

But residents have raised concerns about road safety on Wretchwick Way and the proposed new link road.

One Langford Village resident, who did not want to be named, said people would not want lorries driving through the middle of their housing estate.

Another, Susan Wilkinson, said proposed crossings in Wretchwick Way, part of the town’s ringroad, were not adequate. She said: “Children have got to go to secondary school every day on their bikes – there needs to be some form of proper crossing.”

Vanessa Eggleston, of consultants Curtis & Co, said work to improve the roundabout on the A41, known as Rodney House, was in the pipeline and that would help traffic flow.

She said the new link road would give motorists the option of using either Wretchwick Way or the new link road.

Councillor Nick Cotter said with all planned developments in Bicester taking place “there’s got to be proper infrastructure”.

He said: “You can’t just chuck up hundreds and thousands of new houses without considering facilities in the town.

“I do not want us to be a dormitory town.’’ Councillor Dan Sames said it would be up to Oxfordshire County Council to ensure the roads were adequate.

He supported the business park, but said he would like to see provision for a secondary school at the site.

Independent councillor Les Sibley said he was concerned the business park could include too much warehousing that would be intrusive to residents.

A spokesperson for the developers said: “This is invaluable feedback that will help further shape our emerging proposals.”