HUNDREDS of homes should be built in Wheatley despite the concerns of parish councils, Historic England, Thames Water and the county council’s highways department.

That is the view of South Oxfordshire District Council’s (SODC) planning officers, who want its planning committee to grant permission for 500 homes on Oxford Brookes University's Wheatley Campus off the A40.

Holton Parish Council criticised a ‘lack of community engagement’ over the project, while Wheatley Parish Council said it would cause ‘serious harm’ to the village’s Green Belt.

But some supporters said they want affordable housing and that the homes would go a way of ‘meeting the housing needs of young people and providing local families the opportunity to stay in [Wheatley].’

Others said Oxford Brookes’s buildings are in a state of ‘poor repair’ and ‘housing is needed in the local area’.

Developers initially wanted to build 750 homes on the site when previous plans were unveiled in January, but opponents argue the total of homes planned is still 200 more than SODC has said should be built there before.

Currently, 200 of the new homes – or 40 per cent of them – are expected to be designated as affordable.

But SODC’s officers said two-bedroom homes should be built as houses rather than flats because they are ‘more suitable for families needing rented accommodation’.

Historic England said it worried that the development ‘does not sufficiently avoid or minimise harm’ to Grade II-listed Holton Park and its former deer park, now occupied by Wheatley Park School. The planned development does not seek to enhance it either, it said.

The university has wanted to sell its stake in Wheatley for some time and move departments to Headington.

Sport England said it is confident worries about the replacement of sport facilities can be dealt with. It has placed a holding objection.

Adrian Stokes, Oxford Brookes' interim director of estates and facilities management, said: "We are pleased that officers have recommended approval for the redevelopment of the site for housing. The move from the Wheatley Campus will allow the university to further improve the student and staff experience at the same time as providing much needed housing for the region."

Amongst the county council’s submissions, it said it can cope with 500 new households but there would be other worries if there are more homes built nearby. Its highways department said more transport information is needed to mitigate any impact of the new development.

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said it wants more money to provide services at Morland House Practice in preparation for more residents.

SODC’s planning committee will be asked to decide on whether the project is allowed on Wednesday.

Members of public are welcome to join the meeting at The Fountain Conference Centre, Howbery Park, Wallingford, from 6pm.