TWO southern Oxfordshire villages are set to become 'garden villages', the government has announced.

Berinsfield, near Wallingford, and Dalton Barracks, near Abingdon, will both have access to extra funding to help plan for new open spaces, high-quality housing, new employment opportunities, transport links and community facilities.

But the move is expected to mean more housing.

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South Oxfordshire District Council says Berinsfield's new status will 'help provide well-designed new homes, whilst protecting and enhancing existing local green spaces'.

The village expansion is included in South’s emerging Local Plan, with councillors set to consider the options available to them in the next few weeks.

Dalton Barracks would be a new development included in the Vale of White Horse District Council’s emerging Local Plan Part Two.

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Sue Cooper, the Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council said: “We are pleased the government are investing in our region and as a new administration, are looking at district-wide options to help us to build healthy sustainable communities.”

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Emily Smith, her counterpart at the Vale of White Horse District Council, added: “If we build homes at Dalton Barracks the Garden Village funding will help ensure this new community is planned with environmental and social sustainability at its heart.”