RESIDENTS have the chance to name Oxfordshire's new 2,200-home garden village.

The development is currently using a working title of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Garden Village, but a special competition is up and running to give the settlement its own identity.

It will be built north of the A40, near Eynsham, and have its own school and community facilities, plus a new science or business park.

Jeff Haine, West Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “The name is a key part of the planning process. It gives the village an identity and a real sense of place.

“This will be the name that future generations will identify with so it is very important that we get it right and that the public is engaged as much as possible.”

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Once the competition closes at midnight on August 31, key stakeholders will be contacted for their input and the district council's cabinet will make the final decision.

The competition winner will receive two Blenheim Palace adult annual passes.

The garden village is key to West Oxfordshire's Local Plan 2031, which sets out how to build 15,950 houses and associated infrastructure.

Despite concerns from many Eynsham residents, the district council says the development will make a 'major contribution to providing much-needed homes and jobs' in a 'high quality' environment.

It will also unlock funds to improve infrastructure and boost the case for improvements to local transport links, including upgrades to the A40.

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Oxfordshire County Council has submitted an application for a new park-and-ride near Eynsham, which could open next year, as part of £180m of planned improvements to the road.

Eynsham residents are holding a public meeting on the garden village and upgrades to the A40 tonight.

To suggest a name for the garden village, email naming.competition@westoxon.gov.uk