159 homes approved at Hill View Farm, Marston despite outcry

The new estate, called Hill View Farm, will sit at the end of Mill Lane to the north west of the village, next to the northern bypass.

Plans for the 159-home development were approved by Oxford City Council on Wednesday night.

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But Marston residents pleaded for the council's planning committee to oppose the plans.

Peter Williams of the parish council said the new estate, coupled with plans to build 79 more houses on Mill Lane, and a further 39 at Marston Paddock, would add an extra fifth to the village's number of homes.

Dr Williams added: "Such growth would be reasonable if the infrastructure supported it, but it doesn’t. All traffic feeds on to an already congested Oxford Road since the council has denied access onto the ring road."

Charlotte Vinnicombe of Elsfield Road and Oxford Road Residents Association and Zana Waddington of Friends of Old Marston also objected to the plans, describing how the extra homes would cause a huge amount of traffic through the village, which already suffers with congestion.

Planning agent Robert Gillespie spoke in favour of the applicant, a landowner called Mazhar Dogar.

Mr Gillespie said 79 of the homes, or 50 per cent, would be designated for affordable rent or sale.

How Hill View Farm may look when complete. Picture: via Oxford City Council

He referred to the 'chronic shortage' of cheap housing in Oxford and said: "This is just what your city needs."

Nigel Chapman, a member of the committee, asked if any thought had been given to providing shops at Hill View Farm, so people living there would have less need to travel in and out by car to shop elsewhere.

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However, planning officer Andrew Murdoch said his colleagues had not thought it necessary to include provision for shops when setting aside the site for homes.

Planning chairman Colin Cook said: "I think when it comes to this application, the perfect is the enemy of the good. I think an application that comes before us at the start with an offer of 50 per cent affordable housing is to be applauded."

Hill View Farm, which could become houses in the future. Picture: Google Maps.

Five members of the committee voted for the plans, and four against. There was also an attempt to defer the plans for further investigation, which failed.

Speaking after the meeting, independent city councillor for Marston, Mick Haines, said he was furious the plans were approved, and had concerns about flooding.

On the plans for even more development for Marston in future, he added: "This will put the whole village out. It won't be a village anymore really, will it?"