Villagers fighting 'rampant urbanisation' are celebrating after plans for 80 homes were rejected.

Construction company Spitfire Homes proposed to build the properties on open countryside at Chapel Meadow in Freeland.

On Tuesday (25/4) West Oxfordshire District Council's Uplands Area Planning Sub-Committee followed the advice of a planning officer Joan Desmond when they unanimously refused the scheme.

Freeland resident Jo Whitbread said: "This is a huge victory for the village of Freeland who values its rural lifestyle and will not be bullied by speculative developers."

She added: "I’m sure they will appeal and the fight will continue but it is very representative of the deep feelings that flow through the blood of rural folk that this rampant urbanisation must be stopped before it is too late."

The development, which included allotments and community shop with 12 parking spaces, was strongly opposed by locals who argued that the ‘village is already at capacity.’

One concerned resident Jane Tomlinson, wrote on West Oxfordshire District Council’s public planning portal: “Freeland's population is 1,500. A new estate of 80 houses plonked in a field would increase the size of the village by 10 plus per cent. 

“It's too big, entirely inappropriate and has numerous knock-on effects."

Other concerns were that the village school was already full and would need bigger class sizes as well as extra classrooms.

Parking spaces proposed for the shop were inadequate, they argued, and this would force people to park along the Wroslyn Road.

Villagers also stated that Chapel Meadow is a wildlife haven and forms part of a wildlife corridor from Blenheim land in the east to Eynsham Hall Park in the west.

Freeland residents only recently fought against plans for a retirement village which they said "was the wrong development in the wrong place" as the village did not have the infrastructure to support it.

Inspired Villages, which was established by Legal and General, hoped to build 160 retirement units opposite the same site as that proposed by Spitfire Homes in Wroslyn Road.

Opponents were delighted when the plans were first refused and then the developer's appeal.

However, last month they were left in 'utter disbelief' after they learned Inspired Villages has lodged a High Court challenge against the Planning Inspectorate's dismissal of its appeal.

Campaigners said they could not understand why a developer who had plans rejected twice would take their application to the High Court.