Residents of a village that has expanded by almost a half in six years say 'no more' development as its identity is being lost.

Manor Oak Homes has applied to West Oxfordshire District Council for outline permission to build 43 two-to five-bed new homes with up to 17 stated as affordable housing in North Leigh near Witney.

240 plus houses have been approved or built in the village since 2017.

North Leigh Parish Council said the development would bring the total number to 1,000 “resulting in North Leigh hardly being classified as a village now”.

And it said the latest estate would lead to the coalescence of North Leigh with New Yatt, “eroding the village character” of both settlements.

One angry neighbour said: "The development bridges the gap between North Leigh and New Yatt and effectively creates one village. The development would fill in a corner of North Leigh adjacent to New Yatt that is currently serving as the gap.

"There must be a limit to the development, and it is reasonable to argue that this has already been reached."

30 residents attended a recent parish planning meeting while at least 60 residents have emailed Manor Oak directly to object.

North Leigh Parish Council stated: "There is insufficient infrastructure support such as doctors, dentists, school places and public transport locally."

It said the extra cars used by new residents on the roads - which the developer estimates at 80-plus - "would increase the already dangerous roads in the village."

Thames Water agreed a "Grampian clause" will be required to prevent occupation of the houses until there is sufficient sewage capacity at the Church Hanborough sewage works which is operating outside its legal permit.

Its upgrade work is scheduled for completion in March 2025.

"This means that the proposal will not be completed in time to make a contribution to the current five-year land plan in West Oxfordshire anyway,” state the parish council.

And it argues that the West Oxfordshire Local Plan says any new development should be infill or "limited" and have regard to the character and scale of the village while this estate does not.

"This is a purely speculative application for planning permission by a non-local land promoter who is not familiar with the site or location in North Leigh,” said the council.

It also said the scheme was likely to suffer from the same subsidence and flooding issues as the estate next door which, it said, suffers from cracked walls, flooded gardens and damp and where remedial work is ongoing.

Witney MP Robert Courts has written to the Environment Agency on behalf of residents to determine the responsibility for permitting housing on the field.

Answering questions raised during a public consultation Manor Oak Homes said the current Local Plan requires a minimum of 15,950 new homes to be built by 2031.

It said the sites identified "are not delivering at the pace required" and the council must allow other sites, “including those outside existing settlements” to come forward.

It conceded that the proposals would result in the development of a field between North Leigh and New Yatt.

But it said the estate on the opposite side of New Yatt Road means the site is fully enclosed by buildings to the north and the development “would not extend built form closer to New Yatt than it already exists.”

However, it added development will be focussed in the centre of the site.

At a meeting earlier this month, members of West District Council's Lowlands Area Planning Committee voted to make a site visit.