A 100-page document detailing how a former airbase must be developed has won the backing of councillors.

The draft planning brief for the base at Upper Heyford, where about 1,000 new homes are to be built, covers a range of issues from employment and transport to the type of materials used in the construction of the homes.

The document says enough employment has to be generated at the site to attract 1,500 jobs.

New houses must also be built using grey limestone, while artificial stone and timber cladding will be banned.

Improvements to bus services must also be provided to ensure that passengers can travel to and from Oxford and Bicester at both on and off-peak hours.

The present service at the Upper Heyford train station also has to be upgraded, the document says.

Councillors on Cherwell District Council's development committee were told last night that the first planning applications for developing the site were expected in the next 12 to 24 months. Cllr John Hunter said: "There has to be an overall architectural concept as to how these houses will be built, rather than see the site carved up by individual developers."

Patrick Burke, the council's planning policy manager said Heyford was a stand-alone site which "will create its own char-acter".

* A new study is to be carried out to find out out where additional houses can be built in Bicester, including the town's former RAF base.

The land at the former RAF Bicester, which is now used as a gliding club, will be disposed off by the Ministry of Defence in March 2000.

The adopted county structure plan will see 4,200 homes built in Bicester up to 2011- instead of the original plan for 2,700 houses.

Story date: Wednesday 17 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.