A CONTROVERSIAL planning blueprint for Oxford has been agreed, despite opposition from residents.

Oxford City Council’s “core strategy” sets out the size and shape of city development until 2026 and contains plans for 8,000 new homes as well as the Northern Gateway business park near Pear Tree.

Opposition councillors have criticised the plans for not being ambitious enough in its housing targets.

And residents in North Oxford even formed a campaign group to oppose the Northern Gateway business park, which they warned will create traffic gridlock.

The core strategy, which started life in 2006, was adopted at a full meeting of the Labour-controlled Oxford City Council on Monday night.

Deputy leader Ed Turner said the strategy was good for the city, and included employment land to create growth and set tough environmental standards. Yet he said: “On its own, the strategy cannot solve all our problems.

“In particular, Oxford needs to expand beyond its boundaries, and the Coalition Government’s changes to planning rules prevent us doing that.”

The core strategy has had a turbulent and controversial history.

It was finally ruled “sound” by government planning inspectors late last year after an aborted planning inquiry in 2009, a High Court legal challenge and a change in Government that led to major revisions in regional planning policy.

This handed more control over planning to councils and allowed them to decide whether to adopt the Labour Government’s housing targets.

This effectively ended the city council’s hopes of building 4,000 homes south of Grenoble Road, as the site was within the boundary of South Oxfordshire District Council, which opposed the homes.

The largest housing site would be to the west of Barton, about 1,000 homes, with smaller sites scattered throughout the city.

The inclusion of a the Northern Gateway business park, to provide 3,000 jobs and 200 homes, was another major issue.

That proposal sparked the formation of the residents’ campaign group Engage.

Speaking after the meeting, campaign leader Jonathan Gittos said the group would take advice on a legal challenge but would also begin a more “conciliatory” approach.

He added the group would work with residents on a “neighbourhood plan” aimed at influencing any future development in North Oxford.

The Liberal Democrat group abstained when it came to the vote, claiming they did not want to halt the adoption of the strategy but could not support it due to “major flaws”.

Group leader Stephen Brown said: “We have argued it is unambitious in its housing targets and that Oxford alone cannot meet its need.”

Members also claim the blueprint is flawed as it is based on employment data gathered in 2006, prior to the economic downturn.

Green councillors voted against the strategy and said the city needed a plan that was not based on unsustainable growth.