COUNCILLORS have attacked plans for the first phase of Bicester’s 5,000-home eco-town.

Members of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee went against their officers’ recommendations and deferred giving planning consent so “loose ends” could be tied up.

A2 Dominion Group and consortium P3Eco’s wants to build 394 homes, an energy centre, shops and office accommodation at farmland off the B4100 Caversfield.

Despite a series of concerns from a string of organisations, Cherwell officers had recommended the application was approved.

But the meeting last Thursday was told Oxfordshire County Council strongly objected because the developer said it could not pay £4m as part of a share to fund services such as schools and libraries. Other concerns included the ability to deliver the long-term project and that it was not green enough.

It also emerged an independent financial “viability” survey was not complete.

Catherine Fulljames, who represents the nearby villages of Bucknell and Caversfield, said: “I think until we have the results (of the viability survey) this committee should wait until such time as information in our hands.

“We have got to have the 106 agreement and it has got to be decided and totally agreed now rather than in a few months time or it will be built and we won’t have the infrastructure.

“What you’ll end up with is a very second class housing estate.”

Debbie Pickford was concerned over when the school would open, the pressure on other doctors’ surgeries to provide health cover, the lack of formal sports land and the fact there was no information about how the rest of the development would be built.

Lawrie Stratford said: “I can’t recall ever seeing an application with consistently the same message coming from everyone related – the lack of a masterplan and the financial viability.

“There’s a £4m deficit. Previously the council’s been criticised for giving permission where a developer promised a lot that never arrived in Bicester. That’s why we are 40 acres of sports land short.”

Ian Inshaw, director of P3Eco, said he had people lined up to invest tens of millions in the scheme and his consortium had “substantial land under option or control”.

He said his proposal was the best way to regenerate Bicester and urged councillors to “seize the opportunity”.

The plans are expected to be brought back to the committee next month and a masterplan for the entire site is expected to be submitted to the council early next year.