WOLVERCOTE residents are being asked to step in and help shape major housing plans for their community.

A meeting will be held at 8pm on Monday at Cutteslowe Pavilion, in Cutteslowe Park, to discuss Oxford City Council’s policy around building hundreds of homes and new businesses premises in the area over the next 20 years.

Residents are being urged to help put together a neighbourhood plan to influence the developments and related issues including roads, parking and schools.

The sites proposed for development are the Northern Gateway, near Pear Tree interchange, Wolvercote Mill, Elsfield Hall and the Oxford University Press sports ground at Jordan Hill.

The Wolvercote area plan working group wants to use powers in the Government’s Localism Act to draw up the plan, mirroring similar projects in Summertown and Thame.

Working group acting secretary Allie Noel said: “People want a local voice to have a say.

“The allocations have been made, we cannot change, but we want to make sure the infrastructure is in place before these developments take place.”

She said: “It’s quite a big undertaking but listening to people I’m beginning to really understand that they want their voices heard.”

She added: “While it’s a tremendously hard balancing act for the council in negotiating to try to meet the requirements of housing – because we know a lot of people need houses and can’t afford to buy and rents are very high – at the same time I think it’s fair to say lots of people are worried about the plans.”

The plan will need to be ratified by the Labour-controlled city council.

Mike Gotch, a Liberal Democrat city councillor for Wolvercote, said: “I support the idea.

“The interesting question will be just how far the Government is going to allow local people to push the boat out.

“The only way we can find out is to get on with it, prepare a plan and get it ratified by the city council, then we can start proposing some views that the population locally actually are keen on.”

Up to 200 homes each could be built at Wolvercote Mill and the Northern Gateway site.