Floods of objection have been lodged over plans to build 200 homes just outside Didcot. 

As well as the homes, developer Obsidian Strategic also wants to build a special education needs school on the land to the north-eastern edge of the town.

The proposed development will be part of the Garden Town project, which will result in 15,050 homes and 20,000 high tech jobs delivered in the greater Didcot area.

However, nearby householders are concerned about the speed of housebuilding in the area and are worried about the impact of 200 extra homes. 

A total of 16 objections have been sent to South Oxfordshire District Council, in addition to opposition from Didcot Town Council and Long Wittenham Parish Council. 

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Didcot 200-home plan CGI (Image: South Oxfordshire District Council) Susan Marsh, of Westfield Road, Long Wittenham, said: “The application does not align with the Long Wittenham Neighbourhood Development Plan which allocates where housing development is wanted in the parish. 

“In short, we do not believe the housing needs of future residents of Didcot would be well-served by this site on the edge of the town, at a remove from all major facilities and with very little public transport provision, and would therefore make a strong objection.”

Debbie Gair, of Sires Hill, added: “Didcot has seen a huge amount of development over the last five years and lost vast sections of greenbelt land and there has to be a point where this stops.

"The combination of the enormous development to the west of the town which now almost stretches to the A34, and the development to the North East of the town, which includes the the area covered by this application, means Didcot has almost doubled in size over the last seven or eight years. 

“We all know there is a need for additional housing but there has to be the infrastructure to support it and that hasn't been addressed in Didcot.”

Janet Haylett, of Westfield Road, said: “Over the past few years we have watched as Didcot has marched towards us with estates of Monopoly houses and already taken over a significant part of the parish.

"Those houses have been built without village halls or schools or GP surgeries or indeed the road capacity for the numbers built.

"As we are en route to Clifton Hampden bridge this has resulted in a huge increase in cars and delivery vans through our village. We do not need any more houses in the parish.”

The application's planning statement argued that the scheme should be granted permission, despite the site being outside the scope of the development plan. 

It said: “It is considered the site is in the right place given it will result in a logical and natural extension to the Didcot Garden Village which is a highly sustainable town.”

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About the author  

Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government. 

He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years. 

Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby