Objections to major plans for 150 homes in an Oxfordshire village have continued to flood in with more than 200 submitted.

Some 225 people are opposing the scheme on the site on land south of 3 to 5 Hartshill Close in Bloxham. 

Developer William Davis Homes submitted the development which includes access, public open space, a play area, and drainage. 

People are worried about the impact the development would have on local infrastructure and services including schools and GP surgeries. 

Tanya Harrison, joint chairperson for Bloxham and Hook Norton Surgeries patient participation group, submitted an objection. 

READ MORE: Wallingford: 400 new homes planned for the outskirts of town

She said: “The Bloxham and Hook Norton Surgery (B&HS) Patient Participation Group (PPG) strongly objects to the above planning application on the grounds of ‘effects on the area – availability of infrastructure’.

“Should this development proceed, these residents will be eligible to register with B&HS. However we have significant concerns about the capacity of the surgery to cope with such an increase in population growth.

“From a surgery perspective, there are not enough consulting rooms to accommodate such a growth in the population.

"There is no scope to expand the surgery and the service is already working at almost maximum capacity and this application directly impacts on the surgery's ability to provide primary care services to the increasing population.”

Agnieszka Rokita, of Gascoigne Way in the village, said: ”Bloxham, Oxfordshire and the UK in general don't just need more houses. They need well designed neighbourhoods.

"The proposed plan is not a well designed neighbourhood, it is just a collection of houses plonked on available land with no regard to infrastructure needs of current and future residents.”

Jon Divers, of Banbury Road, Bloxham, added: “Anything that adds to current traffic levels seems madness to me.

“Bloxham has grown in housing by 50 per cent in the last 15 years - surely enough is enough.

"This ignores the Bloxham Neighbourhood Plan so what was the point of completing that to then simply ignore it.

“I would urge you to decline this ridiculous application for all the sensible reasons outlined above.”

In the application's planning statement, it said: “The proposed development will deliver a high-quality new development that optimises the use of an unconstrained site in a sustainable location.

"The delivery of up to 150 new dwellings will provide much needed housing to meet identified needs in the district in full, address the depleting HLS, and also make a significant contribution towards the affordable housing and later living needs in the area. 

“Therefore, the proposed development of the site constitutes sustainable development, and will result in a number of significant economic, social and environmental benefits that reflect the three dimensions of sustainable development identified in paragraph eight of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

"These benefits weigh substantially in favour of the proposed development.”

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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