A consultation exercise by the company behind the proposed Oxfordshire eco town has been described as a 'spectacular own goal' by district and county councillors.

More than 80% of people who responded said they were opposed to the controversial green field location for 15,000 new homes at Weston Otmoor.

Parkridge Holdings, the company promoting the development, organised a major consultation exercise to measure local opinion. It distributed 40,000 questionnaires and over 3,700 responses were received from members of the public. In addition nearly 1,500 people attended 17 road shows in surrounding towns and villages.

"I am not at all surprised that the results show massive local opposition to the idea of a new town almost bridging the gap between Bicester and Oxford," commented Cllr Barry Wood, Leader of Cherwell District Council. "The developers have staged a genuine attempt to find out what people think of the eco town idea, but the result has been something of a spectacular own goal."

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Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council have campaigned to have the eco-credentials of this site fully assessed since the plans were first unveiled.

Cherwell Council, whose area includes Weston Otmoor and nearby Bicester, believes there will be a demand for new housing but that the location should be determined by councillors through the local planning framework. It has suggested growth on the edge of Bicester itself would be preferable.

"The survey has shown a majority of people agreeing on the need for more housing and support for various improvements in the area, but people clearly don't agree that an eco town at Weston Otmoor is the best way to provide these improvements," added Cllr Wood.

When asked their major concern with regard to building an eco town at Weston Otmoor, the largest number of people complained about damage to the natural environment, followed by increased traffic and congestion. Other major concerns listed were the size and location of the proposal and the damage it would inflict on surrounding towns and villages.

In the first round of the Government process, Weston Otmoor received the lowest possible rating when compared to a dozen eco town proposals around the country. It was given a 'C' rating by the Government's own experts to indicate that it would 'only be suitable with substantial and exceptional innovation'.

(CD/JM)