RESIDENTS fear a 126-home development set to be built in their village will impact their privacy.

West Oxfordshire District Council's lowlands area planning sub-committee provisionally approved the plans for land west of Minster Lovell, near Witney, at a meeting on Monday.

But villagers say two-storey homes planned for the site's eastern edge will overlook bungalows on the adjacent Whitehall Close, damaging residents' 'privacy and quality of life'.

The parish council wants bungalows to replace the two-storey homes, despite developer, Bovis Homes, increasing the distance between the bungalows and the new homes to 35m, above the 30m minimum.

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Jonathan Stowell, of Minster Lovell Parish Council, said: “This has provoked widespread anger and opposition. It seems to smack of undue haste.”

District councillor, Gill Hill, whose ward includes Minster Lovell, added: “This has been railroaded through the planning system with no regard for current residents.”

Mr Stowell said the site, set for land south of Burford Road, would increase the size of Minster Lovell 'by 25 per cent'.

The site already had outline planning permission before Monday's meeting, while a decision was deferred last month so the developer could meet the parish council.

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Just one meeting took place, prompting Mr Stowell to ask councillors to defer again.

More than 40 people objected to the development, for reasons such as the 'cramped' site and 'insufficient' parking spaces.

Mike Robinson, of Strutt & Parker, speaking on behalf of Bovis Homes, explained bungalows could not replace the two-storey homes as this would breach the minimum 30m distance from existing properties.

It was also revealed the developer was losing about £1,000 a day through delays to the site.

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Bovis Homes has made several other amendments, with district council officers satisfied many promises had ‘not only been kept but in many cases exceeded’.

District councillor for Carterton North West , Maxine Crossland, said: “The developer has been more than generous with the distances they’ve put in. There’s no option but to approve.”

Nine of the 11 councillors present voted in favour of the application, which is part of the district council’s local plan.