Cherwell District Council has granted approval for a residential development capable of accommodating up to 500 homes on land adjoining Woodstock.
The project is being delivered by Blenheim Estate Homes and forms part of an eastward expansion of the town beside the established Park View estate.
The proposed site covers agricultural land to the east of Park View, within the area separating Woodstock from Shipton-on-Cherwell.
Planning permission was granted at a council meeting held on November 5.
The approved scheme includes affordable homes, public green areas, allotment plots, play space for children, new woodland and land reserved for community facilities.
Approximately 35 per cent of the proposed properties are expected to be affordable as part of an effort to address housing requirements across Cherwell district.
Commercial units are also included in the plans.
These could accommodate facilities such as a GP surgery, nursery, convenience shop or other services for residents.
Additional pedestrian and cycle connections are intended to link the new estate more effectively with the rest of Woodstock.
The proposal is positioned as a continuation of the neighbouring Park View development, which received approval in 2018 and added 254 homes while contributing to a substantial increase in Woodstock’s size.
Blenheim Estate Homes maintains that the new plans satisfy local housing requirements and would create a sustainable urban extension.
The application drew opposition from residents and several local authorities, with close to 50 objections submitted during the consultation.
Objectors raised concerns about additional traffic, excessive development in the countryside, harm to Woodstock’s historic setting and increased pressure on the community centre, utility services, healthcare provision and schools.
They also questioned whether sufficient measures were in place to deal with those effects.
Some residents described the proposal as an isolated satellite settlement, while others feared that construction would remove the open space separating Woodstock from Bladon.
Woodstock Town Council formally opposed the scheme, stating that existing infrastructure was already operating under pressure.
The council warned that another large housing development could intensify current difficulties.
Bladon Parish Council also raised objections, particularly over the possible loss of the rural gap between Woodstock and Bladon and the resulting impact on the character of both settlements.
The council considered the lack of affordable housing within the proposal to be another significant issue.
Marlborough School was also reported to be approaching full capacity.
Existing plans for its expansion reflect the expected arrival of pupils from housing developments already approved in Woodstock.
Residents of Park View raised concerns that the new works could subject them to prolonged disruption from construction, heavier traffic, noise, light pollution and reduced privacy.
West Oxfordshire District Council, having previously permitted the Park View estate, opposed the latest application.
That authority warned that development on the proposed scale could cause substantial harm to heritage assets and expressed concerns regarding the scheme’s density and overall size.
Planning officers nevertheless determined that the advantages of the proposal carried greater weight than the objections raised.
They subsequently recommended that members grant permission, leading to the council’s approval of the development.