PLANS to build 3,000 homes between Oxford and Kidlington could be shelved if the Government agrees to slash housing targets, it has been claimed.

Ministers are considering changes to the way 'housing need' is worked out by councils when they are making development plans, meaning Oxfordshire's current targets for up to 2031 could be altered.

A senior council official told the Oxford Mail the new figures could replace a controversial report published in 2014 – which said the county needed 100,000 new homes in the next 15 years – cutting the number down to between 70,000 and 80,000 homes.

This could dramatically reduce pressure to find more development sites in the county, weakening the case for building on the Green Belt surrounding the city.

The official added: "It could mean a significant drop in the numbers.

"There are a number of bridges to cross on this, but the Government is keen to move quickly and we have been told to expect an announcement soon."

The official claimed a change in housing figures could torpedo proposals being pushed by Oxford City Council to build thousands of homes between the edge of the city and Kidlington.

The local authority is lobbying Cherwell District Council about the plan, but its use of Green Belt land is strongly opposed by countryside campaigners and Kidlington Parish Council.

Planning inspectors have ordered Oxford's neighbours to help meet its housing need, which is estimated to be about 28,000 homes even though officials say there is only room for 10,000 within the city.

Cherwell District Council has already approved a Local Plan – which sets out where development can take place – providing for almost 23,000 homes.

If its own housing target is reduced then it may be able to meet some of Oxford's demand by using the excess sites it has already approved for development, the official said.

Campaign to Protect Rural England Oxfordshire director Helen Marshall added: "If endorsed by the Government, it could potentially be a game-changer in Oxfordshire, and in due course reduce the rate of building to more sustainable and realistic levels."

But Alex Hollingsworth, city council executive board member for planning, said starting over with new housing figures would just delay housebuilding.

He added: "Oxfordshire's local authorities have worked very hard, through a lot of painful and difficult negotiations, to arrive at the current arrangement on housing numbers."

The new way of working out housing numbers has been proposed by the Local Plans Expert Group, which was set up to suggests ways to cut red tape for councils making Local Plans.

It suggested a simpler method that removes jobs growth estimates and the need to meet affordable housing demand in full. A consultation on the group's recommendations ended last week.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We are carefully considering the responses to the report and will make a further statement in due course."