AS PLANS to build 1,000 homes in Witney take another step forward, the public has been urged to ensure any concerns are raised before it is too late.

The proposals, led by three separate developers, have been granted outline planning permission this week and also include a business park, shops, cafes, a primary school and new parks in the west of the town.

However, concerns have been raised over how to provide healthcare to the new residents after the closure of Deer Park medical centre and the difficulty of integrating such a large-scale development into the Witney community.

County and town councillor for Witney Laura Price has raised concerns over the health provision and ensuring the new homes are connected to the site with bus services.

She said: “We need to make it clear that we want more homes - but we are fed up with developments that don’t deliver the right infrastructure.

“With development as significant as this it’s really important the public engage at every single point of the process to really have a chance of integrating 1,000 homes into our market town.”

She added: “I do have real concerns about development in the west of Witney when we’ve just lost Deer Park."

Barton Wilmore has acted as the master planner for the project, which is a key part of West Oxfordshire’s emerging Local Plan and will be the biggest development in the town since Madley Park. It will be delivered by Bloor Homes, Bovis Homes and Persimmon Homes.

Giles Hughes, head of planning and strategic housing at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Barton Willmore’s announcement has been a long time coming, but is extremely welcome as a development of this scale will help meet our housing, recreational, educational, employment and commercial needs for the coming years.

“The agreements made between the council and developers bring significant benefits for the local area and so it is good news story for West Oxfordshire.”

The plans were approved by a planning committee in 2013, but legal agreements between the council and applicant were only resolved this week, with outline permission finally granted.

A minimum of 30 per cent of the housing will be affordable and provision is made for an 80-unit extra care home comprising of 40 affordable units.

With the A40 to the south of the site and Downs Road to the west, improvements will include a new roundabout joining the two roads.