COUNCIL bosses have officially recommended that a £215m deal which will enable 100,000 homes across Oxfordshire is accepted.

The county’s Growth Board, which met yesterday and is made up of Oxfordshire’s six councils’ leaders, was told it would be given the package last November by Chancellor Philip Hammond as part of his Budget.

Council leaders have given their approval and their councils’ approval will now be sought over coming weeks at special meetings, once it has also been given another government sign off.

As part of that £150m will be used for transport infrastructure, £60m to guarantee affordable housing and another £5m will be used to aid the planning process.

Bob Price, the chairman of the Growth Board and member of the Oxford City Council executive board, said: “The deal represents a comprehensive and integrated approach to addressing Oxfordshire’s housing, infrastructure and economic challenges.

“It demonstrates the Government’s commitment in working with Oxfordshire and recognises the critical role the county will play in driving forward the UK economy post-Brexit, attracting global investment.”

While the work done so far on the project has been ‘good’, more money still needs to be invested by government to ensure the projects are successful, John Cotton, the leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said.

“It’s a good start. We hoped and wished for more money than £150m. The bill is in the billions and [money given to the county] is in the hundreds of millions. We have got to start somewhere and the bid is key,” he said.

In addition, Cherwell, Oxford and Vale of White Horse councils were also told yesterday that they would be given an additional £34m government funding for other projects to unlock other housing sites.

In Oxford, the controversial Northern Gateway project will be given £10m; the Blackbird Leys District Centre Regeneration Scheme has been promised £3.7m and the Osney Mead Innovation Quarter project will get £6m.

The Howes Lane Tunnel, as part of the North West Bicester Strategic Realignment, will be given £6.7m.

Another £7.7m will be provided for the Wantage Eastern Link Road project to develop the strategic link road between the A338 to the north of Wantage and the A417 to the east of the town.

That money will contribute to five projects, and will include thousands of new homes, and will come from the Marginal Viability Fund as part of the £5bn Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF).