RESIDENTS in Wantage are fighting two planned developments in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

People living in Newbury Street and Manor Road are concerned about the impact on surrounding green space and extra traffic on the busy A338.

The applications to build 23 homes in Newbury Street and up to 24 homes in Manor Road are now being considered by Vale of White Horse District Council.

The John O’Flynn development is off Manor Road, while Berkeley Homes is responsible for the Newbury Street planning application.

Both sites are within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and its representatives have already launched one objection.

Andrew Lord, planning adviser for North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, said the organisation had objected to the Manor Road application, and was considering an objection to the Newbury Street application.

He said: “Both developments are within the AONB and there is a duty for all authorities to consider the AONB, and to consider conserving and enhancing it.”

Tony Dixon, a chiropractor living in Newbury Street, said residents were also concerned about an increase in traffic.

He said: “Newbury Street and Manor Road form part of the A338 which is an extremely busy road. The turning on to the development would be an accident waiting to happen.

“There is Wantage Primary School with 463 children in Newbury Street and it is frequently used as a relief road when there are problems with either the M4 or A34.”

Town mayor Charlotte Dickson said: “We are all very lucky to live in a market town but we must not lose sight of what that means.

“It is very short-sighted of developers to build over our fields and green spaces, as we will lose the essential nature of our town and just become a characterless urban sprawl.”

Mr Dixon said: “There has been a lot of development in the area in the last three years.

“The infrastructure – roads, drainage, and sewerage – simply can not cope with any more.

“I would like to encourage residents of Wantage to make it clear that developing on the AONB is unacceptable.”

The Newbury Street application is due to be considered by planners by October 19 and the Manor Road scheme by September 28.

No-one from either developer was available for comment.