A HOST of decisions that will change the face of Bicester are expected to be made by Cherwell District Council’s planning committee today.

Plans for housing developments on Gavray Meadows will be among those discussed at the council meeting.

More than 60 letters of objection have been put forward for plans which would see 180 homes built on the wildlife site.

Wildlife campaigner Pam Roberts said: “Public support for keeping Gavray Meadows in Bicester as a beautiful wildlife site for the town is growing.

“Sixty-one letters objecting to the application to build 180 houses on the west of the site have been received by Cherwell District Council, showing the strength of local feeling.

“A petition of 1,480 signatures was previously submitted asking for the wildlife site to be saved.

“Cherwell District Council committed in June 2015 to seek to designate the site as a Local Green Space when they draw up their Local Plan Part 2.”

There are two proposals for the area and today’s will cover the first piece of the development for 180 homes to be built on the west side of the site. While proposals for another 120 houses are expected to follow for the area east of Langford Brook.

Elsewhere during the meeting, councillors will also discuss plans for a new traveller site for 16 residential caravans to be built on land close to Bullingdon Prison in Widnell Lane.

The proposal, put forward by applicant HL Foster, is seeking permission to change the use from agricultural to residential but has been recommended for refusal by planning officers.

The report says reasons for refusal include its size, siting in relation to existing services, risk from surface water flooding, relationship to existing noise-generating uses, potential harm to the natural environment and potential to cause pollution to the local watercourse.

Plans for the former library site will also be put before councillors today for the site in Old Place Yard, plans to build an eco-business centre at the eco town in NW Bicester and a proposal to turn Inside Out Interiors ltd in Churchill Road into seven homes and retail unit on the bottom floor.

There will also be a number of items looking at plans for Banbury including plans for land adjacent to the Oxford Canal in Spiceball Park Road.

The council planning meeting will be held at the earlier than usual time of 2pm, due to the packed agenda. It will be at Bodicote House in Banbury and is open to the public, or can be viewed online.