CAMPAIGNERS were left in tears and shouted 'shame on you' after a council granted planning permission to new homes, despite fears around children's safety.

The controversial new development in East Hagbourne village, near Didcot, proposes to build 74 new homes on land close to Hagbourne Church of England Primary School in Main Road.

Parents and staff at the school had raised fears that the development would bring dozens of cars to the area, causing congestions and putting children's safety at risk.

Hundreds of villagers crowded into Didcot Civic Hall for the meeting holding signs saying 'not safe, not planned, not wanted.'

Father of two young boys Ali Junkison, 38, who lives in the village, said a recent accident involving a school boy on his bike had highlighted the risks of building the new homes.

"We shouldn't put children's lives at risk for the sake of profit" he said.

But developers Greenlight said that they had commissioned an independent road safety survey which had gone 'above and beyond' what was expected.

The committee chair Councillor Toby Newman agreed there are concerns around child safety but didn't feel the problems 'were unique' to the village.

Councillors on the South Oxfordshire planning committee voted nine to two to approve the outline planning permission.

A separate application, to build 135 homes east of Park Road in Didcot ,was rejected because of fears around losing a 'green buffer' between Didcot and surrounding villages.