CAN a historic market town that was built hundreds of years ago cope with an onslaught of major housing development?

That was the question many residents of Woodstock were asking when they viewed proposals in planning documents at an exhibition last week.

West Oxfordshire District Council's local plan alone, which is currently out for public consultation, proposes 300 homes to the east of Woodstock, 120 homes to the north of Hill Rise and 250 homes north of Banbury Road.

Other sites have been allocated near the town in Cherwell District Council's review of its local plan.

Residents had the opportunity to view the West Oxfordshire plans at the exhibition in Woodstock's community centre last week.

Gwynneth Seume, 76, of Plane Tree Way, said: “It’s a historic town and we just don’t have the infrastructure for all these new homes.

“It’s a nice place to live so a lot of people want to come and move here from outside the area. But the homes they build will not be the ones we want and the infrastructure won’t be there.”

Mrs Seume’s friend, Marion Gadsby, also 76, lives in Old Woodstock.

She said: “I live in Old Woodstock, and when I leave my road I can’t see what’s coming until I’ve got my car's nose right out.

"With 120 extra homes coming to that area I can’t see how there won’t be an accident."

The district council's draft local plan outlines key sites for development across the district.

As well as Woodstock, other major developments include 2,200 homes at the proposed garden village to the north of Eynsham along with an urban extension to the west of Eynsham, which will add a further 1,000 new homes.

The consultation draws to a close on Friday.

Council leader James Mills previously said: “The local plan offers us a way of managing housing development that will come into the district and get things in place for residents in the best possible way.

“I’m not proposing this plan with my eyes closed. I know the implications and the fears of local people.

"But without the local plan the situation would be worse.”

Documents from the year 1279 suggest that Woodstock, which means 'a place in the woods', was founded by Henry II to provide accommodation for his servants when he visited his royal hunting lodge at Woodstock Manor.

Today the town sees a great deal of tourism thanks to Blenheim Palace.

The World Heritage Site is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace.