SERIOUS concerns were raised over a proposed Witney development as the examination of a document that will shape West Oxfordshire’s future continued.

Members of North Witney Action Group claimed planners who want to build 1,400 homes on land north of Witney have no idea how to cope with a ‘phenomenal amount of water’ and that development will result in flooding.

The points were made as planning inspector Malcolm Rivett resumed his examination of West Oxfordshire District Council’s (WODC) local plan, which outlines sites for 16,000 homes to be built across the district by 2031.

North Witney Action Group has claimed the fields to the north of Witney off Hailey Road flood every year and that 1,400 homes could bring the problem to catastrophic levels.

Speaking at yesterday’s hearing at the council’s Woodgreen offices in Witney, David Condon, of North Witney Action Group, said: “I’ve lived in Witney in the same house for 36 years and I overlook the land that floods so I know it very well and I’ve seen it in full flood.

“We don’t think they’ve left enough land to cope with all this water and we don’t think it will work.

“We have signatures from more than 1,000 people. These are residents of this area and they’re very concerned that we’re at this point and don’t have a clue how they’re going to mitigate this phenomenal amount of water.”

He accused those who have assessed the site’s viability of conducting ‘desktop surveys’.

Chris Hargraves, planning policy manager at WODC, said: “Flooding is a vital issue for this site and we’re not downplaying its significance.

“The Environment Agency hasn’t logged an objection and at the time applications would be submitted they would need to be accompanied by detailed flood risk assessments.”

The group has also raised concerns relating to infrastructure, traffic and the environment.

Stuart Harrison of the group claimed the site’s problematic nature could result in the whole plan collapsing.

Mr Harrison said before yesterday’s meeting: “We’ve been fighting this for the past five years and we’ve said for a long time that the plan could fall down on this site alone.

“I’m not trying to get the plan scrapped. We all want a plan.”

There were originally 1,000 homes earmarked for the land but the initial local plan was rejected by an inspector in 2015 as it did not have enough homes.

An extra 5,000 were then added, bringing the total up to 16,000, and it is this draft that Mr Rivett is examining.

After the examination, which runs until July 20, he will have the opportunity to approve, reject or offer recommendations on the plan, which could include ruling sites out.