PLANS for a new 555-home estate for Wallingford have been backed by South Oxfordshire district councillors.

But town councillors are concerned by proposed constituency boundary changes, which could split the new estate in two.

The application for the homes and a primary school at Slade End Farm off Wantage Road was approved on Wednesday by SODC's planning committee.

Wallingford county councillor Lynda Atkins said afterwards she was pleased the plans had been given the go-ahead.

She added: "I think it took too long to get to this point but now we will finally have these new homes being built and I would like construction work to start as soon as possible."

Town councillor Lee Upcraft has written to the Boundary Commission on behalf of the town council alerting them to proposed changes creating a new constituency boundary which would divide the estate.

In the town council response to the Boundary Commission 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies in the South East, Mr Upcraft said: "Wallingford is to be transferred to the newly named Henley and Thame constituency but with the complication that roughly 50 per cent of the new Site B housing development, will remain within the otherwise unaltered Wantage constituency.

"The town council objects to the proposals in relation to Wallingford and asks that the Boundary Commission reviews its proposals, such that the town remains within the Wantage constituency."

Mr Upcraft added that a significant number of new residents could end up in a different constituency to majority of the town and this would not be helpful in fully integrating them in the community.

Last month it emerged that a wish list of schemes for the town could have been cut back if developers St Edward Homes had failed to pay sufficient contributions towards local infrastructure improvements worth almost £1m.

Negotiations over the total cost of paying for improvement projects – known as developer contributions – were thought to be holding up the application but an agreement was reached.

In total, £13.8m worth of 'infrastructure' contributions have been agreed but there will only be 26 per cent affordable housing in the estate, below SODC's target of 40 per cent.

St Edward, a joint venture owned by the Prudential Assurance Company and Berkeley Homes, previously said it hoped work would start in 2017 once it had been given planning permission.

Berkeley Homes is also proposing to build 500 homes at Winterbrook in Wallingford.

Ms Atkins added: "Wallingford has grown quite gradually in recent years but now it faces rapid growth and we need to make sure all the right infrastructure - schools and transport links - are in place."

Councillors at the planning committee said there should be a mix of one, two, three and four bedroomed homes, and the school should be ready to open by the time 90 homes are occupied, or 15 months after the first home is occupied.

St Edward has not yet commented.