DRIVERS in Wantage and Grove will face “nightmare” traffic congestion if road improvements are not put in place before a major development goes ahead, a county councillor has warned.

At a meeting on Monday, Wantage Town Council discussed the planning application to build 2,500 homes on Grove Airfield.

Instead of making a decision on whether or not to back the scheme, town councillors agreed to ask for more information about the traffic plan.

County and town councillor Jenny Hannaby said road improvements would need to be carried out before construction work began.

She said: “Without these improvements, it will be a nightmare for drivers, with construction vehicles coming for the next 10 to 15 years.

“Highways officers at the county council say that the A338 is not congested, but you only need to drive to Oxford or Harwell any morning and you can get stuck in traffic.”

Town councillor St John Dickson pointed out that a planned relief road for the A338 was not due to be finished before 1,500 houses had been built.

Developers Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey put in a joint application for the Grove Airfield development.

The application will be considered by the Vale of White Horse District Council planners on December 19.