GROUNDWORKS on a controversial 824-home estate north of Grove have begun, despite ongoing disagreements.

Housebuilder Bellway Homes has started preparing the ground west of Station Road, the A338, and south of Bellingers' garage, for the first 133 houses.

The company said those homes will take approximately three years to complete, but the first home owners would move in next Spring.

Those 133 homes are the first in what is set to be a much larger estate of 824 homes on the land known as Monk's Farm.

Warwick-based Gallagher Estates and home builders Gleeson have designed the masterplan for the new estate and Williams F1, which has its headquarters at the north of the site, is also planning to build 180 homes on the land between its own base and the garage.

Vale of White Horse District Council has granted planning permission for 208 homes on the site, including the 133 on the way and another 75-home tranche, but a decision is still awaited on the remaining homes.

Grove Parish Council has repeatedly objected to the scheme on a number of grounds, predominantly that with no roads running from Grove into the new development, the new homes will be separated from the existing village and not integrate.

In its latest letter to developers the council objected to a number of perceived design problems with the 75-homes block, including insufficient parking and the scale of the homes.

The developer responded that Oxfordshire County Council as highways authority had approved the parking provision and Vale council officers had approved the house sizes.

The Vale was aiming to make a decision on Gallagher and Gleeson's latest planning application for 456 homes on the site by August 4, but has not made one yet.