OBJECTIONS are mounting against plans to build a multi-million pound care home on a green field between Wantage and Grove.

More than 30 residents have now made official objections to the plans for the 70-bed care home and 50 'extra-care' apartments in Grove Road, Wantage.

Grove Parish Council has become the latest to send a list of concerns to Vale of White Horse District Council.

Many of the complaints centre around the fact that an initial design for the site by luxury care home firm Baycroft and its developer Frontier Estates seemed to show a single two-storey building, but the firms have now applied for planning permission to build two three-storey buildings.

David Webb of Manor Road wrote to the Vale: "The original [plan] was fine but the amended application is completely out of keeping with area and will not blend in.

"It will be, in effect, a blot on the landscape."

Janet Parker of Adkin Way wrote: "This planning application is very different to that shown at the public meeting and covers much more of the ground than before."

Grove Parish Council chairman June Stock said her councillors did not object to the development in principle, but the current plan would not work.

She said: "The care home itself is not too bad, but in that situation to actually get in and out you'd need to drive over the cycle path.

"There also aren't enough parking spaces: there will be residents with cars and a lot of staff as well as visitors."

The plans include 49 parking spaces.

Wantage and Grove Campaign Group for sustainable development sent a 1,100-word critique of the development to the council.

Vale of White Horse District Council's 'drainage officers' have not objected but said a detailed drainage plan should be submitted before construction starts.

Oxfordshire County Council, the highways authority, has yet to comment on parking and access.

Frontier Estates development director Sam Rous said the scheme had 'evolved' since the first designs to 'make more efficient use of the land' and 'provide a range of accommodation types'.

He went on: "In both proposals, the height of the buildings was two-to-three storeys, and this has not changed from the initial concept.

"The buildings would be built into the natural slope of the site and the proposals include a significant amount of landscaping across the site to create a green feel, as requested by Wantage town and Grove parish councils.

"At the public exhibition in February, we presented the evolved plans to local residents and stakeholders and received a positive response. These evolved plans were then submitted to the district council.

"We are continuing to discuss the scheme with key parties, including meeting with Wantage Town Council and are seeking to meet with our nearest neighbours."

Members of public can see the plans online at whitehorsedc.gov.uk using reference number P17/V0813/FUL.

The Vale is aiming to make a decision by the end of June.