NOISE and pollution from new developments in West Oxfordshire district will hopefully be tackled by action from the council.

Councillors are looking to appoint an officer dedicated to liaising with developers and residents and ensuring environmental regulations are correctly enforced.

Recently a three-fold increase in the number of residential developments in west Oxfordshire has led to a rise in the number of complaints surrounding noise, dust and mud from existing residents, the council said.

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Such problems are intended to be contained with the imposition of a construction traffic management plan but breaches, often minor non-criminal offences, have now meant planning and environment officers’ workloads have become unsustainable.

A motion has now been passed by the Council’s Development Control Committee which would see the officer appointed to oversee new developments.

The intention is to fund the post through developer contributions allocated to community facilities.

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Jeff Haine, cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “There has been a major upswing in development across the District driven by the need for more housing and in the future we will have major schemes such as the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Garden Village starting.

“Developers have strict guidelines in which they have to work but increasingly we have seen these being breached. Having an officer who can liaise with developers, council planners and residents can only be beneficial for all sides.”