A PLAYGROUP manager has expressed her disappointment after councillors approved plans for 300 homes which would mean her relocating her early years pre-school.

A West Oxfordshire District Council planning committee this week backed plans by Blenheim Estates and Pye Homes to build the houses to the east of Oxford Road, Woodstock.

The plans involved moving Woodstock Under Fives Association (WUFA) from the site of Woodstock Primary School – which manager Kate Bailey said threatened the playgroup’s ability to help working parents with breakfast and after-school clubs.

Ms Bailey said: “I was very disappointed by the result of the meeting. I’m not a planning expert but I honestly felt like it was a fait accompli and many councillors were just going through the motions.

“I didn’t leave that meeting feeling very clear at all about what would happen to WUFA. I’m somewhat confused and I think we deserve somebody to come and inform us on what the process is now.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to provide our wrap-around care where we are in the future.”

Outline permission for the majority of the homes was approved at Monday's meeting of the council's Uplands planning committee – with full planning permission for the first phase of 46 properties. The development also includes 1,100 square metres of commercial space.

Oxfordshire County Council, as a consultee, said it required the relocation of the charity-run pre-school from the primary school site so the school could expand and take in children from the new development.

But Ms Bailey warned that WUFA was more than just a playgroup, and said: “At the moment everything is on one site. What WUFA does has been grossly underestimated. It’s not just a pre-school – it’s full day care.”

Despite the disappointment, Ms Bailey said she believed WUFA would be fine, and just wanted some clarity on the plans for relocation and their timeframe.

County council spokesman Paul Smith said: "We have already been in dialogue with WUFA and this will continue."

The development will form part of Blenheim's ambitious plans to build 1,600 homes around the town on sites currently under consideration for West Oxfordshire and Cherwell District Council's Local Plans – which outline areas for sustainable development in their respective districts.

The plans received more than 700 letters of objection, with many suggesting Woodstock simply could not cope with such a large increase in population.