A COUNCIL has dismissed a developer's 'cynical' bid to cut affordable housing it had previously agreed to build.

Bellway Homes applied to slice the proportion of affordable housing at the 76-home Shepherds Walk development in North Leigh from half to 40 per cent.

But yesterday West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) turned that down.

Houses prices at the new development range from £285,000 to £650,000, according to Bellway's website.

WODC's Local Plan commits to 40 per cent of new homes being affordable.

READ MORE: Bellway Homes applies to cut affordable homes in North Leigh

Bellway said it wanted to 'comply' with that new condition.

The Local Plan was agreed by councillors at a meeting in September 2018. It outlines where the authority wants nearly 16,000 new homes built across the district by 2031.

North Leigh Parish Council opposed any changes to the initial Bellway plan.

In a response to WODC, it said: "Approval was only granted on appeal after extensive discussions and negotiations."

It continued: "There can be little justification to reduce the number of affordable units apart from commercial gain. The parish council regards this as a cynical attempt by Bellway to manipulate the process to its benefit."