Planners vow to keep racing team

Council bosses have vowed to avoid driving the Williams Formula One team out of town with their controversial plans for a new housing development.

Frank Williams had been up in arms about plans to build hundreds of homes on a former Oxfordshire airfield.

The proposals by the Vale of White Horse District Council would see 750 homes built on the Grove site by 2011.

Mr Williams fears those plans, which require a link road, would see new homes built too close to his plant.

'Thorough investigation'

He has already funded improvements to an on-site wind tunnel after complaints from existing residents.

But he fears plans for the new development to the north of the airfield would eventually see more homes placed within closer earshot.

Members of the district council agreed on Wednesday night to look again at their plans.

Deputy leader Jerry Patterson told BBC News Online: "I understand Frank Williams' concerns absolutely.

"It needs to be looked at certainly. We would not like to see them leave.

Local plan

"Both parties unanimously resolved that it needs to be investigated more thoroughly."

But he warned that no one business could have a veto on the plans.

The motor-racing team has been joined in its opposition by Crown Technology and Grove 2000 plc, which together employ more than 1,500 people locally.

They are suggesting an alternative scheme using brownfield sites, which they say reduces the need for extensive road-building on farmland and would keep traffic out of Grove and Wantage.

The development is being considered as part of the council's local plan.

A spokesman for WilliamsF1 said: "We are delighted that the full council voted to accept an amended second deposit local plan.

"We are also delighted at the proposals for a working group to be set up to look at the issues that local businesses raised."