However, Cherwell District Council has said it is seeking legal advice on whether to take action to challenge the decisions.
The proposals for development at sites at Milton Road (42-page / 310KB PDF), off Barford Road (57-page / 406KB PDF), Bourne Lane (62-page / 429KB PDF) and Bloxham Road (21-page / 157KB PDF) had been refused by the Council for reasons including that they would represent development "beyond the built up limits of the village within open countryside" contrary to local policies.
However, Pickles this week overturned the refusals, with the Council's lack of a five-year housing land supply in each case cited as a key reason to grant permission. He said in his decision letters that because of the lack of supply, the Council's local policies could no longer be considered up to date.
He also said that, although the proposals conflicted with emerging local policies, these were at a "very early stage" and were subject to change. "Little weight can therefore be attached to these considerations against the scheme," he said.
"I can't understand why Ministers called in these appeals if all they ever intended to do was rubber stamp them," said the Council's lead member for planning Michael Gibbard. "This flies completely in the face of both localism and the plan making process. Cherwell District Council is now taking expert legal advice and if appropriate will take action to counter these appalling decisions."
"We are confident that we now have the necessary five year land supply following approval of other major planning applications. However, some of these developments have yet to be completed and this is what developers are challenging. As a council, we have considered the views of local people, and we have done what is asked of us by approving development in areas that we believe are sustainable. After that our hands are tied as it is up to the developers to decide when they are built within the designated timescale," Gibbard said.
