PARISH councillors are opposing a plan for 20 affordable homes because it does not meet the relevant criteria.

Jeffrey Emmett, planning adviser for landowners Oxford Radcliffe Charitable Fund and Coronary Artery Disease Research Association, put in a planning application to South Oxfordshire District Council for 20 affordable homes at the corner of Mill Lane and Thame Road, Chinnor.

He said high house prices mean natives cannot afford property and affordable homes are a way of ensuring local residents can live in the area.

The site falls outside the village and housing is normally built within the village unless there are special exceptions.

The plans were debated by Chinnor Parish Council's planning liaison committee on Monday.

The committee has no say in deciding whether the plans will be given the go-ahead but can pass comments regarding the application to the district council.

Parish clerk Brenda Wilson said: "We don't know if they've done a survey of what need there is locally and whether they've looked at different areas."

But Mr Emmett said there was a 200 shortfall of places in Chinnor. He said he was disappointed with the parish council's views.