DOZENS of new homes have been approved in the latest milestone for Oxfordshire newest village being built at former RAF base Upper Heyford.

Planning for 79 new homes have been waved through by councillors for the development at Heyford Park being built in the village near Bicester.

The new homes, put forward by Pye Homes, will make up plans for the new estate which include building more than 1,000 properties on the base, which also stood as a US airbase in the 1970s.

Cherwell District Council planning committee chairman David Hughes said: "Upper Heyford is a site of great strategic importance as new homes are delivered in north Oxfordshire and this proposal is a good example of how we can plan for the future while protecting links to the past."

Hundreds of homes have already been built on the airbase including Heyford Park Free School which has sensitively converted former army buildings in a nod to its military history.

The latest homes approved by Cherwell District Council on Thursday, September 28, will include 35 per cent affordable homes as part of a condition put to applicants Pye Homes.

The proposal includes work to create a new access to the 79 homes, close to the eastern edge of the former airbase, from Camp Road.

Plans will now be put in place regarding the financial contribution from developers to help pay for heritage conservation and community infrastructure including roads and sports facilities.

Mr Hughes added: "Across the new settlement, plans are being made to integrate the history of the former RAF Upper Heyford into developments in the area, and it is pleasing to see that developer is planning to build these new homes in a way that reflects the base’s architectural history.

"Equally, we recognise that there is a great opportunity to improve the character and atmosphere of the village through new buildings, and we are expecting to see modern and varied developments offering a high standard of landscaping, infrastructure and amenity for residents."

Military use at the RAF Upper Heyford site ended in 1994 before current owners Dorchester Living took on part of the site and received outline planning permission in 2010.

Plans include up to 1,075 homes plus the transformation of a number of military buildings to create a village centre including shops, apartments, a restaurant and cocktail bar, plus a heritage centre paying tribute to the site's history.