North West of Grove
North West of Grove is the block of farmland between the Monks Farm development to the east and Grove Airfield to the south, bordered on the north by Denchworth Road and the main railway line. It is entirely greenfield. The Vale Local Plan 2031 Part 2, adopted in 2019, allocated it for 400 homes and said it could take considerably more after 2031.
Where things stand
Persimmon Homes, which is also building Grove Airfield, applied for outline permission for up to 624 homes in November 2020. The application was still undecided in September 2026. Consultees had raised issues over air quality, drainage, landscape, transport and design, and the developer submitted revised plans in 2025 and again in August 2026. The council’s working estimate is that permission could be issued around April 2027, with first homes around the end of 2029. The draft Joint Local Plan 2041 would keep the allocation at about 600 homes plus 60 units of housing with care for older people.
What it would include
- Roads: finishing the Grove Northern Link Road, and traffic signals at the Brook Lane railway bridge because a nearby level crossing is expected to close
- Schools: no new school on site; instead about £4.8m for primary places and £4.4m for secondary places
- Health: about £1.2m to expand a local GP surgery
- Buses: £600,000 towards better Wantage and Grove services
- Green space: around 4 hectares of parks plus allotments, play areas and a noise buffer next to the railway
Why it matters
With this site, Persimmon would control more than 3,000 homes around Grove. In its 2026 statement the council said this could act as a “chokehold” on supply, and it has asked the Oxford Growth Commission whether another developer could help. Thames Water and the Environment Agency have pointed to limited capacity at Wantage sewage treatment works. An upgrade is scheduled for Thames Water’s 2025 to 2030 investment period.
How to follow it
Applications can be looked up by reference on the Vale of White Horse planning register (for example P20/V3113/O).