Residents of Stoke Lyne say they have been left to oppose a proposed six-million-square-foot warehouse complex after Cherwell District Council decided not to defend its rejection of the plans at an upcoming appeal. The development, backed by Tritax Big Box and Albion Land, would include 13 warehouses near Baynards Green, with some reaching 75 feet, and has prompted concerns about traffic, landscape damage and the loss of agricultural land.

The council narrowly rejected the scheme in January, but said legal and professional advice influenced its decision not to contest the appeal. Local campaigners have raised £50,000 for legal representation and accuse the authority of abandoning a small community to confront two major developers, while supporters say the project would create thousands of jobs and strengthen business along the M40 corridor. The dispute echoes nearby Piddington’s recent protest against plans to house migrants at a former military site, with both communities portraying themselves as having to act without adequate official support.