Wheatley population 1961-1974 and housing developments
Between 1961 and 1974, the number of dwellings in Wheatley increased by 40% with an estimated population increase of 37%, while in England and Wales, the increase in population was from 46.1 million to 48.6 million (6% increase). Between 1951 and 1974, Wheatley had to cope with a population increase of some 200%, to some 3,100, while, in the rest of the country, it was a mere 11%.
In the rapidly growing village there were large new housing developments in Farm Close Road, Beech Road, Ladder Hill and Keydale Road (there were more). The railway line to Oxford was closed in the 1960’s and the dismantled track provided land to extend gardens, for building plots and controversially for dumping refuse of an unknown nature into the Littleworth cutting, see record 2777.