Oxfordshire village residents furious over local holiday home being rented to Hackney's poorest

Up to three families at a time will be given a free holiday at the country house after Hackney council put in an offer on the property

The country house that will be used to give troubled inner-city families a break

Residents of an Oxfordshire village are challenging plans to send troubled city families for relationship-building breaks in a 19th-century mansion – claiming that “urban families” aren’t suitable for the area.

Up to three families at a time will be given a free holiday at the country house after Hackney council put in an offer on the property, set in two acres of gardens and woodland.

The Department for Education has given Hackney Council almost £2 million to deliver help for young people at risk of gang involvement and sexual exploitation. The services provided at the new site will be paid for by this innovation grant, although the purchase of the building would be funded by the Council through other means.

The Silver Trees estate is on the outskirts of the village of Kennington in a greenbelt area. Some locals are opposed to the plans and have submitted letters of objection to Vale of White Horse District Council. “If they are troubled London families bringing them into a country environment would be completely unsuitable for them and their neighbours,” one resident wrote.

Another wrote: “The community... have chosen to live in a quiet village, and to have families arrive who may well disrupt their lives and devalue their properties will change this and naturally cause resentment.”

A third wrote: “I personally walk my dog in the wood opposite most days and my enjoyment of our rural area would be affected if my personal feeling of safety was compromised.”

Planning documents state the initiative aims to provide families with a break in a “home away from home”. The house would “provide them with time and space to strengthen family relationships, have fun together, and develop interests, skills and routines that will benefit them when they return home”. It is understood families will be put forward for selection by their social workers and could spend up to six weeks at the property.

But resident Matthew Batstone, speaking on behalf of Kennington locals, said: “This is a profligate use of public money in what is supposed to be a time of austerity. This property is completely unsuitable for the provision of short breaks for families.”

A spokeswoman for Hackney council – which faces a £36m funding cut – said: “It is a voluntary programme with parents and, where appropriate, foster carers joining the children and taking part in ... learning and support. It is primarily aimed at children in care or families at risk of breakdown, with a maximum of three families staying for short periods.

“We think this location is ideal. It will give families the opportunity to spend time together away from their homes in a tranquil location with plenty of space that is still a commutable distance from London.”

Vale of White Horse District Council will decide whether to allow a change of use at the property site on 2 July.

This item originally stated that “locals are overwhelmingly opposed to the plans”. In fact, while some strongly oppose the proposal, others are fully behind the plan. The text has now been amended. 15/06/15.