Councils fear the impact of ‘unprecedented’ local development plans
A round table meeting of parish councils to discuss plans for several major developments which are bound to impact local villages heard that the scale of the proposals was even greater than expected. And they are all being treated individually so that there is no attempt to assess the overall impact on local traffic and transport.
Many at the meeting accepted that they couldn’t halt at least some of these developments, but they did agree that the Oxfordshire County Council should produce a ‘Movement and Place Plan’ for Bicester West and Mid-Cherwell. This will hopefully be used to guide investment and decision-making in the area to ensure that all this development can function effectively.
Steeple Aston’s Martin Lipson, who is Chair of the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum, was at the meeting. Here is his report:
The meeting called by two County Councillors was well-attended by a wide range of representatives of the many local parishes potentially affected by major development, including some from both Steeple and Middle Aston. Cherwell District Councillors and Calum Miller MP also attended, together with one senior officer each from the County and the District.
The number and scale of the projects was described as unprecedented and includes the following: two large warehouse schemes at Baynards Green (one approved); Puy du Fou at Bucknell (to be decided); Great Wolf leisure complex at Chesterton (approved but stalled); Heyford Park ‘New Town’ including its southwards extension (to be decided); Oxfordshire Strategic Railfreight Interchange near Ardley, currently under consultation (to be decided by Ministers), and a new one – Richborough Estates housing near Caulcott. Also mentioned were ‘Himley Village’ close to Middleton Stoney (approved and slowly being built), and the Botley West Solar Farm extending to near Tackley (another Ministerial decision).
Although each of these projects is alarming in its own right, the real concern being addressed by the meeting was the cumulative impact of all of them together on our small patch of treasured countryside. The biggest worries relate to traffic and transport issues and their impact on rural lanes, villages and the public transport system (such as it is), with thousands of new residents, employees, and the services they require, all moving in and out of the area each day. The loss of countryside, farming land and the impact on the natural environment, air quality and so forth, were also aspects of concern.
A few of those present saw the need for immediate efforts to persuade the authorities and Government to look at the bigger picture and to refuse permission for some of them. Cherwell, we were told, must play by the rules which only permit the local planning authority to decide each proposal on its own merits, not being allowed to look at the cumulative impact of so many schemes. Even worse, some of the projects are to be decided by Government Ministers, over the heads of Cherwell.
Most of the parishes, however, seemed to be focussed on the measures needed to mitigate the developments, perhaps grimly assuming an inevitable outcome of approvals for most or all of the schemes. Revamping Junction 10 on the M40, traffic-calming, enforcement of HGV routing agreements, requiring community benefits to be delivered early – they’re all aspects of mitigation, after the stable door has been slammed shut.
What everyone agreed, though, was that something was needed to help decision-makers to look at that bigger picture – to plan effectively. The county councillors have persuaded their officers to produce a local ‘Movement and Place Plan’ for Bicester West and Mid-Cherwell, as part of the County’s strategic transport planning function. This is apparently to be done at pace, with local consultation on it starting next month. It will form a new part of the County Council’s existing Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, adopted in 2022, and will be intended to guide investment and decision-making in the area to ensure that all this development (and the impacts it will generate) can function effectively.
While of course this is much better than not having such a plan, it will probably be too late to have a great deal of effect on the scale or nature of the proposals.
Most politicians seem to accept that more growth is a good thing, and that their role as decision-makers is to react to the market place in a cautiously positive way. Not everyone present would agree with that. The need for these huge projects must be questioned, and a proper balance found with the vision of rural communities for a future, gently invigorated, but not lost to destruction and confusion.
Heyford Park on government’s list of possible new towns
Heyford Park is listed as one of 12 sites to be considered for development as a New Town in a report by the government’s New Towns Taskforce published on 28th September. This would be an even larger development than the one currently under consideration by Cherwell Distric Council.
The report suggests “Redevelopment of the former airbase at Heyford Park, Cherwell; connecting to Oxford and building on the existing progress and commitment to high-quality placemaking; referencing the area’s past and supporting its future in innovative clean technology industries.” It says that 13,000 new homes could be built on the 505-hectare brownfield site.
The government has said it will begin building in at least three New Towns in this Parliament and is prepared to progress work on a far larger range of locations if it proves possible. It is expected that ministers will make a decision in the Spring on which of the 12 sites will become New Towns.
Oxfordshire County Councillor Gareth Epps commented on the announcement: “While this isn’t a total surprise, it has profound implications for the existing Heyford Park community and the surrounding Cherwell Valley villages.
Any community engagement will highlight concerns about existing commitments which the developers Dorchester are seen to have failed to deliver, on active travel and HGV access to take car transporters away from roads near residents and schools. It will also highlight concerns about an “infrastructure last” approach under previous Tory administrations which have hampered placeshaping.
An essential part of any plans going forward is a reopened Ardley station, a local railhead to reduce the need to travel by car, as well as a rapid bus service to Oxford.”
Dorchester Living, the Upper Heyford developer, has already lodged a planning application with Cherwell District Council for a substantial town of 9,000 new homes on the site. This application would have to be enlarged and tweaked to meet the criteria to be designated a new town.
But the developers say in their application that 30 per cent of the new homes will be affordable; there will also be 900 assisted living units and 180 homes for key workers. There will be five new schools, community facilities, employment space and extensive green infrastructure. Perhaps ironically, there is also a plan for a new Centre for Peace Studies.
This application is in addition to the 1,200 homes already at Heyford Park along with Heyford Free School, a supermarket, a pharmacy, and a hotel.
Martin Lipson, who is Chair of the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum has spoken out against the plan. Martin, who is also vice chair of Steeple Aston Parish Council, outlined his objections to the plan in an interview on BBC Radio Oxford. He said Cherwell District Council already has a Local Plan which will deliver thousands of new homes near Bicester and Oxford. Local people did not want such a development built in the countryside.
“A small-ish development at Heyford Park has been acceptable for years” he said, “but the scale of ambition here is just really over the top”.
“Of course we need new homes, especially affordable ones, but this isn’t the right place for such a large development.”
Martin thought local people were sceptical that the infrastructure required for such a large development would be provided. He cited as an example the continued failure to build the promised health centre at Heyford Park.
Dorchester has extensive plans for infrastructure in their application. They also say improved connectivity and sustainable travel will underpin the settlement’s continued growth. They have been working with GWR to facilitate upgrades to Heyford Station and improvements to the Cherwell Valley Line service providing connections between Banbury and Didcot. There will also be enhanced bus routes and walking and cycling routes.
They say that sustainability is at the heart of their plan, with around 60 per cent of the site dedicated to open space – connecting nature corridors, public parkland, walking trails, a boating lake, waterways, and an area set aside as a retained Local Wildlife Site. The old runway will be the centre of a new park which will offer a wide range of leisure opportunities and include the planting of 65,000 trees.
The long-term ambition is for Heyford Park to become the UK’s first renewable energy surplus town, generating more renewable energy than it consumes through a combination of solar and wind power generation, energy-efficient design and low-carbon transport.
If the application is approved by Cherwell District Council, work could start on the development in 2026.
You can see the planning application on Cherwell’s website here https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/02190/HYBRID
There’s more about Dorchester’s plans at www.heyfordparknewtown.com/
You can hear Martin’s interview on BBC Radio Oxford along with contributions from the developer and local MP Liberal Democrat Calum Millar here
See page 40 for the Heyford Park section in the New Towns Taskforce report.
Oxford congestion charge to start soon
Oxford’s temporary congestion charge scheme is due to start on Wednesday, 29th October. Drivers of cars and motorhomes will be charged £5 a day to go through six congestion charge areas. This is a temporary measure to reduce congestion while Botley Road is closed.
Oxfordshire residents can apply for a permit which allows for 25 days of free travel a year through all six of the congestion charge areas.
The congestion charge areas are:
| Hythe Bridge Street | Monday to Sunday | 7am – 7pm |
| St Cross Road | Monday to Sunday | 7am – 7pm |
| St Clements Street | Monday to Sunday | 7am – 7pm |
| Thames Street | Monday to Sunday | 7am – 7pm |
| Marston Ferry Road | Monday to Saturday | 7am – 9am and 3pm – 6pm |
| Hollow Way | Monday to Saturday | 7am – 9am and 3pm – 6pm |
This means that if you don’t have a permit, you will have to pay the congestion charge to access these car parks:
- Westgate
- Oxford Rail Station
- Oxpens
- Worcester Street
For more details and to apply for a permit go to the Oxfordshire County Council website.
Exhibitors defy the drought at the Summer Show – photos
Steeple Aston and Middle Aston Horticultural Society held its 133rd Annual Show on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August. The show is always popular, and large crowds braved the heat of the day to see the exhibits, visit the stalls and watch the Dog Show. They also enjoyed plenty of tea and cake consumed in the cool of the Village Hall.
Given the recent drought and the imposition of a hosepipe ban, local gardeners defied expectations and produced some impressive flowers, fruit and vegetables for the show. Once again, Daphne Preston won the Walker Cup for Show Champion. See the full results.
Vicky Clifton, the Show Secretary is pictured here with a the cups and trophies before they were awarded to the winners. She reports on a very successful day:
Bank Holiday Monday in Steeple Aston is always a special day. It’s the day of the annual Summer Show, and yesterday’s show didn’t disappoint. Yes I am writing this the very next day, slightly jaded but I have plenty of cake to help me through. There has to be one positive to entering a few bits.
The weather this year has been the most challenging I think I can remember. With so many heatwaves and no real rain since the beginning of June, I was quite expecting to have few veg or flowers and the exhibits that came would be less than wonderful. Not a bit of it, regular exhibitors and some very welcome new names, did us proud. If I could have I would have given all fruit, veg and flower exhibits a 1st prize! The sheer effort to fill a watering can… carry up the garden… day in day out is astounding. Well done all and thank you on behalf of the committee. Without these efforts we wouldn’t have such a spectacular and large show.
Sadly on the day, we made a mistake and a trophy should have been awarded to Rebecca Purtell, who produced some lovely enteries. We are working on a plan to give her, her moment of glory and present her with the trophy. This should help to even up the bragging rights at home as her sister also won a trophy, one very talented family. Well done Rebecca.
We were delighted to have Dogs for Good supporting us again, and putting on the Dog Show. Due to the weather not as many dogs came, which I am actually quite pleased about. We know our own dogs and should never put winning a rosette ahead of their health. Hopefully next year it will be a little cooler and we’ll be back to normal with a field of barking. I for one would love to see their new class that would have been Musical Sit (think musical chairs). Oh well I’ll just have to wait a few more months.
We don’t have any confirmed figures yet, but hopefully we have raised the £4000 needed to host the show. As you would imagine the marquee is our biggest expense, which is normally sat empty on the Friday and Saturday evenings…. do you have a big birthday coming up, or wedding ?? We’d love someone to make use of this massive space, so if next August Bank Holiday you could make use of it, please do get in contact to discuss with a member of the committee.
That leads me nicely to my last point. We will hold our AGM on September 24th where hopefully we will recruit some new committee members. We always need people with ideas for classes, offers to write a quiz in the spring, propagate some bits for a plant stall, or help with the washing up. Your involvement can be as a committee member throughout the year or just on show days. There is many a family or individuals out there who we are eternally indebted to. Thank you all.
The next event in our Calender will be the Spring Show in March. The schedule of classes for this will be in the January Life, and on the website from December.
For now, thank you to everyone who has supported our two shows this year, see you in 2026!
To see lots of photos by Nigel Francis and Daphne Preston, go to the Photogallery. Click on the first photo to enlarge and then navigate using the arrows.
Scarecrows appeared, then allotments opened – photos
In the middle of August, Steeple Aston played host to a number of strange characters lurking outside village houses. These were the entries for the Scarecrow Competition run by the Allotment Association in association with their Open Day.
The theme was Heroes and Villains – and there was a striking collection of scarecrows ranging from a Donald Trump lookalike on Paines Hill to Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall alongside Spiderman on South Side.
Stuart Cummins, SACAA Chair reports:
As part of the National Allotment Week, Steeple Aston Church Allotment Association (SACAA) held their first Open Day on Sunday, 17th August. The weather was glorious and over 140 people came to join in the festivities!
The village Scarecrow Competition winners were announced – Best Villian “Cruella de Vil” (Hill House Lodge) and Hero, “Rainbow Warrior” (Grange Park), both receiving vouchers for the Yurt graciously donated by Nicholsons.
A lot of hard work (and baking) was done to make this event happen and particular thanks go to Marie O’Connor for managing all the wonderful refreshments, Kay Francis and Catherine Crook for running the produce stall, Eleanor O’Connor for Face Painting and Amanda Rodgers for kids’ activities.
Given its successful outcome, might this become an annual event? Watch this space!
To see photos from the Open Day and more great scarecrows go to the Photogallery. Click to enlarge the first photo, then navigate using the arrows. Thanks to Nigel Francis and the Allotment Association for these pictures.
Festival fun comes to ‘Middle Aston-bury’
The first ever local Tribute Music Festival took place in the grounds of Middle Aston House on Saturday, 19th July. Villagers and visitors of all ages came to join in the fun – and a good time was certainly had by all.
Comments on social media afterwards included ‘fantastic’, ‘well-organised’ and lots of ‘brilliants’. One villager summed it up saying ‘This was a village punching well above its weight. Fabulous afternoon and superb organisation. Bravo!’
Organiser Helen Wright reports from ’MiddleAston-bury’:
When Dan and I came up with the idea of putting on a Tribute Music Festival, it was borne of the frustrations at the huge cost of tickets to most festivals, and also of the love of bringing our wonderful community together in person.
What felt like the first rain we’d had all year decided to fall on the morning of the festival, but thankfully it had passed by the time gates opened at 1.00pm.
And we welcomed hundreds into the grounds of Middle Aston House to enjoy an afternoon and evening of music.
A young and talented “Death Warmed Up” got the crowd going with their 80s rock covers, followed by the popular local band “Whiff of Horse” (who brought many Whiffers along with them!). “The Ariana Grande Experience” dazzled the crowd, “Utmost Elton” was the rocket man, “Oasus” took us back to BritPop and “Rule the World” made us all shine (and remember how much we love Take That!).
We had wood fired pizzas, gourmet burgers, candy floss and bubble tea; Liam & Noel masks, bars, glitter and face painting. Not to mention, deckchairs, haybales and eventually even a little bit of sunshine!
Thank you so much to everyone who supported this idea – its success was down to those who came along and gave it a try!
Same time next year?
Meanwhile, we’d love to hear your thoughts, please do follow us on Facebook and Instagram
See lots more photos from Nigel Francis in the Photogallery. Click on the first one to enlarge and then use the arrows to navigate