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Witney will expand
LANDOWNERS and developers are scrambling to get in on the act to provide thousands of new homes for Witney and West Oxfordshire.
Five major sites have been put forward for the next phase of Witney's expansion, while smaller sites are potential development areas for the district's two other major towns, Carterton and Chipping Norton.
Over the coming two months, all will be reviewed as part of public consultation in the drawing up of a Local Development Framework (LDF) - formerly the Local Plan - for the district through to the year 2026.
In Witney, the major sites are all greenfield, and submissions for them have come in from two consortiums, a development company and planning consultancy.
They are . . .
* 107 acres of land south of the A40 Witney bypass and bordering on part of Ducklington village (JWPC Ltd - Abbey Developments).
* The 'Cogges triangle', 32 acres of land east of the existing Cogges estate and bordering on the A40 and Oxford Road (Carter Jonas - East Witney Land Consortium).
* 23 acres of land north of Oxford Road (Carter Jonas - East Witney Land Consortium).
* North Witney, 58 acres directly north of the existing Madley Park estate (RPS - North Witney Consortium).
*North Curbridge, 72 acres north of the A40 between Deer Park Road and Downs Road (Barton Wilmore partnership).
Smaller sites have also been put forward for housing, including the Buttercross Works, off Station Lane, land south of Curbridge, and land at the north end of Ducklington. The size of the five major sites indicates that landowners and developers see the town as most likely to take the brunt of future housebuilding in the district.
But it also puts greater pressure on the town's need for a better road system. This week, the county council is preparing to put in its latest planning application for the Cogges Link Road, with the earliest opening date now 2011 (see Page 3).
West Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet gave the go-ahead for consultation on the LDF on Wednesday. Tina Rowley, planning policy manager, said the process should begin by the end of the month, and continue until May 12.
"If there is a call for public meetings, we will attend them," she said. "Full details of all the sites that have been put forward for development, across the district, are on our website. Copies are also available at the council offices."
Targets for new housing, both private and social, are set by the Government, but it is down to local councils to determine where they should go.
The target for West Oxfordshire, from 2006 to 2026, is 7,300 new homes. Out of that, a total of 3,730 have been built, are being built, or have allocated sites.
That leaves land to be found for 3,570, and the process is under way to specify them.
"This is an early stage of development plan preparation," added Ms Rowley. "The figures may change a little, but this is what we are going on now.
"What is clear is that the vast majority will have to be found on greenfield sites, because there is a lack of brownfield in the district. People will have all kind of views on the submissions put forward. In Witney, there has been an indication that the North Curbridge site is an area for development, but it is not yet included as a commitment.
"It would, in any case, only take up a part of the 3,570 homes, and we need to review it in the light of available alternatives. It should be emphasised that there is no council commitment to any of these as yet unallocated sites."
After consultation, the council expects to draw up a core strategy, which will be submitted to the Government in July next year.
* Full details, including maps, can be found on the council website westoxon.gov.uk, following the links via Local Development Framework.
2:47pm Tuesday 25th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Tim, Eynsham on 3:07pm Tue 25 Mar 08
And will the property developers be scrambling to help when these houses inevitably flood? Course not, they'll be busy counting their money and planning the next disasterous building project.
And will the property developers be scrambling to help when these houses inevitably flood? Course not, they'll be busy counting their money and planning the next disasterous building project.
Posted by: daren salter, hardwick on 3:35pm Tue 25 Mar 08
one word .. basingstoke.
Posted by: Mark Christie, Witney on 4:01pm Tue 25 Mar 08
Let's take a beautiful part of the world with small market towns, lots of character and wonderful countryside. Then let's fill it with nasty, tacky, dense-packed modern housing estates with no shops, no facilities and no soul. Then, when we've packed a few thousand more people in, let's raise a big "hurrah" for the Council for squandering our heritage, defiling the countryside and destroying the very things that made West Oxfordshire a great place to live.
Let's take a beautiful part of the world with small market towns, lots of character and wonderful countryside. Then let's fill it with nasty, tacky, dense-packed modern housing estates with no shops, no facilities and no soul. Then, when we've packed a few thousand more people in, let's raise a big "hurrah" for the Council for squandering our heritage, defiling the countryside and destroying the very things that made West Oxfordshire a great place to live.
Posted by: jj, oxfordshire on 4:51pm Tue 25 Mar 08
Will these house be insurable, that area floods. What about brownfield sites rather than greenfield, should not be allowed to build on flooding areas more concrete less place for the water to go. Bye Bye market towns.
Will these house be insurable, that area floods. What about brownfield sites rather than greenfield, should not be allowed to build on flooding areas more concrete less place for the water to go. Bye Bye market towns.
Posted by: Doh!, Witney on 8:35pm Tue 25 Mar 08
If i remember rightly, when Witney was flooded out in July last year, David Cameron was filmed and quoted as saying that " The goverment was to blame for all this misery because they are allowing houses to be built on FLOOD PLAINS ! he was filmed in Bridge street and i,ve still got this on sky plus, yet even though,there are homeowners that have had to endure the same misery again since July, the answer from the CONSERVATIVE council planning dept, is to allow to be built more houses, and also add to the ridiculous traffic problems in Witney, 3750 new homes could mean another 6000 more cars in our town! no new roads no infrastructure AGAIN! = MORE MONEY FOR THE COUNCIL to the tune of £6,000,000 pounds a year, and guess what? as usual " THEY DONT GIVE A **** WHAT WE THINK" as long as they get the revenue in to pay their extortionate wages and expenses, paid for by us,The dumb bastards that bend over and take it up the arse as per usual!
If i remember rightly, when Witney was flooded out in July last year, David Cameron was filmed and quoted as saying that " The goverment was to blame for all this misery because they are allowing houses to be built on FLOOD PLAINS ! he was filmed in Bridge street and i,ve still got this on sky plus, yet even though,there are homeowners that have had to endure the same misery again since July, the answer from the CONSERVATIVE council planning dept, is to allow to be built more houses, and also add to the ridiculous traffic problems in Witney, 3750 new homes could mean another 6000 more cars in our town! no new roads no infrastructure AGAIN! = MORE MONEY FOR THE COUNCIL to the tune of £6,000,000 pounds a year, and guess what? as usual " THEY DONT GIVE A **** WHAT WE THINK" as long as they get the revenue in to pay their extortionate wages and expenses, paid for by us,The dumb bastards that bend over and take it up the arse as per usual!
Posted by: phil, carterton on 9:58am Wed 26 Mar 08
There's not just the flooding issue to think about, are all the mains services going to improved and the A40 Dualled to help ease congestion, I think not. Oxfordshire will suffer in more ways than one if this is allowed
There's not just the flooding issue to think about, are all the mains services going to improved and the A40 Dualled to help ease congestion, I think not. Oxfordshire will suffer in more ways than one if this is allowed
Posted by: breathing space, Witney on 9:04pm Wed 26 Mar 08
I am thoroughly sick of it: cowboy-built new houses, mainly on flood plains now; no transport systems to speak of to get all these new inhabitants in and out of Witney; less and less green spaces; soon the place will be completely wrecked. I bet all those town planners, politicians and building consortium bosses won't live in any of those new estates.
I am thoroughly sick of it: cowboy-built new houses, mainly on flood plains now; no transport systems to speak of to get all these new inhabitants in and out of Witney; less and less green spaces; soon the place will be completely wrecked. I bet all those town planners, politicians and building consortium bosses won't live in any of those new estates.
Posted by: jpr, shilton park on 7:57pm Thu 27 Mar 08
i agree with all above. BUT if it wasnt for shilton park being built i would never have got on the property ladder.
ive lived in witney-ducklington and carterton all my life (27) and have seen it grow. without new roads and better town planning it will end in gridlock, it already takes 45 mins to get through town at 530pm. just build 2 slip roads onto the a40 at coggs end..... problem solved... muppets
i agree with all above. BUT if it wasnt for shilton park being built i would never have got on the property ladder.
ive lived in witney-ducklington and carterton all my life (27) and have seen it grow. without new roads and better town planning it will end in gridlock, it already takes 45 mins to get through town at 530pm. just build 2 slip roads onto the a40 at coggs end..... problem solved... muppets
Posted by: Matt / Witney Cotswold market town / not in 2015 on 1:22pm Tue 8 Apr 08
I've lived in Witney for many years now.
When these property developers build these large estates, when selling them they market them on the fact that you are buying into a beautifull Cotswold Market Town. The truth is that once these developer guys have made their money and move on the pastures greener, [bold]Witney will end up looking like READING!!![/bold]
Can anyone stop this crime, before all is lost!
I've lived in Witney for many years now.
When these property developers build these large estates, when selling them they market them on the fact that you are buying into a beautifull Cotswold Market Town. The truth is that once these developer guys have made their money and move on the pastures greener,
Witney will end up looking like READING!!!
Can anyone stop this crime, before all is lost!
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