Allotments plan for Cogges estate (From Witney Gazette)

Allotments plan for Cogges estate

12:00pm Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Pete Hughes, Reporter. Call me on 01865 425431

Buy this photo » Keen gardener Richard Mackenzie on the site at Cogges

A NEW housing estate could be built at Cogges as part of a deal that would also see new allotments created.

A 3.5-acre strip of land behind Cogges Manor Farm has been suggested for new plots. Landowner James Mawle said he could turn the site into allotments to help alleviate the waiting list, which has 117 people on it. But he said it is only likely to happen if he gets the go-ahead to redevelop about 100 acres of land he owns at Cogges. Mr Mawle said: “We have a masterplan to develop all the land we own there, and that includes 450 dwellings, and an allotment on the site behind the museum.”

His suggestion has been backed by gardeners and allotment holders. Andy Howells, chairman of the Witney Allotment Association, said: “I think it is a good site for an allotment.

“It is close to fairly concentrated housing. Anything near to where people live is good. “Obviously you would need to run soil tests to make sure it is not contaminated, and check that it is not liable to flooding.”

Writer Richard Mackenzie applied for an allotment in Witney three years ago and was told at the time there was a two-year wait.

Now he is 28th on the waiting list. He said: “We have a two-year-old son.

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“He is the right age to start gardening.

“I want to start growing things and be able to provide fresh fruit and vegetables for my family.

“There is a social justice aspect to it as well – there are 117 people who want to be part of the allotment community and culture.”

The thin strip of land suggested is next to housing, making water provision easier, and has access from both ends.

The land, owned by the Mawle Trust in East Witney, was earmarked for the Cogges Link Road , which Oxfordshire County Council wanted to build to ease traffic congestion in Witney town centre.

After a lengthy battle with the trust, the county’s compulsory purchase order for the land was rejected by the Department for Transport in June.

Chris Hargraves, planning policy manager for West Oxfordshire District Council , said the council needed extra information on the land’s suitability for housing before deciding whether it could be developed.

Witney Town Council is responsible for providing land for allotments in the town. Jeanette Baker, a member of the town council’s leisure and recreation committee, said: “The council is actively seeking new land for allotments and shows commitment to the existing provision by continuing to maintain and invest in improvements to existing sites managed by the allotment association.”

She declined to say if the town council would back the Mawle Trust’s plans. Witney Allotment Association manages 175 plots on three sites – Lakeside, Hailey Road and Newland – while Witney Town Council retains control of four allotment plots off Park Road.

Comments(22)

Rich! says...
12:58pm Wed 5 Sep 12

I can't see 450 new houses helping the traffic at Bridge Street much. What we really need is some kind additional road, a road which links Cogges to the rest of Witney. I don't know what we'd call it though?

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the wizard says...
2:30pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Rich! wrote:
I can't see 450 new houses helping the traffic at Bridge Street much. What we really need is some kind additional road, a road which links Cogges to the rest of Witney. I don't know what we'd call it though?

That would be The Cogges Link Road then ? How about a cycle track down to Station lane then, across the fields ? Would also aid pedestrian access, now there is a thought. lol.

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richwitney says...
2:35pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Kerching!

Time for Mr Mawle to cash in his chips on the CLR land.

A nice £2.5 million in the bank, thank you very much people of Witney!

More houses = more traffic = more gridlock = more polution

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livedhereforyears says...
3:20pm Wed 5 Sep 12

what a suprise - throw a few allotments in for free and then wants to build 450 houses after not wanting to improve the road system of this town. Madley park wasn't supposed to have been completed without the CLR and now they want more houses to make them richer - this is just greed not charity - I will be objecting to any planning for more houses on the basis of lack of supporting infrastructure.

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the wizard says...
3:53pm Wed 5 Sep 12

livedhereforyears wrote:
what a suprise - throw a few allotments in for free and then wants to build 450 houses after not wanting to improve the road system of this town. Madley park wasn't supposed to have been completed without the CLR and now they want more houses to make them richer - this is just greed not charity - I will be objecting to any planning for more houses on the basis of lack of supporting infrastructure.

Bang on target, but the Tory boys will look after their own despite the cost to the community with gridlock and pollution. I expect the rest will be here later stating otherwise, but be assured, we know the problem and it isn't going to go away until the traffic problem is sorted, and shout as they may, Shores Green, is not the golden solution they propose that it is.

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richwitney says...
4:16pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Shores Green is definitely not the solution, as today's total closure of the A40 has shown.

Totally impossible to get from one side of Witney to the other.

Welcome to the future!

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richwitney says...
4:48pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Modern day bribery in full flow!

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mike4753 says...
5:47pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Now Mr Mawle is showing his true colours!!! How can so many people have been hoodwinked by him on the CLR.Its clear he was in it for his own gain.What do CPRE and other anti CLR supporters think now?

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someguyfromhereandthere says...
5:55pm Wed 5 Sep 12

I'm the bloke in the picture above. Really not happy with Mawle's offer. To be honest, with 450 new homes, I'd rather tell him where he can stick his allotment offer.

This is not community spirited, its greed, plain and simple.

I was neither for or against the Cogges link road, but always knew it was either that or houses.

The council has over 360,000 which they can only spend on allotments. Can't they go down the compulsory purchase route?

Richard MacKenzie

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richwitney says...
5:58pm Wed 5 Sep 12

mike4753 wrote:
Now Mr Mawle is showing his true colours!!! How can so many people have been hoodwinked by him on the CLR.Its clear he was in it for his own gain.What do CPRE and other anti CLR supporters think now?

Ironic that the CPRE brigade's support for Mr Mawle will result in 450 new homes being built on green belt land, leading to even worse gridlock in Witney.

Would Mr Wilcock or Mr Condon care to comment on these plans for a new estate in East Witney?

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nickwilcock says...
9:24pm Wed 5 Sep 12

Although I am loath to be drawn into debate by people who snipe form behind pseudonyms, a little research on the East Witney Land Consortium website http://www.ewlc.info
/ reveals that there are 2 different areas proposed for development.

The one to which the Witney Gazette article refers is ‘Cogges South’, which the EWLC describes as being ‘proposed for 100 houses plus 3 acres of allotments and 35 acres of water meadow and public open space’. A plan can be viewed at http://www.ewlc.info
/images/coggesmap_la
rge.jpg .

But their entire plan is indeed for 450 houses. 100 at ‘Cogges South’ and 350 at the far more contentious ‘Cogges Triangle’, which would add considerable urban sprawl to Cogges Hill. A plan can be viewed at http://www.ewlc.info
/images/triangle_lar
ge.jpg .

Whilst there might well be some merit in the ‘Cogges South’ proposal, the complete ‘master plan’ would undoubtedly face considerable opposition.

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livedhereforyears says...
9:17am Thu 6 Sep 12

It was very kind of Mr Mawle to offer up the land for the Shores Green junction, and this should always have been built. However your houses will not be built ! that is green belt land and all of the arguments put forward against the road stand also for not building houses.

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richwitney says...
4:48pm Thu 6 Sep 12

Merit in the Cogges South proposal? It sits in the same area as the CLR that you were up in arms against! It's also an area that has regularly flooded before.

I suspect that the main Anti-CLR protagonists will be keeping very quiet about 'Cogges South', as it stinks of a deal struck between them and the Mawles over the CLR.

I'll await the public outcry from CPRE et al about both 'South' and 'Triangle' with interest...

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the wizard says...
5:35pm Thu 6 Sep 12

richwitney wrote:

mike4753 wrote:
Now Mr Mawle is showing his true colours!!! How can so many people have been hoodwinked by him on the CLR.Its clear he was in it for his own gain.What do CPRE and other anti CLR supporters think now?
Ironic that the CPRE brigade's support for Mr Mawle will result in 450 new homes being built on green belt land, leading to even worse gridlock in Witney.

Would Mr Wilcock or Mr Condon care to comment on these plans for a new estate in East Witney?

I see that today Double-Dip Dave and his henchmen have announced that they are relaxing building restrictions on Green Belt land, be assured that these plans will go through despite any objections.

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nickwilcock says...
5:59pm Thu 6 Sep 12

"It sits in the same area as the CLR that you were up in arms against!"

It does not. Perhaps you and your fellow troll should consider educating yourself first, then if you feel that strongly about it, why not start a campaign? Or would the pair of you rather just snipe anonymously about the Mawle Trust?

If you believe in something, then do something constructive.

We did!

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richwitney says...
6:38pm Thu 6 Sep 12

nickwilcock wrote:
"It sits in the same area as the CLR that you were up in arms against!"

It does not. Perhaps you and your fellow troll should consider educating yourself first, then if you feel that strongly about it, why not start a campaign? Or would the pair of you rather just snipe anonymously about the Mawle Trust?

If you believe in something, then do something constructive.

We did!

Part of Mr Mawle's housing development sits where the route of the CLR, it's as clear as day my friend.

CPRE's silence on this speaks volumes.

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David Condon says...
7:36pm Thu 6 Sep 12

Witney CPRE will only be commenting when the full facts have been released and carefully analysed. This will probably be when the revised LDF (Core Strategy) proposals are made available for public consultation by WODC, and that may not be 'till late 2012 or even early 2013.
...
Speaking on a personal note, I would appreciate it if accusations of 'deals' between either myself, or CPRE, with third parties were backed up with facts. Please read the site terms below.

David Condon. Witney CPRE & WitneyFirst.

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the wizard says...
10:52pm Thu 6 Sep 12

In fairness to David Condon, whether I agree with him or not, he is always correct, and I don't see him as somebody who would agree to "doing a deal".
In all of his dealings with respect to the CLR, and although we were at logger-heads with our own views, I would say again, he did nothing underhand, and would also add he argues cleanly.
This whole issue centred around the CLR has many peoples backs up, and rightly so as it is a very contentious issue, and now the housing which is also part of that self same argument will also cause feelings to run high, but I do expect DC to retain his candour and argue his corner according to protocol and the law. I don't see him as someone who would lower his standards into deals or otherwise, even if we don't agree.

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jamesmawle says...
11:02am Fri 7 Sep 12

I write to correct an error in this article. It is not correct that the Mawle Trustees would only provide land for allotments if they received an allocation for houses. We are aware there is a requirement for more allotment space in Witney. We have identified a piece of our land that we think would be suitable with good access from the Cogges museum car park, good soil and an existing water supply. Witney Town Council has approached us about buying some land for allotments. However there are other factors to be taken into consideration when deciding how to lay out this area. For instance we are also proposing the Farm Mill crossing, a pedestrian and cycle route over the Windrush linking Cogges Hill Road with Farm Mill Lane at the northern entrance to the country park. This route would cross the allotment land and it would be foolish to sell this land for allotments now and find it is not then possible to put in the Farm Mill crossing. Further more we are building on our flood model work done for the Cogges Link Road Inquiry to more fully understand why houses in Cogges flooded in 2007. A solution to this will again most likely involve the allotment land and again it would be foolish to sell this land before we know what may need doing. The sensible way to ensure integrated land use planning is to do it through the emerging local plan which is what we are doing. a revised draft is due to go to WODC cabinet in October so there will be little delay. If we do not get an allocation for houses through that plan it does not mean we will not sell the allotment land. please note in 2002 we sold the much larger Windrush cemetery site on Cogges hill to WTC without getting any houses and without asking a premium and without a CPO.

to answer some points in the comments. Cycle link - please look at our web site www.ewlc.info for plans of a pedestrain and cycle access from Cogges to Witney which we call the Farm Mill crossing. I am not a member of the Conservative party either national or locally and it is foolish to suggest that having fought a very public battle with the council over CLR I have any friends in either WODC or OCC.

With regard to accusations of deception we have been open from the start about our housing proposals, please see our website. People in Witney are well aware of these proposals but I suggest understand that opposing the CLR is not the same thing as supporting our housing proposals.

With regard to house building we fully accept it is for the local community in West Oxfordshire to determine how many new houses should be built in the district but once that number has been set they should be built in the most sustainable locations. We believe east Witney with its excellent pedestrian, cycle and bus links is the most sustainable site. It is also the only site that can pay for and build the SGSR if OCC will not pay for it itself.

With regard to accusations of greed it would be far more advantageous for the trust to sell the allotment land to WTC now. If we do it through the local plan we will most likely have to pay to set out the allotments and then give them to WTC and also pay for and build the Farm Mill crossing. Both the allotments and farm Mill crossing are being volunteered by the trust rather than being asked for by WODC.

We are currently revising our proposals post CLR working on the assumption that we will have to both pay for and build SGSR. once they are ready we will be putting them out for public consultation including a public exhibition in Witney.

I write to correct an error in this article. It is not correct that the Mawle Trustees would only provide land for allotments if they received an allocation for houses. We are aware there is a requirement for more allotment space in Witney. We have identified a piece of our land that we think would be suitable with good access from the Cogges museum car park, good soil and an existing water supply. Witney Town Council has approached us about buying some land for allotments. However there are other factors to be taken into consideration when deciding how to lay out this area. For instance we are also proposing the Farm Mill crossing, a pedestrian and cycle route over the Windrush linking Cogges Hill Road with Farm Mill Lane at the northern entrance to the country park. This route would cross the allotment land and it would be foolish to sell this land for allotments now and find it is not then possible to put in the Farm Mill crossing. Further more we are building on our flood model work done for the Cogges Link Road Inquiry to more fully understand why houses in Cogges flooded in 2007. A solution to this will again most likely involve the allotment land and again it would be foolish to sell this land before we know what may need doing. The sensible way to ensure integrated land use planning is to do it through the emerging local plan which is what we are doing. a revised draft is due to go to WODC cabinet in October so there will be little delay. If we do not get an allocation for houses through that plan it does not mean we will not sell the allotment land. please note in 2002 we sold the much larger Windrush cemetery site on Cogges hill to WTC without getting any houses and without asking a premium and without a CPO. to answer some points in the comments. Cycle link - please look at our web site www.ewlc.info for plans of a pedestrain and cycle access from Cogges to Witney which we call the Farm Mill crossing. I am not a member of the Conservative party either national or locally and it is foolish to suggest that having fought a very public battle with the council over CLR I have any friends in either WODC or OCC. With regard to accusations of deception we have been open from the start about our housing proposals, please see our website. People in Witney are well aware of these proposals but I suggest understand that opposing the CLR is not the same thing as supporting our housing proposals. With regard to house building we fully accept it is for the local community in West Oxfordshire to determine how many new houses should be built in the district but once that number has been set they should be built in the most sustainable locations. We believe east Witney with its excellent pedestrian, cycle and bus links is the most sustainable site. It is also the only site that can pay for and build the SGSR if OCC will not pay for it itself. With regard to accusations of greed it would be far more advantageous for the trust to sell the allotment land to WTC now. If we do it through the local plan we will most likely have to pay to set out the allotments and then give them to WTC and also pay for and build the Farm Mill crossing. Both the allotments and farm Mill crossing are being volunteered by the trust rather than being asked for by WODC. We are currently revising our proposals post CLR working on the assumption that we will have to both pay for and build SGSR. once they are ready we will be putting them out for public consultation including a public exhibition in Witney. jamesmawle

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phathers says...
1:47pm Fri 7 Sep 12

Cpre, Occ. Witney first, Mawle trust. All residents in witney want is new infrastructure before more development. Witney is fast heading to gridlock. i as well as many others am completely fed up with it. Please sort it maybe without all this bickering that gets us nowhere! (literally)

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the wizard says...
6:29pm Fri 7 Sep 12

James Mawle, if only you had explained yourself here before, and given further detail as you have above, many assumptions would have been cleared up before they started. I for one am glad you have at last spoken, laid out your explanations, and given account of your stand point.

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Fred Chilvers says...
9:17pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Good to see that the wizard has the grace to recognise that James Mawle and his fellow trustees are acting in a responsible way. When will richwitney, in particular learn to find out what's really going on before making ill-informed, intemperate and quite possibly libellous comments?

It was the same with the CLR debate on the Gazette website - he made all sorts of assertions that a little basic research would have revealed to be inaccurate. It seems to me that he is for some reason programmed to assume the worst of anyone who ever opposed the CLR. Keep it up, richwitney, your comments are entirely counter-productive!

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Allotments plan for Cogges estate (From Witney Gazette)

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Allotments plan for Cogges estate

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