Marriotts vote: Mixed feelings (From Witney Gazette)

Marriotts vote: Mixed feelings

2:45pm Friday 22nd December 2006 in Witney By Rosalind Miles

WITNEY townspeople have greeted the news that a multiplex cinema and shopping complex is soon to be built, with mixed feelings.

Work is expected to begin on building the five-screen cinema, shops, and 188 homes sometime in 2007. Simons Developments aims the centre to be finished ready for Christmas 2008.

West Oxfordshire district councillors last Tuesday voted overwhelmingly in favour of the most-talked-about and controversial development in the town's recent history.

Barry Norton, leader of the district council, said in voting for the plans: "Here we have a scheme that will suit Witney. I think history will show that we got it somewhere near right.

"Transport is something we will continue to work with the county to improve. As regarding infrastructure coming before development, the Government cannot afford that money upfront, the money will come on the back of development, during and after, because people want to see a return on their money before investing.

"I will be very happy to support the scheme."

"Here we have a scheme that will suit Witney. I think history will show that we got it somewhere near right. "

Barry Norton

The scheme has been in the planning process for more than five years, and many Witney residents had objected, saying they wished it to have a larger amount of green space.

A total of 4,000 people signed a petition to this effect after being leafleted by campaigners AIM (Action to Improve Marriotts Close).

But, in seconding a proposal to endorse the plans, Peter Handley, district councillor for Carterton, said: "The newspaper has been filled with letters about open space. But if we were to have an acre of green space in the centre, I have no doubt an aerial view would show footpaths like a Union Jack across it.

"So to me, the officers have done a damn good job. It has got a better skyline, and the car park looks like a good building in itself, compared to some.

"If you want to stop Witney growing, you have missed the boat. In the 1970s, Witney was declared a growth town, that's when the letter writing should have been done.

"If the public purse has to pay for infrastructure, the cost would be absolutely enormous. What comes first, the chicken or the egg? At the end of the day, progress has to take place. We have to move with the times, Witney is a growing town. If you don't like it, move to Burford."

Council planning officers had recommended the scheme for approval, and, significantly, Oxfordshire County Council raised no objections to the development on grounds of traffic congestion.

The county council require developers to spend £50,000 on Witney library, Wood Green and Tower Hill schools, Dix Pit recycling centre, Standlake Museum, and Moorview resource centre.

District councillor Brenda Smith proposed a vote to defer a decision on the grounds the future sustainability of the centre had not been properly thought through. But her motion was defeated, and 16 district councillors voted for the plans. Four abstained.

Mrs Smith said: "Requiring a very large expensive car park is taking money which could have been used to provide other benefits. It's not discouraging car use at all. I do feel the scheme has not addressed the future needs of Witney."

Only 15 out of the 188 new homes will be affordable, because of the expense to Simons Developments of building a car park, cinema, and park. To make up for it, the district council will spend £572,000 it has received from the development on affordable housing elsewhere in West Oxfordshire. The new development will comprise mainly one-bedroom apartments, which district council planners say are not a priority for affordable housing, and so the money will be better used elsewhere.

*Full story: See the Gazette on Wednesday