Housing & Eco Towns - NW Bicester Eco-Development - Lastest News
Work on eco-development at Bicester to start in February 2012
November 2011
The first phase of the 5,000 home eco-development in NW Bicester could begin as early as February of next year after receiving financial backing from two real estate investors. Resolution Property and Altitude Real Estate LLP have bought the freehold to 80 acres of greenfield to the NW of Bicester, which already has planning permission for 393 homes, offices, a community centre, a pub and shops.
On 11th August, P3Eco (Bicester) Ltd, together with its development partner A2Dominion, announced that Cherwell District Council had resolved to grant detailed planning permission for 393 new homes and a renewable energy centre as part of the first ‘Exemplar’ phase of the NW Bicester Eco development masterplanned by leading architect-planners, Farrells with support from project engineering consultants Hyder Consulting.
The proposals, submitted by planning and design consultancy Barton Willmore on behalf of the partnership, also provide for outline consent for new employment, retail, social and community facilities, as well as a site for a primary school to form a local centre at the heart of a sustainable new “village”.
The permission unlocked a £6m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency in the delivery of 119 affordable homes as part of this phase of development. The resolutions to grant permission are subject to completion of a legal agreement.
See: North West Bicester (external website)
Councillors criticise the amended planning application for first phase of the North West Bicester eco-development
21st July 2011
Members of Cherwell District Council’s planning committee have gone against their officers’ recommendations and deferred giving planning consent to the amended application by A2 Dominion Group and consortium P3Eco so “loose ends” could be tied up.
Along with several other organisations, including CPRE, who had expressed concerns about the proposal, Oxfordshire County Council strongly objected because the developer said it could not pay £4m as part of a share to fund services such as schools and libraries. Other concerns included the ability to deliver the long-term project and that it was not green enough.
It also emerged an independent financial “viability” survey was not complete.
The plans are expected to be brought back to the committee during August and a masterplan for the entire site is expected to be submitted to the council in early 2012.
CPRE responds to revised planning application for ‘Exemplar’ phase
27th May 2011
CPRE Oxfordshire has responded to the revised planning application. While we are generally supportive, we have expressed our concern that the first phase of the NW Bicester eco–town has advanced rapidly without an agreed Masterplan and we have recommended that a clear and robust Masterplan is adopted to guide the scheme in a coherent manner whilst ensuring that its intended eco-credentials are being met.
See: CPRE Bicester District response to CDC consultation May 2011
See: revised planning application for the Exemplar on the Cherwell District Council ‘Planning’ webpage.
Revised planning application for ‘Exemplar’ phase submitted
9th May 2011
P3Eco, A2Dominion and the consortium behind the NW Bicester Eco Development have submitted a revised planning application to Cherwell District Council for the first ‘Exemplar’ phase of this pioneering project.
This follows an extensive period of consultation, to which CPRE Oxfordshire responded, and changes made to the original proposals which were first submitted in November 2010.
The planning application for the Exemplar, first submitted in November 2010, was refined through extensive public consultation during last year and underwent statutory consultation in the early part of 2011.
CPRE Oxfordshire will be responding to the revised planning application, expressing our concern that the first phase of the NW Bicester eco–town has advanced rapidly without an agreed Masterplan and recommending that a clear and robust Masterplan is adopted to guide the scheme in a coherent manner whilst ensuring that its intended eco-credentials are being met.
The revised planning application for the Exemplar can be viewed on the Cherwell District Council ‘Planning’ webpage.
P3Eco director Ian Inshaw said they were working with partners including architects Farrells and housing association A2 Dominion.
The deadline for responses is Friday 13th May.
See: North West Bicester Press Release (April 20th) (external website)
NW Bicester eco-town not green enough
28th March 2011
P3Eco, the firm that has put in its planning application for the first phase of the 5,000-home eco-settlement on farmland at North West Bicester, near Caversfield, has been asked to go back to the drawing board.
All three local councils, parish councils, and a host of experts, including CPRE Oxfordshire, have raised concerns about the plan for 393 houses, shops and offices. They claim there is a lack of biodiversity, no green jobs and too much car parking at the site for it to be considered eco-friendly.
Alan Jones, Chairman CPRE Oxfordshire told the Oxford Times: “I think it has yet to prove its credentials. What’s being proposed could work, but what we are concerned about is it’s a very tall order to get it right and I’m not sure the consortium is going to be able to deliver.”
He continued:
“Our main concern with turning this out is it needs a big company with lots of resources behind them. It doesn’t look as if P3Eco have those resources. I think the aspiration is right, but we are concerned about the way it’s shaping up at the moment.”
P3Eco director Ian Inshaw said they were working with partners including architects Farrells and housing association A2 Dominion.
He said: “All remarks have their part to play in informing our revisions to the scheme, and in making sure that we produce a first rate development with excellent eco credentials.”
A revised plan is due to be submitted in April 2011.
See: Oxford Times (19th March) (external website)
See: NW Bicester Eco-Town (external website)
CPRE responds to planning application for NW Bicester Eco-Development
8th February 2011
CPRE Bicester/Ploughley District has submitted its response to Cherwell District Council's consultation on Phase One North-West Bicester Eco-town, (Planning Application 10/01780/HYBRID).
The application by P3Eco and A2Dominion is for the 'Exemplar' - the very first eco settlement of homes and community facilities in the NW Bicester Eco Development.
See: CPRE Bicester/Ploughley District response, (6th February) (PDF)
Planning application to be submitted for NW Bicester Eco-Development
November 2010
P3Eco and A2Dominion will shortly be submitting a planning application to Cherwell District Council for the ‘Exemplar’ – the very first eco settlement of homes and community facilities in the NW Bicester Eco Development. This follows on from the consultation in September which introduced the site. The plans were also shown to the local community during October.
There will be an opportunity to comment on this first application and there will be further ongoing discussion on the wider Masterplan after this application, which will continue well into the new year.
The plans are available on the NW Bicester website.
New consultation on NW Bicester Eco-Development
September 2010
In June P3Eco, facilitators for the NW Bicester eco development, began a public consultation process by holding an Open Planning Week to involve many local stakeholders and members of the general public in discussion about how proposals for the site should unfold.
CPRE Oxfordshire attended the Community Masterplanning Workshop and the drop-in events. P3Eco is now seeking input again.
From 2nd – 17th September it is holding the next stage of consultation: Testing Ideas. This consultation will be primarily online. Comments need to be submitted before 17th September.
There are two elements to Testing Ideas:
1. P3Eco will show for the first time outline plans for the Exemplar – the first residential and community eco hub in NW Bicester. It will be a test of the professional team’s interpretation of the Government’s Planning Policy Statement on Eco-Towns (PPS); show how they have attempted to work with the natural landscape; and progress to take on board the comments made during the consultation so far.
2. P3Eco will publish a document called NW Bicester: Testing Masterplan Ideas. This will set out its initial written response to both the Government PPS and the comments received during the Open Planning Week.
P3Eco is seeking feedback on this document at the same time as the Exemplar as it will indicate how the Masterplan (of which the Exemplar is a part) is developing and provide a chance for consultation and engagement on the overall strategy.
As well as being available online, there will be a chance to see the plans and information on display and to meet the teams at a series of drop in sessions.
At the exhibition venues hard copies of the document and comment forms will be available.
The professional team will then prepare a detailed response to comments on the Masterplan in a second document called NW Bicester: Shaping the Masterplan and publish detailed plans for the Exemplar before the planning application is submitted. This is anticipated to be in mid-October.
CPRE Oxfordshire will be responding to the consultation.
For more information about the consultation see: NW Bicester Eco-Development website (external website)
More Government cash for Bicester Eco-Development
July 2010
Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council, and Bicester Town Council have all welcomed a letter from the new housing minister, Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, announcing that further Government money is available to support Eco Bicester.
In addition to the £9.7m that Cherwell District Council has already received, Bicester can now expect up to a further £3m in a second tranche.
Councillor Keith Mitchell CBE, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "The minister has quite reasonably reduced the pot available because of public expenditure reductions, but the good news is that the coalition Government is supporting Eco Bicester.
"We expect between one and three million pounds extra on top of what we already have in the bank."
The new money is not without strings - the minister wants to see evidence of the way councils and developers have taken on board the views of Bicester people.
Councillor Debbie Pickford, leader of Bicester Town Council, addressed this point saying: "Bicester is in a really strong position regarding public engagement thanks to the recent and extensive consultation programme undertaken by our development partners, P3 Eco.
"The events were really well attended thanks to extensive advertising and good coverage in the local media.
"We are now all considering the valuable feedback and how to take it into account and this will be an important item at the next meeting of the Strategic Delivery Board later this month."
What is more, the minister promised additional support for Bicester and other eco towns in the form of the Government's planned housing incentive match-funding scheme which will see significant funds rewarding every new and new affordable home which is built.
Councillor Michael Gibbard, portfolio holder for planning and housing at Cherwell District Council welcomed this, saying:
"The new Government has new, exciting ideas to reward the delivery of eco houses and we intend that Bicester will be right at the front of the queue for that additional cash, which we want to invest in the town as a whole.
"Eco Bicester is full steam ahead and we expect the first planning application in the autumn."
Cherwell District Council leader Cllr Barry Wood, Cllr Keith Mitchell and Cllr Miss Pickford have all written to the minister welcoming his letter and the continuing government support for the eco town programme.
The future of the North-West Bicester eco-development in doubt
July 2010
The future of the eco-development for North-West Bicester is now in doubt after the Government confirmed the scheme was under review. An announcement is expected in the next few weeks, but P3Eco, the firm behind the 5,000-home development, says it is “business as usual” for the initial phase.
Last summer, farmland in North West Bicester was one of four sites selected by the then Labour Government to build the country’s first eco-towns. In February 2010, Cherwell District Council got a £9.6m share of £60m Government funding to kick-start the project and build more than 600 homes across the sites to the toughest eco-standard. But in light of the UK’s massive budget deficit, the scheme is now under review.
If the scheme is scrapped, the Government confirmed that the Bicester site would no longer be designated as an eco-town and would not attract any cash from the Government.
A spokesman for the DLGC said: “Eco-towns are being reviewed. It is fair to say the Government is looking at all projects, as obviously we are in difficult financial times.” The spokesman added: “There’s nothing stopping a developer building a low-carbon or zero-carbon community. But to be an eco-town it does have to be part of the eco-programme and that depends on the future of that programme.”
Both Cherwell District Council and developer P3Eco say they have had no indication from the Government over the future of the project, and at the moment it is unclear how this could affect development at the site.
This latest move has been welcomed by local councillors and campaigners who were opposed to the scheme.
But Ian Inshaw, of P3Eco, the consortium set up to fund and facilitate the Bicester eco-settlement, said the Government cash already received (£9.6m) would enable the 200-home exemplar to be built and that they will be submitting a detailed planning application in the autumn.
Michael Gibbard, Cherwell’s executive member for planning and housing, said: “We still expect a second, much smaller award of between £2m and £4m and await confirmation of this. But our commitment to Eco-Bicester is not in any way dependent on it.”
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