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2010

March 2010: Public consultation begins on Cherwell Core Strategy.

The Council is preparing a Core Strategy Development Plan Document that will form part of the Council’s Local Development Framework.

Once adopted, the Core Strategy will set the broad planning framework for meeting the future needs of Cherwell. It will set out:

• How the district will grow and how this will be delivered
• Where this growth will take place, including identifying strategic sites for housing and
  employment.

The draft Core Strategy includes 3,000 of the 5,000 homes proposed for the eco-development in North West Bicester. This has allowed Cherwell District Council to meet almost all of its housing targets for 2026.

From 22 February 2010 the Council will be consulting on the Draft Core Strategy. The consultation paper along with the draft sustainability appraisal, a leaflet and a questionnaire are available online here. They can also be available to view at the locations below.

Comments can be made on-line here.

Alternatively, completed questionnaires or any other comments can be emailed to: planning.policy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk

Or posted to: Planning and Affordable Housing Policy Team, Cherwell District Council, Bodicote House, Bodicote, Banbury, OX15 4AA.

All comments must be received by Monday 19 April 2010.

Please note that all comments received will be made available for public viewing.

For further information about this consultation, please contact Charlotte Morbey, Community Engagement Officer on 01295 227970 or email planning.policy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk

Exhibitions

The council will be holding a number of exhibitions throughout the consultation where they will be available to discuss the draft Core Strategy.

Date Venue Time

Friday 5 March Crown Walk, Bicester 9 – 5pm
Saturday 6 March Crown Walk, Bicester 9 – 5pm
Saturday 13 March Castle Quay Shopping Centre, Banbury 9 – 5.30pm
Thurs 25 March Cherwell District Council Office, Bodicote 9 – 5.30pm
Tuesday 30 March Sunshine Centre, Bretch Hill, Banbury 9 - 7.30pm

2007

September 2007: CPRE Ploughley responds to the Bicester and Central Oxfordshire Site Allocations Development Plan Document.

CPRE Ploughley has responded to the Bicester and Central Oxfordshire Site Allocations Development Plan Document, which set out the long list of options for future development in the area. It said that if Bicester is forced through top down dictat from the government to absorb ever increasing numbers of houses, then the town should be encouraged to expand via concentric rings around a compact centre. This assumes that all land in the town has already been sensibly committed to mixed development. The early breaching of the currently effective ring road by the approval at appeal of the office block on the Church Of England’s land east of Skimmingdish Lane was an example of how not to go about it. Here central government, in the form of the Planning Inspectorate, compounded their earlier intervention to allow residential housing rather than employment at the Gavray Drive site, and showed a clear disregard of a plan based process. In general the very high concentration of proposed development in Bicester, with high levels of commuting mostly by car, and decreasing availability of green space is cause for alarm for the future quality of life of the residents of this burgeoning town.

May 2007: CPRE concerned at Bicester expansion plans.

The number of developments proposed at Bicester grows at a rapid pace. We have considerable concerns about how some of these the developments will integrate into the town. The seemingly arbitrary nature of planning inspectors' decisions has meant that there is no longer an effective master plan for a town targeted by government for major expansion.

1. Gavray Drive. Although zoned for employment in the Local Plan, a planning inspector ruled it should be used for 500 homes.
2. Skimmingdish Allotments. A planning inspector gave permission for offices, partly because Gavray Drive is now to be used for housing.
3. RAF Bicester. Defence Estates is hoping for 1,000 houses on the airfield. No planning application has yet been made.
4. Dymock's Farm. Developers have submitted an application for 900 houses and we understand work is underway on plans for housing on the adjacent timber yard.
5. South West Bicester. Planning permission has been granted for 1,585 houses and associated facilities.
6. South West Bicester. Countryside Properties has said that they would like to develop northwest and southwest of site 5. No planning application has yet been made.
7. Business Park. Developers have unveiled plans for 12 office buildings and a hotel.
8. Redrow Homes are drawing up plans for at least 3,000 houses. No planning application has yet been made.