Bodicote fights loss of parish land in boundary review

Local resident says Cherwell is ploughing on regardless of public opinion

Residents on the new housing estate behind Banbury Cricket Club are unhappy that they look set to be officially classified as living in Banbury, rather than Bodicote – despite an overwhelming rejection of the idea in a public consultation.

Next week a meeting of Cherwell District Council will consider a number of parish boundary changes.   The report to Councillors is recommending that a redrawn map takes two areas that are currently part of Bodicote parish and makes them officially part of Banbury town.

On the eastern side of the Oxford Road the plans indicate the land surrounding the rugby club would become part of Banbury, but excluding the rugby club itself.   This would take the official edge of the town to within a field of Adderbury.

On the northern side of Bodicote the proposals move the existing boundary from following the line of Saltway, to include the fields around the cricket club and Kingsfield as far south as Wykham Lane and the Bodicote allotments.

Residents of the new Pavillions estate are unhappy that their views appear to have been ignored.   A consultative survey by the Council showed 127 responses rejecting the idea, with just 7 in favour and 1 having no view.

Local resident Rob Pattenden said: “Despite the overwhelming desire from local residents to maintain the status quo, the working group has stated that it has reiterated their support for the boundaries to be altered – in laymen’s terms they are ignoring us.

“They intend to plough on regardless to shamelessly move us into Banbury from 2024. The only reason that I can imagine they’re looking to do this is to boost council tax revenues for Banbury, and in turn depriving Bodicote of funding.

“It should be said that council tax in Banbury is considerably more than council tax in Bodicote, so we will all suffer for this deeply anti-democractic move.

“Personally, we moved here under the impression we were moving to Bodicote.  I have nothing against Banbury whatsoever, I work there, and I’ve spent much of my life in and around Banbury, however we love living in Bodicote and don’t want to see an aggressive council use bullying tactics to rip apart Bodicote’s long established boundaries against the will of the vast majority of Bodicote residents, for the sake of a few more quid for Banbury’s district council wards.”

Bodicote Parish Council opposes the plans.   Ahead of the consultative survey it said: “The parish council feels it is important that Bodicote remains a village community in its own right; all areas under threat remain in the village; Bodicote continues to be represented by a parish council made up of village residents who understand the village’s needs; and the local part of council tax continues to be set in Bodicote rather than Banbury, where the rates are higher”

Banbury Town Council supports the changes.

The report Councillors will discuss concludes: “The Working Group have considered all consultation responses and information provided from the town and parish councils. 

“The final recommendations have been discussed in detail by the Working Group, with advice from the Monitoring Officer as required and reference to the guidance issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government (as it was).”

Banbury FM has asked Cherwell District Council if it wishes to comment on the position.

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Published: 11/10/2022 02:32pm by Banbury FM Newsteam

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