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Extra 89 new homes for old RAF Upper Heyford site
18/01/2022
Permission granted for extra homes next to 2,000 already planned for old RAF base
by Andy Mitchell, Local Democracy Reporter
Councillors have backed plans for an extra 89 new homes next to the old RAF base at Upper Heyford – a site already earmarked for more than 2,000 homes.
It is the first of two applications by Pye Homes for land next to Heyford Park to the west of Bicester. An application for a further 31 homes is to be heard by Cherwell District Council’s planning committee next month.
Both proposals are separate to the Heyford Park development which has seen more than 700 homes built and occupied so far and another 1,400 set to be created by 2031.
This most recently permitted development will see 89 one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, 27 of which will be affordable, built on land to the east of Heyford Park.
Concerns were raised over how adding to such a large development would increase the risk of flooding in the wider area, traffic and the strain on active travel and public transport infrastructure but councillors were satisfied with the responses.
Councillor Ian Corkin (Con, Fringford & Heyfords) asked for “reassurance” over measures to combat flooding.
“Because of the flooding that took place in December 2020, I have walked extensively all of the watercourses around Heyford Park,” he said.
“The one that would service this development rises to the east of the flying field and drains down to Duvall Park Homes to the south where it comes to an attenuation point which is less than perfect and has been modified to try to restrict some of the flow through there.
“There was flooding in the mobile home park in December 2020 and from there it flows down to an old Ministry of Defence dam which also flooded.
“The system of flood alleviation is not bombproof, the report refers to conditions but I would like to know what they are and whether sufficient attenuation has been provided on site.”
Cllr Corkin added questions about the entry and exit to the site and traffic growth, issues also raised by Heyford Park Parish Council.
Planning officer Andy Bateson pointed to two planning conditions around drainage, saying “hopefully they should deal with the matter (of flooding) satisfactorily”.
He added that the highway authority found “the proposed position and design would be satisfactory for the development” and said that the 31-home development may offer an improvement on that too.
“The hope would be that, rather than having two separate accesses – Larsen Road and the new access for this development – all of the development for this part of the village, including Letchmere Farm to the rear, would be accessed via the new development road,” he said.
“That is reliant on a further application that the committee will see next month for a further 31 houses immediately to the north between this site and Letchmere Farm and a likely subsequent application for remaining parts of the land.
“The highways design people are satisfied that it currently provides and in future will provide a safe means of access.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam