Hooky houses given go-ahead as 8,000 of those already granted permission don’t count
06/06/2025
Councillor Douglas Webb: “we’re being forced to approve this against common sense”
Approval has been given for up to 55 more homes in a field on Station Road in Hook Norton.
Councillors on Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee last night resigned themselves to the fact they had no option but to approve the application, as not doing so could lead to an expensive Planning Appeal, which was likely to go against the Council.
The plans had been submitted by Gladman Developments for land northwest of Railway Farm, next to another development for 42 homes, which is currently under construction.
As the council can’t demonstrate enough housing is being built in our area under government set targets, applications must be approved unless there is a strong reason to say no.
At last night’s meeting it was noted that permission has been granted for 8000 houses which aren’t yet being built and therefore don’t count against the target.
Councillor Douglas Webb was one of those expressing his annoyance at the situation – and the fact that Oxfordshire County Council weren’t raising concerns in the areas for which they had responsibility, such as roads and education.
He said: “It boils down to the fact that if it goes to an appeal, with the numbers the way they are, we are going to lose.
“I’m still very upset with Highways thinking that people that move there are going to end up using the bus – if it turns up at the right time – if there is a bus. There’s going to be more cars on the roads, which those roads around there can’t cope with. There doesn’t seem to be any major investment for the roads – unless we go back to horse and cart, maybe they’ve got a plan for that!
“In an ideal world we would refuse it unless we have the proper infrastructure, including the school with teachers and everything else to go with it. But we’re being forced to approve this against common sense.”
Councillor Chris Brant added: “This goes against what the village wants and actually needs at the moment. However, we are in the position that we are with housing land supply, which is really frustrating when we know that we have over 8,000 homes in the pipeline to be built, but they’re not being built.”
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
