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Longford Park residents unhappy with overall progress, despite sports facility handover
22/06/2023
“Surely the council needs to make clear to developers that if you don’t build things right and in a timely manner you won’t be welcome for other developments in the area”
The pitches and sports pavilion at Longford Park in Bodicote have finally been transferred to the control of Cherwell District Council. But whilst the handover has been trumpeted as good news, a number of local people are unhappy that other areas of the estate remain unfinished.
Since being built the pitches and sports pavilion have been the responsibility of the Longford Park Consortium, the three developers at the site, as the council didn’t believe it had been finished to an acceptable standard. In a message posted on social media on Tuesday the council announced: “We’re now satisfied that the pitches and sports pavilion at Longford Park have been completed to the correct standard, meaning their management can be transferred over to us for the foreseeable future.”
Longford Park football club will be using the pitches and pavilion for the forthcoming season.
We first covered the saga of unfinished work at Longford Park in January last year. At the time we reported on the frustrations of residents who were waiting for the removal of the temporary fencing that was blocking off access to large areas of their new country park.
The social media post by Cherwell District Council mentioned this, concluding: “It is more good news for Longford Park residents, after the Heras fencing around the park was taken down in March, making it accessible to the public.“
Despite the council’s announcement local people living on Longford Park don’t yet see a reason to celebrate. A number have written to MP Victoria Prentis and their local Councillors voicing their concerns over the state of the roads on the estate. There are also reports of the drains being blocked.
Gareth Gwilliam told Banbury FM: “The main road situation is a joke. The last houses were completed 3 years ago and they still haven’t done the road, the separate phase 4 area on bankside finished last year and they’ve already had the road done.
“Travellers accessed the park last year and nothing has been put in place to stop it happening again – infact the opening in the fence is even bigger because some of it was removed/damaged getting plant in and out along with road signs.”
Charlotte Conway said: “The roads are absolutely terrible! Not even got give way lines on the roads or even marked properly and all people seem to care about is the football pitch.”
Toni Milns told us: “All anyone needs to do is take a drive around phase one and three – raised man hole covers, temporary speed ramps, lumpy roads at junctions because one road has tarmac and the other doesn’t , poor street lighting.”
The areas of the estate which haven’t been adopted by the Council remain the responsibility of The Longford Park consortium, comprising Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Homes and Vistry Group.
Banbury FM has contacted both Cherwell District Council and the developer, asking for an update on the situation. The Council has not yet responded to our messages.
We understand from the developer that the local team are holding a meeting this morning (Thursday) and we will be given an update on the plans to address the remaining issues after that.
Resident Gareth Gwilliam summed up the feelings of many on the estate: “What seems crazy is how developers are welcome to build more houses within the local authority area when they have significant outstanding obligations/compliance issues on existing sites. Surely the council needs to make clear to developers that if you don’t build things right and in a timely manner you won’t be welcome for other developments in the area.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam