New forum to address Heyford Park “gridlock” fears
08/06/2026
The Strategic Rail Freight Interchange, Puy du Fou and hundreds more homes are all coming to the area
by Isabella Harris, Local Democracy Reporter
A new forum has been approved to address “gridlock” fears for Heyford Park amid “major” development, infrastructure and theme park plans.
The measure has received formal approval by Oxfordshire County Council, and sets out to bring parishes together to assess the effects of proposed developments, including the Puy du Fou theme park.
Recently appointed county transport boss and ward councillor Gareth Epps has been campaigning for the forum with concern for “several million additional vehicle movements per day through M40 Junction 10 and surrounding villages”.
He said: “It’s to stop the area descending into gridlock.
“Local residents and parishes see individual developments going into the planning process, and want to see the big picture addressed in terms of: how do we get about, and how do we mitigate the impact and preserve the character on our villages!
“The scale of the developments means planning for things the size of reopening Ardley station is needed. And that needs to be joined up.”
He has concerns about planning law more widely, as applications are examined on their own merits and “can’t take wider cumulative impacts into account”.
This was an issue raised by Somerton Parish Council, which previously secured a cumulative impact board amid fears for “environmental disaster” with “unprecedented” levels of development.
Following this, the county council said it “requested” developers to work together to take a “holistic view” on the overall improvements needed.
Proposed developments in the area include a Strategic Rail Freight Interchange estimated to see around 600,000 attending annually, and Puy du Fou theme park which could attract 1.4m annual visitors, once fully open.
There are also thousands of homes proposed in speculative developments in the area despite Heyford Park New Town being removed from the government’s new town list in March this year.
The new forum will attempt to address concerns by to bring together “local parishes to hold councils, developers and national infrastructure bodies to account”.
It follows a round table “summit” attended by 14 surrounding parishes as well as Calum Miller MP to help identify priorities.
Mr Epps said: “Working with Cherwell District Council, Cherwell and OCC is writing first thing to invite parishes to the first meeting of a new forum which will be able to hold relevant bodies such as National Highways to account.
“This will be led by the county Council given the particular focus on transport impacts.”
This move also comes amid concerns about ‘forever chemicals’ found at a proposed Upper Heyford development site near the former RAF base.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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