People feel like its open season on our Category A villages: Bloxham houses approved
16/05/2025
Councillors felt they couldn’t risk the costs of an appeal if the application was refused
A planning application to build up to 130 homes on the southern side of Bloxham has been approved.
Councillors on Cherwell District Council’s Planning Committee conceded that, despite a large amount of local opposition, not approving the application was likely to cost a substantial amount at an Appeal Hearing, which planning officers advised the council would be likely to lose.
William Davis Homes submitted the plans to build on land between the Barford Road and the A361.
In a report to Councillors, planning officers said Cherwell’s current poor housing land supply position – that’s the number of houses that have to be built in the district as stipulated by the government – led to decisions needing to be made in favour of building, unless the case against it was large enough to be defendable at appeal.
Rob Pattenden, one of the area’s local councillors, addressed the committee presenting a number of reasons why the application should be refused. But he acknowledged the impact of increased government house building targets and how this made local people feel.
Councillor Pattenden said: “With the stipulations stated within the government’s new NPPF [National Planning Policy Framework] and obligations to Oxford’s unmet housing need, it feels very much like open season has been declared on our category A villages in Cherwell’s rural areas, particularly villages like Bloxham.”
An agent for the applicant disagreed, telling Councillors: “Bloxham contains a wide range of essential day-to-day services and is identified as a category A village. As recognised in the committee report it is therefore a sustainable location for residential development.”
Councillor David Hingley proposed rejecting the plan, but others acknowledged that should the applicant appeal to the Planning Inspector, Cherwell would be likely to lose the case and incur large costs.
Councillor Rebecca Biegel expressed her concern that their decision making wasn’t helped by input from Oxfordshire County Council, which contradicted local opinion. She told the meeting: “We try to judge an application on its merits, listening to all the speakers and all the points, but for a lot of the points we’re told ‘Oxfordshire County Council see no problem’.
“There clearly are problems, whether it’s road safety. And again the ICB [Integrated Care Board], whether it’s allocation of healthcare.
“It’s very difficult … you can vote against this application, against officer’s advice. It will appeal – it’s only deferring this development over which we potentially may still have some influence through reserved matters.
“And again, when it comes to appeal, it will cost this Council taxpayers money.”
In a vote to accept the application 11 councillors voted in favour and 6 abstained.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
Professor Mike Glazer On 16/05/2025 at 1:09 pm
This is a disgraceful decision basedon the fear of having to fight an appeal. So nothing to do with the rights or wrongs of the proposal. Shameful cowardly decision by Cherwell District Council.