Potential development sites in North Oxfordshire revealed

26/10/2021

Over 770 hectares of land has been offered in the north of the Cherwell District, across the town and villages

Land owners and developers have submitted over 100 different sites in the north of the Cherwell district which they are offering for new housing developments.   The offers of land come as part of the first stage of creating a new local plan for the area.

Cherwell District Council has begun a consultation and is now seeking our views.

Most of the proposed sites are currently farm fields, spread across the 30 northern parishes at the top of the Cherwell area, and Banbury town.  

The land offered is over 770 hectares – enough room for over 30,000 new houses. Currently none of the sites is earmarked for development and only those that are selected for inclusion in the new Local Plan will be built upon.

Potential green field locations in Banbury, if approved, would further expand the town, with sites encroaching into Drayton and Hanwell Parishes and further development wrapping around the western side of Bodicote.   To the north of town the fields around the crematorium up to the M40 have been proposed, whilst sites to the east of the A361 at the M40 junction 11 would take development right to the Northamptonshire county border.

Whilst most of the sites are proposed for new housing, a number have been suggested for commercial use.   In the centre of Banbury the existing car park site between Calthorpe Street and Malborough Road has been suggested for mixed use, whilst two fields straddling the canal behind the Longford Park development have been offered for “community / leisure / recreation”.   Four town centre sites are indicated as being potential sites for “travellers”.

26 potential sites within Banbury have been suggested by land owners and developers, of which 9 are a change from their current usage and 17 are new locations.

Away from the town, twelve potential sites have been proposed around Adderbury including a large 60 hecatre site between Twyford and the M40, stretching from the Kings Sutton Road to the Aynho Road.

Eight suggested sites in Bloxham include a further extension to building along the Milton Road stretching into the Milton Parish.

Amongst the 9 proposed sites in Deddington parish is the suggestion of further building to the north of the village on the Oxford Road.

Whilst most parishes have some development sites suggested, no sites have been proposed in Broughton, Claydon and Clattercote, Epwell, Horley, Mollington, Tadmarton and Wiggington.

A large number of other sites have been suggested in the south of the Cherwell District.

At the moment none of the proposed new sites are likely to be developed, but being accepted in the new local plan would mean they would be built upon.

Within the Local Plan consultation document Cherwell says it doesn’t currently know how many homes it will be required to provide each year as the numbers for the period up to 2040 are yet to be set by the Oxfordshire Plan.   They warn that “it is likely to be above the standard methodology set by government, which for Cherwell is currently 756 homes per year.”

The council’s existing 2015 Plan provides enough homes for the period up to 2031. The current review will need to ensure they have “a deliverable supply to cover the new plan period and that the plan period and vision accommodates any need for longer term delivery.”

Between 2011 and 2021 9,806 dwellings were built in Cherwell at an average of 980 homes per year.  This has accelerated in recent years and since 2016 completions have averaged 1,265 per year.

The Council says it has over 8,000 homes with permission that have yet to be built and further land capable of accommodating nearly 8,500 homes which has already been allocated for development.

The consultation on the new Local Plan is open now and we are invited to have our say.   Full details are available here and the survey is here.

Proposed sites submitted for inclusion in the local plan in your area:


Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam

Reader's opinions
  1. Elspeth Davis   On   26/10/2021 at 7:44 pm

    What are the proposed road expansions.
    With all these proposed developments traffic through Banbury will get worse.
    Also cycle/ pedestrian routes need to be added. Not enough infrastructure. Another m40 access needed

  2. Twanette Christie   On   26/10/2021 at 7:48 pm

    Shocking destruction of the environment. You should be ashamed of yourself to even consider these proposals.

    • Denise Mobbs   On   27/10/2021 at 9:09 am

      I completely agree.
      Take a look at the ongoing destruction of Adderbury. We will shortly be within one field of what was once Bodicote (now part of Banbury in all be name) with phase 2 of Longford Park which will partially reside inside the Parish of Adderbury. Our Neighbourhood plan has just been ignored at a Planning Appeal meeting to build 40 homes in a ‘unsustainable’ location .CDC were convinced that they had fulfilled their 5 year housing allocation but had to remove their objections when dates & numbers were made a moving target.

      We will lose views in a area of designated high ‘landscape value’ to the Conservation Area & Grade 1 Listed Church in West Adderbury . West Adderbury Residents Association fought hard in objecting to this in trying to protect such a valued asset for the generations to come .
      It would be helpful if Parish Councils stated their objections in a substantive way ,with community engagement involved in order that the whole parish is made aware & the best opportunity is taken prevent such a loss.
      ‘New paths’ are all very well , one item promised in the form of 106 Funding from developers to Parish Councils ,but have they asked residents if they would rather have a path that hasn’t been missed in 60 years as compensation for destruction of the above?

      Loss of wildlife habitats, more congested roads , loss of green fields & open spaces.
      The infrastructure will not support this huge pace in developments & the damage to villages will be irreversible.

      • L.+Feeley   On   31/10/2021 at 11:35 pm

        Totally agree with the above, what about the increase in services and doctors we are already having trouble coping with, what about more established policing, which have been reduced, increased crime, and drug dealers and how these problems arising from not having been good at the design stage, and made roads totally unsuitable for cycle lanes , buses , more practical ie Oxford road, and bankside dam right dangerous! With cars coming towards you from the other side! Build within our structures. Flooding and the ancient walls have already been lost due to housing new developments, these guttering and gullies were used to help excess water to help drain into a network again has not been cleared and maintained by farmers , or by councils, at the sides of roads trees hiding signs , because they have not been maintained for years. So your proposing to make this even worse? Terrible bus routes and service cleaner air, electric buses that will be cleaner but more expensive. No more Big developers,! We can build Emergancy housing for minimal cost, and have eco friendly homes for younger struggling families, with gardens, no more flats which will further isolating single people, stripping them of space to have healthier mental health, you will see this developing problem soon enough.

    • John Taylor   On   06/11/2021 at 9:04 am

      Totally agree seems everyone votes in the corrupt Tory party to carry on their sleaze, and this is a good earner for them again. Meanwhile there’s no Police, can’t see a doctor, shops decimated, more environment damage

  3. Merrilyn Lucas   On   26/10/2021 at 8:58 pm

    Before considering building anymore houses, we need a new hospital with a proper maternity unit to cater for all the new family’s who will occupy these houses.

  4. Rachel   On   26/10/2021 at 11:04 pm

    Shocking development proposal for Deddington and other villages. Would destroy not only the character of the community but the wildlife habitats. Is this the legacy we want for our children?

  5. Julie Johnson   On   27/10/2021 at 9:56 pm

    Environmental vandalism and addressing none of the infrastructure needs that are so desperately needed. Ironic that this is a Conservative seat – nothing is conserved, they have no values other than profit.

  6. D S   On   10/11/2021 at 9:41 am

    STOP BUILDING.
    Drs, hospital, dentists can’t cope as is it.
    That’s without all the environment issues, concrete over greenland areas will not help with the floods. Wildlife, trees.
    Absolutely disgusting to even think of doing all these things for overpriced housing. Totally shameful.

  7. Charlotte   On   10/11/2021 at 4:29 pm

    Huge concern on the impact of extra housing – GP surgeries, hospitals and healthcare cannot cope as it is. Are you researching what impact this will have on the already very stretched services.

  8. Peter Entwistle   On   11/11/2021 at 3:06 pm

    Same sentiments to those already listed. What are we thinking? For those with their heads in the sand please read the following link regarding biodiversity loss in the uk …. https://earth.org/uk-biodiversity-loss/ . We need to protect what little is left and minimise further destruction in the Cherwell area and beyond.

  9. Callow   On   14/11/2021 at 7:15 pm

    Amazing how so many people, myself included, are completely against the building work. Infact, I am yet to meet someone in favour of any of it, but I can bet my life it will still be approved and even more of our countryside and our wildlife will be destroyed. The system is so corrupt and far too many back hand deals over ride the opinions of those this affects. We are supposed to saving our planet, not destroying it even more!!!!

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