Witney News - Planning for the future consultation

Planning for the future consultation

From 5 February West Oxfordshire District Council is seeking comments on a major planning strategy showing how the District could develop over the next 15 years.

The consultation document is called the Core Strategy Preferred Approach and this identifies the broad locations for new homes, jobs and infrastructure such as roads and schools. Sites for larger-scale development being consulted upon are in Witney, Carterton and Chipping Norton.

The Core Strategy Preferred Approach looks at how the housing targets set by the Government for 2006-2026 will be met in West Oxfordshire. Some 4,100 homes are already built/planned which leaves locations for at least another 3,200 homes to be identified.

In Witney at least another 1,500 new homes are proposed of which 1,000 will be in the Downs Road area to the west of the town, along with new schools, open space, community and leisure facilities and a large area for new businesses. Land to the north of Witney is under review as a possible location for longer term housing development or as a reserve site if land in the Downs Road area does not come forward as anticipated. Land south of Welch Way has potential for longer term expansion of the town centre.

In Carterton we support the Town Council in seeking further growth of the town and are inviting comments on the options for further expansion – land to either the east or west is preferred for a development of about 1,000 homes. Improvements are proposed to local facilities with new shops in the town centre.

In Chipping Norton at least another 400 homes are proposed of which about 200 will be on land in the London Road area, together with new businesses, health care and education facilities. Additional town centre shopping and community facilities are earmarked for land between the High Street and Albion Street.

Small scale development to meet local housing and employment needs will also take place in other towns and some villages but sites are not identified at this stage.

Cllr Warwick Robinson, Cabinet Member for Planning said, “The Government not only sets the target number of new homes needed for West Oxfordshire but also approves the final plan. We want to make sure that anyone who wishes is able to make comment through this consultation. There are some difficult decisions to be made and we need to know that all the possible options for the future have been fully investigated before we finalise our Plan ready for submission to Government later this year.”

Public consultation will take place over the next few weeks up to Monday 22 March. Exhibitions are being arranged in Witney, Carterton and Chipping Norton – further details will be announced. The Council prefers to receive responses online via http://www.westoxon.gov.uk/planning/CoreStrategy.cfm although relevant documents will be available for inspection at:
Elmfield Office and Town Centre Shop, Witney
The Guildhall, Chipping Norton
Public libraries in the district

Further information about the consultation and the new ‘Planning for the future’ (LDF) process will be on http://www.westoxon.gov.uk/planning/CoreStrategy.cfm from the beginning of February. Alternatively, for further details, contact the Council’s Planning Policy team on 01993 861420. All Parish/Town Councils and many local organisations will be separately consulted.