Housing Update for Chalgrove – June 2017

The issues surrounding housing for our village rumble on, with several key things happening this month.

Having attended a Planning Committee Meeting earlier this month, we can report that outline planning permission has been granted, unanimously, for up to 200 dwellings on the site west of Marley Lane, Chalgrove (near the doctor’s surgery – sites numbered 1, 10 and 11 – see the village site plan below).

This site has long been the favoured location in Chalgrove for development not only by our Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP), but also by our Parish Council and many local residents voting in the NDP process. It enables us to meet our allocation of 200 houses given to us by South Oxfordshire District Council to address the housing shortage in the district.

The application sets out that 40% of the houses will be affordable homes, and provision is also made for a scout hut building. Improved access into Chalgrove has been provided with a new roundabout at the far end of the development, together with a priority junction onto the B480 nearer to the doctor’s surgery. It is felt that this will be of huge benefit to the village and will reduce traffic travelling through the high street to access the B480.

An extremely important factor in favour of this site is its location and the fact it is downstream to the village. This will significantly reduce the risk of flooding impact on Chalgrove and schemes to deal with flooding (SUDS) have been provided for.

The planner in attendance on behalf of the developer (Hill) set out their proposal for the site (please see their suggested plan below). It was made clear that this development is a standalone site and not in any way connected to the proposed development of Chalgrove airfield. The developers have worked very closely with our NDP team to ensure that the site can meet the objectives as set out our village NDP.

As regards other developments proposed in the village, the HCA are still progressing with the airfield for 3000 houses. We have a meeting arranged with them, and their new agents, Carter Jonas, in July to ascertain their current intentions and plans. We will report back after our meeting and provide an update in due course.

In addition, there are several other sites where developers want to build new homes. One developer wants to progress sites numbered 4 and 5 in the village and build 80 to 120 homes on Chalgrove Farm (Berrick Road), and a different developer (Gladman Land) wants to progress site 8 and build up to 230 homes on the corner of Monument Road and the B480.

Whilst both these development proposals are at a very early stage it highlights the importance of our NDP. Without an NDP in place our village is at risk of speculative development like this, and as such it is an important tool to help prevent unwanted development. The latest consultation period for our village NDP has just ended and it is now with the local authority for their further consideration.

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