Month: September 2023
Your Place, Your Plan – make sure you have your say
Residents in West Oxfordshire are invited to share their views on plans for the development of the District up to 2041 as the Council launches its ‘Your Place, Your Plan’ consultation.
North Leigh: A4095 Witney Road – proposed 40mph speed limit & ‘No Entry’ restriction
Following the previous consultation carried out in March & April 2021, which was approved in in September 2021 (see item no.16/21 here for details), and the subsequent expiration of the statutory two-year period in which to implement the proposals, we’re writing again asking for your views on the proposal to extend the existing 40mph speed limit on the A4095 Witney Road, in North Leigh, as well as introducing a ‘No Entry’ prohibition to the westernmost (exit) drive of ‘North Lodge’ for traffic travelling on the A4095 from either direction.
The proposals are being put forward in response to the adjacent development, and the creation of a new access road to ‘North Lodge’.
The proposed Traffic Regulation Order is scheduled to be advertised in the Witney & West Oxfordshire Gazette newspaper, and details are also available to view on the Councils consultation portal at the address below:
https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/northleigh_a4095_40noentry2023
Any comments on the proposal should be submitted by Friday 27th October 2023.
Age UK – Fall Prevention
Independent local charity Age UK Oxfordshire is pleased to launch a new falls prevention
programme this week during Falls Prevention Awareness Week.
Working in collaboration with Move Together (a project delivered by Active Oxfordshire and the district councils) the initiative will support older people across the county.
Temporary Road Closure at North Leigh, East End Road: 25-28 September
A request has been received from Network Plus Services / Go Traffic Management for a temporary road closure to apply to a length of East End Road , whilst new water connections are installed.
A temporary Notice is being made by Oxfordshire County Council to implement the temporary restriction and will operate from 25 September 2023 up to and including 28 September 2023 , 08:00 to 18:00 each day.
Please note that Notices for urgent works can last up to 5 consecutive days only. To view the notice, click here.
Manor Oak Homes – Update
The application by Manor Oak Homes to build up to 43 homes at a site south of the New Yatt Road in North Leigh was refused at the West Oxfordshire District Council Lowlands Area Planning Sub-Committee meeting on 11th September 2023.
The North Leigh Parish Council Planning Committee called a meeting for residents of North Leigh in April 2023 to discuss their views on this proposal which was very well attended with more than 30 members of the public attending. Residents expressed their concerns about yet more housing being built in the village (there has been a 42% increase in housing in the last 6 years), about building at this site leading to coalescence between North Leigh and New Yatt, about the extra traffic and parking congestion, the problems with sewers, sewage treatment surface water drainage and low water pressure that would be made worse, the dangerous exit from the site and lack of pathways on the New Yatt Road, the cracking, flooding and damp problems in the adjacent Breakspear Way development and a range of other issues.
North Leigh Parish Council then filed a comment listing these objections on the West Oxfordshire District Council planning portal together with the many individual comments of residents. The application was due to be considered at a Lowlands meeting in August 2023, but the Parish Council attended to request a deferral of the decision to allow Councillors the opportunity for a site visit.
The application was then brought for consideration at the 11th September Lowlands Planning Committee meeting where the Parish Council, together with local neighbours made a strong defence against the application, representing the views of the parish residents. In the subsequent debate Ward Councillor Harry St. John, who is a member of the Lowlands Committee, spoke against the planning officer’s recommendation for approval, on the grounds that it breached a number of Policy reasons which outweighed the housing land supply factor dominating the planning officer’s thinking. Harry St. John then seconded a motion to refuse the application- the motion to refuse had 7 in favour, 3 against and 3 abstentions and so was carried.
It remains to be seen whether Manor Oak, who is a land promoter and not a house builder, appeals against this refusal or promotes their site through the Local Plan review. We must remain vigilant.
Amber heat health alert Oxfordshire
The Met Office has issued an AMBER Heat-Health Alert (Enhanced hot weather response) for the a large part of the country including the local area. This has been updated and is in effect between 05/09/2023 at 12:00 and 10/09/2023 at 21:00.
Significant impacts are probable across the health and social care sector due to the high temperatures, including: observed increase in mortality across the population likely, particularly in the 65+ age group or those with health conditions, but impacts may also be seen in younger age groups.
For more information, please visit: Microsoft Power BI.
Autumn 2023 Parish Council Newsletter
For the Autumn 2023 edition of the Parish Council Newsletter, click here.