Friends of NL common have been active over the last month or so weather permitting! A couple of sessions have been rained or frosted off!

We have been coppicing the hazel we planted over the last four years – this means cutting them down to ground level to encourage them to shoot and regrow so that  hazel sticks etc will grow and be used for a variety of purposes. 

We protect the stool (stump) while the new shoots regrow either with the plastic tube or with a pile of thorn branches to keep the deer off.

At the same time we have been replacing trees we planted but have died. 

We plan to encourage the dozen or clumps of heather now growing in one glade, so that we can expand it into a larger block – we have taken an expert’s advice on how to achieve this by clearing the grass etc away from around the clumps and exposing the soil  so that when the heather flowers in August /Sept the resulting seeds can be spread on the bare soil and hopefully germinate. 

Acid heaths in Oxfordshire are quite rare so this is a star attraction in the eco system on the common.

Come the spring we will be trying to keep the bracken around the edges of the glades more under control and to stop it smothering young trees.

We are told the newts in the ponds are doing well and  that there is welcome evidence of slow worms and lizards following from the surveys carried out by Harry Fryer – those felt mats placed around the common attract them to take shelter and gain heat on sunny days.

A pair of red kites look as if they might be nesting locally and maybe a pair of ravens – which we have been seeing/hearing.

The gorse is starting to flower, as are the snowdrops and it wont be long before the violets, primroses and bluebells are out.

Birds are starting to pair up and singing – the mistle thrush high up in the treetops around dusk.

Anyone wanting to join the team of volunteers for occasional working parties ( usually Friday mornings twice a month through the winter months) is more than welcome (email hetstjohn@gmail.com)  but if not do go and enjoy what you can see on the Common in the way of flowers and wild life over the changing seasons – there is always something of interest if you keep a look out.

The government Planning Inspectorate is now examining this huge proposal that could place 2.2million solar panels on 3200acres of West Oxfordshire agricultural land.  The entire project area will be greater than the whole size of Heathrow Airport,  or putting it another way, is equivalent to 1800 football fields.   The nearest solar panels to North Leigh parish boundary will be just 1.1 mile away.  It will be one of the largest solar farms in Europe, if it goes ahead.

Some of the major issues identified are as follows:

• Huge size –  too big, wrong place
• 11,500 properties will be within 1.5kms of solar panels – nowhere in the world does this occur
• Loss of productive agricultural land – poor idea in this unstable world.
• 75% of the project will be on Green Belt land
• Risk to heritage  – Blenheim Palace World Heritage Site status could be at risk

Anyone and any organisation can register to have their say

You can do this by typing into Google   “PINS Botley West”.   Then click on “Register to have your say “ .  You can then fill in your name, some other basic information and then your comments about the proposal.  You will receive an email with a registration number showing that your comments have been received.

The Parish Council submitted its representation to National Infrastructure Planning. To view the response, click here. North Leigh Parish Council representation on Botley West Solar Farm January 2025

You must make your comments by 27^th February

The Parish Council has had an inspection carried out of the Children’s Playground on Park Road and the zip wire is in need of repair so is therefore temporarily out of action.

Replacement parts are on order and the Council will make residents aware via our Facebook page, the website and our mailing list when the repairs are complete.

The Council takes the safety of those using the playground very seriously and thanks you in advance for cooperation and patience.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Clerk via email: parishclerk@northleighparishcouncil.gov.uk or phone 07796 039496.

The Parish Council has submitted its response to the Lioncourt application. To view the response, click here: Parish Council response to 24/03100/OUT

The Planning Committee of North Leigh Parish Council met on Friday the 10th January to discuss the proposed Lioncourt development. In response to residents’ queries about assistance with key points, the Planning Committee has compiled the following topics to assist residents when commenting on the Lioncourt Proposal, planning application number 24/03100/OUT.

THE LOCATION AND PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

• North Leigh has had a 40% increase in housing in the last 7 years, this development would be a further 10% increase
• Villages in the West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 should only receive “limited” development” – this application clearly fails this test
• Backland development on a greenfield site
• This development would fail to protect the local landscape and setting of the village 
• This development would impact on the visual amenity of the area including views from the footpath running close to the site
• Failure to conserve the natural environment
• An unsustainable car led development
• High density of housing – too many houses in too small a site
• House design and layout inconsistent with the existing houses in the village
• 5% self build housing design will need to be consistent with other housing in the village
• This is a windfall site not envisaged in the 2031 Local Plan and as such is opportunistic
• This site falls within the historic Wychwood area and the landscape character needs to be preserved
• Common Road south of Common Close is a ribbon development of single houses.  This development is out of character.
• Inadequate regard to the preservation of historic Grims Ditch which is designated as a scheduled monument, a detailed survey should be conducted including on a possible additional section which might run under the proposed development site

LOCAL AMENITIES

• Limited facilities in the village, very small shop, no playing field, no full time pubs etc
• Pressure on existing amenities in the area eg primary and secondary schools, doctors, dentists
• Insufficient parking in the village already without finding capacity for another 230+ cars

UTILITIES

• Grampian Clause preventing occupation of the houses until the Church Hanborough sewage treatment works has been upgraded meaning the development if approved would be unlikely to be started until 2030 earliest and as such it will not help the 5 year housing land supply
• Aging local sewer network leaking and collapsing, in urgent need of maintenance and cannot support more houses
• Insufficient clean water pressure in North Leigh 

TRAFFIC CONSIDERATIONS

• Significant concerns regarding access from and to the proposed development and the proximity to a dangerous junction on the A4095 and possibility that the North Leigh Football Club could be relocated opposite this junction
• Common Road is already a busy road and also has the S7 bus and Estelle Manor minibus running from early morning until late at night.  Congestion will increase with a further 230+ cars and the access into the development will be a dangerous junction

OTHER

• Almost non-existent and inadequate consultation with the residents prior to submitting the application to WODC

• No regard to the emerging North Leigh Neighbourhood Plan or the wishes of residents as shown in the public results of recent local surveys conducted by the Neighbourhood Plan

UPDATE: The Parish Council has changed the date of the meeting to discuss the Lioncourt planning application to allow more time for residents to attend and make subsequent comments. The new date of the meeting will be on FRIDAY THE 10TH JANUARY at 7pm in the Memorial Hall.

The Parish Council would also like to remind residents that, if you have any views, you are welcome to share them with us, but PLEASE also submit them directly to West Oxfordshire District Council.
Here is the link to the application: https://publicaccess.westoxon.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage

We have had comments to say there is an issue with the link. If you have any issues, the planning application reference is 24/03100/OUT and you can search this on the District Council’s website: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/residents/planning-building/

There has also been an article in the Oxford Mail about this development which can be found here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/…/24816227.oxfordshire…/