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…/

Patrick Power served King and Country in the latter stages of WW2  in the army and then in the Thames Valley Police. After he retired from policing, he worked for many years as the secretary to the National Federation of Builders until he retired. 

But he then took on the role of Clerk to the North Leigh Parish Council and served the community in that role for 26 years until he stood down in 2011.

 He knew exactly what was going on round the parish and who most people were – his police training showed along with his close attention to detail! 

He would regularly walk round the village and spot things that needed dealing with before they became a problem.

Patrick and Diana, his wife, were for many years stalwarts of village life in North Leigh – involved in many organisations and activities of our community – not least the funding and building of the new Memorial Hall.

Patrick lived to a grand old age and will be much missed by all those who knew him. As they say, they don’t make many people like him any more – a true gentleman in every way and someone who was committed to serving his community.

Anyone wanting to pay their respects might like to attend his funeral at 2pm on Friday 22nd November at St Mary’s.