Parish News
Revised housing targets mean Council regains greater control of planning process
| Due to a revision in the way the Council’s is able to calculate housing targets, West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) can now demonstrate a ‘five-year housing land supply’ which will mean it has greater control over the planning process. |
| WODC’s adopted Local Plan recently passed its fifth anniversary and because housing policies need updating, the Council is now able to calculate its housing land supply using the Government’s alternative ‘standard method’. Carl Rylett, Executive Member for Planning and Sustainable Development stated, “This is highly significant news. We remain committed to building the right number of houses in the right places, but the fact that we have not been able to demonstrate a full five-year supply of housing sites over the last 12 months has put us at risk from speculative development in unsuitable locations. “Revising our calculation reduces this risk and allows us to concentrate on making swift progress with our new Local Plan, setting a new housing target to 2041 and identifying a pipeline of suitable sites, supported by the right investment in infrastructure.” For West Oxfordshire, this is much lower than stated in the current Local Plan. The result is that the Council can now demonstrate a 5.4-year supply of deliverable housing sites, meaning it has a greater degree of control when determining speculative planning applications for housing. |
Removal of skate park equipment
In order to make the play area safe, the Council will be removing the existing skate equipment.
Age UK offers support for older people this winter
| As we move into the colder and darker months, we become acutely aware of the role we all have in looking out for vulnerable older people in our communities. Winter can be tough at any age, but it’s particularly challenging for older people who face additional health risks, and increased feelings of loneliness and isolation. In addition, the cost-of-living crisis with rises in food and energy prices, is causing many local older people to worry about staying healthy and keeping their homes warm. We are asking please for your support in supporting older people in Oxfordshire this winter. We have brought together some useful information and resources in the form of an online Winter Hub – please share this resource with both older people and those supporting them this winter. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/oxfordshire/about-us/winter-hub/ We are also aware that not everyone has or wants access to the internet so we have created physical Winter Wellbeing packs which we can post out to you for any older people or groups you support / connect with (photo attached of contents).  These contain: An introductory letter Our ‘Little Handbook of our Services’ A Live Well Oxfordshire bookmark A Winter Wrapped up Guide (from Age UK) An Oxfordshire Talking Therapies leaflet Our Cost-of-Living Payment Grid Please get in touch via contactus@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk or 0345 450 1276 if it would be helpful to receive some packs, or any of these items individually. Just a reminder too that we have a Cost-of-Living Hub on our website with lots of useful information – https://www.ageuk.org.uk/oxfordshire/about-us/cost-of-living-hub/ |
Road Works
Below please find upcoming road works in the village:
Temporary Road Closure at Cuckoo Lane, Eynsham
In the interests of public safety; it will be necessary for Oxfordshire County Council to close the road as detailed above in order to facilitate removal of temporary access for Park and Ride and construction of permanent access bellmouth.
A temporary Notice is being made to implement the temporary closure and will operate from 08/12/2023.
The anticipated completion date is 11/12/2023. Nights Only.
Temporary Road Closure at North Leigh, road from East End Road to Bridgefield Bridge
A request has been received from Sunbelt Rentals UK Ltd for a temporary road closure to apply to a length of the road to Bridgefield Bridge , whilst essential fencing replacement works are carried out.
A temporary Notice is being made by Oxfordshire County Council to implement the temporary restriction and will operate from 15 January 2024 up to and including 19 January 2024, 09:00 to 16:00 hours each day.
Please note that Notices for urgent works can last up to 5 consecutive days only. To view the notice, click here.
Temporary Road Closure at Witney, West End
A request has been received from Thames Water for a temporary road closure to apply to a length of West End, whilst essential service pipe relay repair works are carried out.
A temporary Notice is being made by Oxfordshire County Council to implement the temporary restriction and will operate from 15 January 2024 up to and including 17 January 2024, 24 hours per day.
Please note that Notices for urgent works can last up to 5 consecutive days only.
North Leigh Parish Council comments on the North Witney Consortium proposal
North Leigh has submitted the following comments on the North Witney Consortium consultation:
North Leigh Parish Council has reviewed this proposal. We note that the plans submitted at this stage are not very clear or legible and so it is difficult to do a detailed comparison of the new proposal submitted by the Blenheim-led consortium with the original proposal led by the original consortium. So at this stage we are making some general comments but will be giving a more detailed comment as more information becomes available.
We note that in this latest submission the West End Link Road, which was always an integral part of the original scheme, is being dropped for “private motorised modes”. This is a huge change to the previous plan, removing a key element such as this from an holistic plan undermines the integrity of the remainder of the plan. It is very unlikely that existing road junctions and layouts would cope with the diversion of existing traffic, caused by the imposition of this huge residential site, let alone with the additional pressure of 1 or 2 cars from each of the proposed new 1,250 homes (ie could be 2,500 additional cars) generated by the development. Whilst this development is designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind, the occupants would still own and use vehicles to reach destinations outside of the development, such as people working in Oxford itself. Realistically there is a substantial proportion of the population (elderly, disabled, young families) where walking and cycling are not an option. At a WODC consultation for WOLP
2041 on 18th October 2023, a “straw poll” of councillors from various lowland parishes showed that only about 15% ever cycled in their local area at all. It is also not clear from proposals how this development would be serviced by public transport and notably is a considerable distance from any railway stations.
It appears that the New Yatt Road will be completely shut to traffic in both directions due to buildings being planned over a section of the road in the vicinity of the Kings School. The New Yatt Road is currently a key route between North Leigh/surrounding villages and Witney and will force additional traffic from North Leigh, New Yatt, surrounding villages, the New Yatt Road and environs to use the A4095 to get to Witney which will add to traffic flow on the A4095. Conversely there is also the risk that the residents of the new 1,250 houses would somehow have access onto the New Yatt Road into North Leigh and therefore use it as a “rat run” to other destinations including a quick route onto the A4095 into Oxford in the morning and evening rush hour.
Given the potential impact of traffic flows on North Leigh, this proposal seems unworkable to us and we are opposed to it based on the current configuration. We also wonder why an exhibition/consultation was not held in North Leigh or New Yatt for residents to clarify and ask questions of the developers too ?
Storm warnings from Oxfordshire County Council
Severe weather is forecast over the next few days for both heavy rain and wind, although the wind will mainly impact the South of the County.
You can also access updates and links to further met office information from the County Councils adverse weather page – Storm Ciaran, heavy rainfall and rivers in Oxfordshire
For wind warnings, click here.
For rain warnings, click here.
Appeal For Witnesses To Serious Injury Road Traffic Collision – North Leigh
Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses to a serious injury road traffic collision in North Leigh.
At around 2.25pm on Tuesday (17/10), a pedal cyclist was cycling along New Yatt Road. Following the presence of a motor vehicle behind them, the cyclist fell off their bike.
The cyclist, a man in his sixties, suffered serious injuries, including a broken collarbone and multiple broken ribs, which required hospital treatment. They have since been discharged.
Anyone with information or dash-cam footage can call us on 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43230467309.
More details: Appeal for witnesses to serious injury road traffic collision – North Leigh | Thames Valley Police
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.