Potential Residential Development – Land off Barford Road, Bloxham
“Public Consultation” from “GLADMAN” circulated to Bloxham residents on 20th March 2012

Dear resident,
Bloxham Parish Council are opposed to the proposal put forward in the document circulated to residents by the speculative developers “GLADMAN”. The Parish Council are seeking your support and would encourage you to respond to the developer’s request for written feedback by Wednesday 28th March 2012. We offer the following observations that may assist you in your response. Note you can open this as a Word Document if you wish by clicking here

If you want to see the recent Central Government Guidelines on development planning they can be found by clicking here .

1. Are you or is anyone you know in need of affordable housing in Bloxham?
The very limited access to public transport services and the high cost of personal transport make Bloxham a relatively expensive place to live. Bloxham has an hourly bus service to Chipping Norton or Banbury. There is no service after 7.00 pm or on Sundays and connections to Oxford, Birmingham or Coventry are difficult. A taxi fare to Banbury is £10 one way. As local employment is limited, transport is essential for work. People need to use cars:- new housing developments do not support more than 1.5 cars per household.
Recently built “affordable houses” in Bloxham are now occupied by residents that appear not to be local to Bloxham. If there were local people requiring affordable housing there is no guarantee that they would be allocated housing in Bloxham and it is misleading to include this question.

2 Is there a need for first time buyers housing and/or housing for young professionals in Bloxham?
Young families need access to good local schools. Recent housing developments in Bloxham have resulted the local schools being oversubscribed. The Primary School has a capacity of 30 pupils per class, at present there are 394 pupils on the student roll. For the last three years the Reception Class has been full, and for the last two years they have been oversubscribed meaning that parents have had to go to appeal in an attempt to get their children admitted. As a result of this some young children are now having to travel to more distant schools.
The congestion and delays already experienced on the Barford Road and the A361 in the centre of the village, would increase any journey time for young people in employment.
The poor existing broadband provision would deter any professional relying on the internet for employment.

3. Are there any particular types of properties that Bloxham is currently lacking?
Bloxham has had 179 new dwellings built within the last 6 years. This is a 15% increase in housing stock, and is much higher than in other local villages. These properties have met a wide range of needs. There is currently no further need for housing development in this rural village.

4. Are there community facilities that you would like to see improved or developed as part of this scheme?
Bloxham is at present well served with a number of community halls, yes some of them need investment but that can be managed without taking money from developers The implication in this question is that additional community facility could be bought at the cost of the provision of the development:- that would be a very high price to pay.

Statements made in the Gladman consultation document.
The need for new housing throughout the UK;- new housing would be more effectively and sustainably built in areas where employment is available locally and the transport links are in place.

Cherwell district perceived shortfall;- in excess of 1,000 houses at Bankside in Banbury and 5,000 houses in Bicester have been given planning permission. The select committee have been lobbied by our MP to ensure the Planning Inspectorate take this into account when viewing developments.

Bloxham has been assessed as a village where further residential development can be accommodated;- this is an out of date reference from the South East Regional Spatial Review circa 2009. This has now been superseded.

Factors not addressed in Gladman consultation document.
The density of houses proposed, 85 in total, is too high for this site. The site plan is showing access on to the Barford Road. This is a country road connecting Bloxham with the Barford villages, it is regularly used by farm vehicles that can slow the existing traffic flow. Access to Banbury would be along the Barford Road going past the busy Milton Road junction and onto the A361 at an already over worked mini roundabout. Traffic volumes along the Milton Road were recently quoted as a key reason for refusing development in Adderbury, yet almost all this traffic flows along the Barford Road at some point – so this same argument must inevitably apply.
The utilities that service Bloxham are already overstretched, causing frequent losses of power and interruption to water supplies.
Bloxham is built mostly on clay. Because of the poor porosity, water levels change very rapidly and the Barford Road (and the Milton Road) regularly flood whenever there is even a moderate rainfall. Also the lower section of the fields upon which it is intended to build is a quagmire throughout most of the winter. Further building can only exacerbate local flooding.
Bloxham is viewed as a rural village that is fortunate to have excellent Education provision, and a respected GP surgery that still is able to offer an efficient service to its patients. An increase in the number of residents could result in the potential loss of service by the medical professionals based at the surgery. Bloxham has a post office, a local shop, hairdresser, pharmacy and fish & chip shop all located in the narrow High Street that is subject to extreme congestion at all times. There is very limited off road parking. The pavements down the Barford road and along the A361 leading to these shops are very narrow, with poor access for push chairs and wheelchairs. Mothers with a pushchair and a walking toddler can be intimidated by the closeness of cars and lorries. The A361 is a regular route used by heavy Goods Vehicles.
Further damage to the rural aspect of Bloxham by creating another large high density development with poor on-site amenities, would decrease the attractiveness of purchasing houses and living in Bloxham.
The National Planning Framework consultation document, indicates a need for sustainable development, this proposed development would over-tax the existing infrastructure of utilities, roads and facilities and would not be sustainable. It would increase congestion on roads at peak hours by residents going to work and children being taken to schools outside the village.

Responses to the Consultation can be emailed to the speculative developer GLADMAN yourviews@gladman.co.uk and copied to Bloxham Parish Council bloxhampc@hotmail.com

View Bloxham Development Proposals in a larger map

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BLOXHAM PARISH COUNCIL
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

25TH APRIL 2012
JUBILEE HALL
7.30PM

Items for discussion to include
PLANNING – Adrian Colwell CDC  Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy, has confirmed his attendance.
NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLANS
IMPROVEMENT OF SPORTS/ SPORTING FACILITIES