Cherwell District Council (CDC) have a duty to cooperate and engage constructively and actively to meet development requirements which cannot wholly be met within their own areas.
In consequence, CDC have been preparing a document upon how they might accommodate an additional 4,400 new homes (over and above the 22,840 in the existing Local Plan)  to help Oxford city address its housing need.
Preparation of this document has been running alongside the progress of the Neighbourhood Plan the latter of which should be adopted by Cherwell DC at their December 6th meeting.

When considering the “areas of search” for suitable development land.CDC have divided the district up into the areas below and Bloxham comes under Option I

• Option A Kidlington and Surrounding Area
• Option B North and East of Kidlington
• Option C Junction 9, M40
• Option D Arncott
• Option E Bicester and Surrounding Area
• Option F Former RAF Upper Heyford and Surrounding Area
• Option G Junction 10, M40
• Option H Banbury and Surrounding Area
• Option I Remainder of District / Rural Dispersal

Within each area potential development sites have been identified a number of which are in Bloxham.

This does not mean that permission for development in Bloxham is a ‘done deal.’  It is simply a first trawl by CDC of land that might possibly be suitable to contribute towards the above housing need challenge.  The ultimate decision will depend upon sustainability considerations  – including ease of travel to work in Oxford.  Also, The Bloxham Neighbourhood Plan should be adopted long before this consultation has finished.

The documentation is extensive and complex. It can be found by clicking here.

The consultation will doubtless be responded to by Bloxham Parish Council but for the information of residents we offer the maps of the Bloxham areas below.  You can click on them to get an enlarged view.

They include land on

• Extensive infill along the Milton Road near Collins Drive
• Land behind Barford Rd running towards the South Newington Rd by the garage
• Land behind Crabtree Close
• Land on Hobb Hill between Courtington Lane and Tadmarton Rd
• Land on the Banbury side of Bloxham Grove Road,

In terms of the proposed impact upon aspects of our already creaking infrastructure residents might be interested to know that numerous plots have also been identified in Milcombe which CDC regard as a satellite of Bloxham.