The views expressed in this Blog are mine and do not necessarily represent County Council policy
Adderbury Parish Council This meets on Tuesday 29 June. I intend to attend between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm
I have e-mailed my regular monthly Councillor's Report to all Parish Councillors and a copy is accessible here.
Bodicote Parish Council Unfortunately, I cannot attend on Wednesday evening due to a prior engagement but here is my County Council report and here is Lynda's District Council report.
Bodicote housing update I have an update on Cherwell’s planning permission to allow building of 1,070 houses to the east of the Oxford Road in Bodicote Parish. Cherwell insist on describing this as an “urban extension at Bankside” to conceal the fact that they are allowing the joining up of Banbury Town with the Domesday village of Bodicote.
Housing may begin to appear next summer. Although that may slip as I hear that there may be a need to review details of the scheme to ensure that the affordable housing provision responds to local needs as they are now understood, particularly as the original application was submitted in 2005.
While I am covering development in this area, Cherwell are looking like they will encourage regeneration of the western area of Canalside with up to 1,200 dwellings plus a primary school – at Canalside in Banbury. While this will undoubtedly improve this rather run-down part of Banbury and offers a wonderful opportunity to make a feature of the canal rather than to hide it behind unattractive industrial units, it is likely to add to the pressure on the local road network and I think Bodicote residents should be concerned about the impact of all of this housing on the Oxford Road and on Bankside. The County Council is pursuing its requirement for an on-site school to be funded by the development through its representations on the District’s Draft Core Strategy.
Given the general financial position and the poor state of the property market, we are going to have to watch developments like this very carefully to ensure Cherwell does not end up building houses for which there is insufficient road space and no schools.
Bicester Garrison Lynda and I were invited to Bicester Garrison for a Reception and Beating the Retreat by the Band of the Army Air Corps. It was a warm, sunny evening and we met on the Garrison Commander's lawn at Caversfield.
It was a very good opportunity to catch up with plenty of colleagues across the county. Here is a link to the Band of the Army Air Corps web site. They were very good. It felt good to be British!
Bloxham Grove Amenity Site
Here is a picture of the much improved amenity site at Bloxham Grove. This is Cherwell DC's site on County Council highway verge. It had become a muddy quagmire with regular usage during wet weather.
Cherwell have very kindly done a good job, firstly in putting down a solid base for the variety of bins and, more recently, in providing and kerbing a decent pull-in for visiting vehicles.
My personal thanks are due to Ed Potter at Cherwell for organising this work. If some residents had been put off using this facility because of the mud, I hope they will return.
Bodicote housing I have sent in my responses to two planning applications today, asking Cherwell District Council to REJECT them. You can see my responses by clicking on the links:
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Planning Application No: 10/00635/F - 33 Oxford Road and land to Rear Nos. 35 - 59 - 23 houses |
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Visit to BMW Mini plant, Oxford I visited the BMW Mini Plant today in Cowley for a briefing on their plans to expand the plant to accommodate a new range of Minis which are still in the design stage. The purpose of the new build is to create a new production line for the new range while the current production line continues to operate. Once the new range is being made, the old plant will be de-commissioned and moth-balled. I is good news for the future of this major employer in the county. Here is a link to the BMW Oxford web site.
Bloxham Parish Council Meeting in the Parish Rooms. I attend for an hour to answer any County Council issues. Here is my monthly report as County Councillor and Lynda Thirzie Smart's monthly report as District Councillor plus a copy of a letter from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and my initial response to the Parish Plan Draft Action Plan.
Village Surgeries: Bloxham,
Bodicote, Adderbury and Milton Some brisk business in Bloxham and
Bodicote and a chance to catch up with District Councillor Rick Atkinson in
Adderbury and Milton.
Adderbury Planning Application No 10/00509/F I am pleased to report that this application for change of use of land to form an extension to the burial ground in Horn Hill Road has been approved.
North Oxon Export Club I was pleased to be able to join Tony Baldry at Bloxham Mill for the launch of the North Oxon Export Club. This club is designed to support businesses in North Oxfordshire who are or are contemplating exporting their products or services. More information will follow when it is available.