Garden Village in the Cotswolds

Tue 3 Jan 2017, 11:45 (last edited on Tue 3 Jan 2017, 11:46)

Earlier in the 'plan' document there is reference to the A40 congestion...and then, in the same document, there's a proposal to build a whole new village on the very same road. It's almost as if the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing.

You couldn't make it up! (although, ironically, that seems to be precisely what's happening i.e. making it up as they go along)

Tue 3 Jan 2017, 11:28

Ideal place to incorporate a dementia centre so it can be integrated into the community rather than stuck in a satellite location

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 17:22 (last edited on Mon 2 Jan 2017, 17:26)

This will surely reopen discussions about a much-needed alternative to the A40, such as a replacement railway line or a guided busway. (This latter has made a huge difference in Cambridge.) See witneyoxfordtransport.wordpress.com/

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 12:49

What a lovely photo that is Jackie,so picturesque and tranquil with horses grazing in field peacefully.

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 12:37

The proposal sent out by WODC includes a photo of Grammar School Hill on page 17.
https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/1483153/West-Oxon-Garden-Village-EoI-July-2016.pdf

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 11:43

It is in the Local Plan, yes. Basically the first version of the WODC Local Plan got thrown out by the Inspector because it didn't accommodate enough overspill from Oxford. WODC have now revised the plan so that almost all this overspill will be taken up by a new 'Garden Village' at Eynsham, north of the A40 and along the road to Long Hanborough. I don't think there's a formal name for it yet, though some people are calling it Tilgarsley.

That's pretty much why Charlbury is still only being proposed for one fairly small development (the Jeffersons Piece one) in the Local Plan - WODC have been told to accommodate thousands of extra houses, and have chosen to put them all in one place rather than distributed around the towns of the district. (There's lots of development separately proposed for Witney, Chippy and Carterton, of course.) The A40 is definitely a nightmare but be careful what you wish for - the sustainable solution would probably be to put the new houses alongside a railway station, and there aren't many of those in West Oxfordshire!

What I find slightly ill-starred about the whole exercise is that Eynsham is the first place west of Oxford that isn't protected by 'Green Belt' status. If you look at the Oxford Green Belt map, the new Garden Village will be just a few metres over the border. I'm sure the Green Belt was a noble idea in its time, but if it now means that Oxford's overspill gets sited in open countryside with poor transport links, rather than extending Oxford such that people can still walk, cycle and catch the bus into town, then that seems counter-productive to me.

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 11:04 (last edited on Mon 2 Jan 2017, 11:16)

It does say North of Eynsham so that will probably add more traffic to the already dangerous A40, unless of course they make changes to the A40 itself which has long been overdue.

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 10:47

It is, Eynsham isn't in the Cotswolds!

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 10:04

What an original name for it.

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 10:03

It's in the Local Plan, I think - here is the official proposal: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/1483153/West-Oxon-Garden-Village-EoI-July-2016.pdf

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 10:00

According to the Oxford Mail it's near the A40 north of Eynsham

www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/14997042.New_Garden_Village_approved_for_Oxfordshire/

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 09:42

I had the same question. Feels strange that I can't find a specific location online, but can't be that far from here if it's in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Given the AONB issues it would also seem quite a challenge to find the right location.

Mon 2 Jan 2017, 09:20

See: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38486907
Does anyone know where this village is going to built? Will it take some pressure off the need to build proposed developments in and around Charlbury?