Jeffersons Piece development

Thu 8 Feb 2018, 16:40

Hear, hear! Stuart Galer for mayor.

Wed 7 Feb 2018, 17:22

The main issue with this possible development is access.

The proposed access is at the end of a very narrow cul de sac and through which, there are currently 10 or 12 garages used by local residents living in close proximity. From my understanding, it was proposed to knock down…

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Wed 7 Feb 2018, 16:00

I think Alan was quite right. Hey Ho!

Wed 7 Feb 2018, 15:10

Alan. Your statement seemed to me to imply that these executive-type houses being built round here are too expensive. It wasn't very clear in light of the context of Helen's comment beforehand. Hey ho!

Wed 7 Feb 2018, 10:34

Rushy Bank in a separate thread please - not here.

Wed 7 Feb 2018, 10:03

One of the main reasons that over 400 Charlbury residents objected to Rushy bank was that 'WODC hadn't given enough weight to the special characteristics of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' Does this mean that this proposed development will be reviewed?

Wed 7 Feb 2018, 09:32

Maybe it is you who are actually making a wrong assumption about what I was saying, Rosemary. In my view, if people are prepared to pay the required price for something, then by definition it is not over-priced.

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 22:10 (last edited on Tue 6 Feb 2018, 22:10)

Alan Wilson, you are wrong in your assumption.

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 19:01

The Planning Inspector did not only rule out the Charlbury and Burford sites because the need for local housing had not been established, but also in the letter that he wrote he cited 3 other reasons. The document can be found here: www.westoxon.gov.uk/media/1724631/IN-029-Inspector%E2%80%99s-Letter-to-the-Council-of-16118.pdf

He mentioned also (1) the need to respect conservation elements in the ANOB area; (2) the pressure on the local primary school of having a large number of families with young children moving into the area; and (3) the inadequacy of local transport. I assume he meant by this buses to take children of secondary-school age to nearby local schools.

I am not sure that the site needs to be developed at all. As I understood things, the developers had simply taken an option on the land that would run out if the field is not developed within a quite short time-frame. If the site is to be developed, I would hope that the Planning Inspector's ruling would be borne in mind, & the Town Council only backs a proposal that respects the environment & the schooling situation.

In addition,as people living locally have stressed, the original proposal would have placed undue pressure on parking (especially at night and during the evenings), and also produced an excessive amount of traffic both through the existing estate, and also onto the Ditchley Road and The Slade.

One possibility might be to think in terms of a site for small workshops for craftspeople and local workers. Not everything has to be about housing! It might be an appropriate site for housing older people, although it is quite a walk from there into town.

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 18:00

I'm in agreement with Helen, What may seem overpriced here is probably cheap for someone wishing to get away from London. Surely we want houses that young people living locally can afford.

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 17:56

As I have said elsewhere the view of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee is that what there is a need for and what is also highlighted by evidence collected by the neighbourhood forum is for private affordable houses mainly for young families but also older people who would like to downsize and find smaller suitable accommodation in the Town.
The plan will most likely express the need for only smaller houses rather than large expensive market housing which is out of reach for most local people. Other recent developments have provided the large houses so there is little need for Charlbury for more of them. Another planning application may be put in before the Neighbourhood Plan is in force but we hope to be at an advanced stage so it can be considered by the planning committee

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 17:26

I'm not so sure... it seems there are people who are willing to pay very inflated prices at the moment.

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 16:51

I don't think it is in the interests of developers to produce over-priced executive homes, either. If they are over-priced then executives won't buy them....

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 16:13

If it must be developed then a lower number of affordable homes or flats would be the best outcome. We definitely don't need any more developments of overpriced executive homes.

Tue 6 Feb 2018, 12:42

Those of you who avidly follow the ins-and-outs of planning will have seen that the site behind Jeffersons Piece is likely to be dropped from the Local Plan, together with other sites in the Charlbury/Burford area, because the Inspector judged that WODC hadn't given enough weight to the special characteristics of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the currently proposed development won't happen at all, but it does look likely that it will need to be rethought if it is to have a chance of planning permission.

This could be a good thing but it could also be dangerous: for example, the developer might decide that a less dense development of 20 massive "executive homes", each with four car parking spaces, has a better chance of getting through than the current 48, more affordable homes.

A new planning application could conceivably be lodged at any time, so it would be interesting to hear people's views as to what they'd like to see on the site, and what realistically we can ask for. (I have my own views but will hold off for a while to let others have their say!)

Richard (writing entirely personally)