Witney Town Council

Witney Town Council

______

14 April 2009

Planning Policy Team

West Oxfordshire District Council

Elmfield Office

New Yatt Road

Witney

Oxon

OX28 1PB

Dear Tina

Core Strategy – Interim Position Statement Consultation Questionnaire

Please find attached the Council’s response to the “Core Strategy So Far” document published for consultation which has been formulated as a result of your meeting with the Members on 25 March 2009 and its subsequent meeting held on 1 April 2009.

Also enclosed are the minutes arising from the Extra-Ordinary Meeting on 25 March 2009, which forms part of the Town Council’s response, however please note these are confidential minutes not for public circulation.

The agreement to extend the deadline for our comments to 14 April, due to my annual leave, is much appreciated.

I trust this format is acceptable, but should you require a hard copy please let me know.

Yours sincerely

Town Clerk

Comments on the Local Development Framework – Core Strategy So Far: interim position statement

Shaping the future in West Oxfordshire: Our Vision

Witney Town Council agrees with the “vision” outlined for West Oxfordshire in the future. However in order to achieve “a choice of well-designed housing which meets lifetime needs” it would suggest that all new private housing should be built to the same high specification as public/social housing. The design life of new private housing is very short - a policy that actively prevents new housing estates deteriorating into large areas of sub standard housing in the future therefore needs to be considered.

The Council would further comment that most of the vision for Witney could not be achieved without a major transformation of the poor road network.

Core Objectives

Witney Town Council largely agrees with the Core Objectives and would comment as follows:

• The Spatial Strategy & Meeting the specific housing needs of our communities

Most new houses built in Witney are occupied by new residents and do not represent local housing needs. More houses need building in the villages and other towns in the district where there is real local housing need.

Witney Town Council appreciates that additional housing is being imposed by Central Government. It does not agree that all options have been identified which could demonstrate that the South East Plan housing figures could be delivered. The Council considers that Witney is at saturation point and is in danger of losing its busy market town status. Future expansion is limited and the Council wishes to convey in the strongest of terms its dismay over the non-expansion of infrastructure such as roads, schools ect to keep up with Witney’s expansion.

With good road links and close proximity to the rail link to Oxford/London the Council considers a good site for more houses to be Cassington. Homes should be built in rural areas if there is a need.

Because people coming into West Oxfordshire from the outside areas occupy most new houses, a new village or settlement could be built on a green field site. The evidence from MadleyPark is that large housing estates built on the periphery do not integrate into the town well due the marketing of the estates as “village” type developments, so they often remain separate small settlements similar to the surrounding villages using Witney as their main centre or Market Town.

In many ways MadleyPark would be more sustainable if it was a free standing settlement as it would attract more services such as local shops and public transport. The advantage of a new settlement is that it could take more houses than any of the opportunities proposed for a second housing estate in Witney.

Witney Town Council does not agree with the emerging strategy for the broad location of new housing and employment over and above the reserve site at North Curbridge which is already in the existing Local Plan.

None of the sites in Witney identified for a second large housing estate are acceptable for the reasons set out in the document. The only acceptable one might be 198 but only if funds were available for a full ring road joining Jubilee Way and if the West End Link was built but this site would not be able to provide enough funds for this. Also it would depend on the Cogges Link being built. Alternatives would be Cassington or Eynsham.

With regard to the emerging strategy for the broad location of new housing and employment the Council is concerned that there is a fixation with housing needs in Witney however if it is going to remain sustainable there needs to be more employment opportunities.

With regard to existing dwellings there should be no subdivision without evidence of the need. At present affordable family homes are being subdivided intosmall homes for single people.

• Sustainable communities with access to services and facilities

Witney Town Council agrees that the more sustainable villages and towns are those listed in Appendix 2. However the Council considers that Witney has reached the limit of its sustainable growth due to its position in a river valley. Further comments on subsections of this section are as follows:

• Infrastructure

The Town of Witney is a result of 60 years planning history. Infrastructure is very important we should not get fixated just on roads, infrastructure is much wider incorporating other modes of transport, schools, library facilities, doctors, ambulance stations to litterbins and recreation facilities, withoutadequate provision our society could quickly become unbalanced adding increased pressure on already oversubscribed existing public services.

Infrastructure features such asWitneyHospital with its MIU, Fire Station, Library and Police Station will need to be upgraded and enlarged to take account of an increased population.

Schools are major stakeholders in the town and its future, and should therefore be specifically consulted. The two secondary schools are oversubscribed with limited expansion opportunities to meet the demand of a growing population which extends out to the surrounding villages. Quite clearly Witney schools do not have the capacity to take up any increase in population.

• Transport

The Council supports any opportunity to improve and increase walking, cycling and use of public transport into and out of the town centre.

The Town Council considers there is a need for a Park and Ride facility for Witney which will relieve the town of the majority of its current parking problems. A Park and Ride facility on the outskirts of the town – possibly at Downs Road – with the bus depot relocating to the same point with frequent shuttle buses covering north and east of the town, and the south and west of Witney taking in all the bus stops currently in use would relieve a lot of congestion. It would relieve traffic congesting, large buses, and reduce pollution in the town centre.

• Economy, Retail & tourism

We should not be fixated with housing needs in Witney; if it is going to remain sustainable there is a need for more employment opportunities in order for it to remain a vibrant town. Its location within the WindrushValley and near to the Cotswolds should ensure it remains an attraction for tourism. There is a need therefore to ensure areas of great beauty such as Church Green in the Town Centre are not commercialised and the conservation area is preserved and extended.

• Leisure, sport, recreation and cultural facilities

The Town council would encourage opportunities to be created through new developments to improve the range of facilities on offer to the wider community. Witney’s facilities have clearly not kept up with the expansion of the Town and outer lying villages which use the town’s facilities. In fact, with the demographics of an increasingly elderly population in the whole of West Oxon there will be an increased need for sporting and pastime facilities specifically targeted at this growing group(indoor and outdoor bowls etc.).

The Town Council recognises that its own sports and recreation facilities, including its Public Halls, are inurgent need of upgrade, improvement and expansionto meet the increase in population, address legislative issues and maintain the wellbeing of Witney and West Oxfordshire’s residents.

To support residents and encourage sustainability through sourcing their own produce, and in turn helping the environment, there is a need for more land to be made available for allotments.

The Town Council seeks assurance from the District Council that the Town Council will be included in any future S106 negotiations in order to ensure that from the prospective infrastructure, transferable to the Town Council, compliments and enhances its existing facilities.

• Protecting our environment and reducing the impact from climate change

Witney Town Council does not agree with the emerging strategy for reducing the impact from claimate change as the number of new houses being proposed is at odds with climate change ambitions as there are no policies to provide realistic public transport to replace the motor car. Almost half of people living in Witney work outside the town i.e. drive to Oxford, Swindon, Reading etc. Therefore no new housing developments should be permitted without increases in local employment opportunities.

With regard to the emerging strategy for conserving and enhancing our environment, Witney Town Council is concerned that the character and distinctiveness of Witney is being eroded by over development. The proposals in the draft LDF will only make matters worse with more development. A tangible policy is needed in order to deal with this.

We need to ensure areas of great beauty, Church Green etc. are not commercialised (WIT 1 and WIT2 of local Plan) and consideration needs to be given to extending the conservation area.

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