Please note that the deadline for new responses to the amendments made by Kler to their original planning application for up to 36 houses on the field on the corner of the Didcot Road and Fieldside is 6th October 2016.
In summary the amendments submitted on 8th September are:
(1) A reduction in the amount of hedge along the Didcot Road that will have to be removed and a statement that the site’s tree cover will be maintained.
(2) A significant change to the proposed layout of the site from that in the original plan in an attempt to deal with comments made by the Vale of White Horse’s Landscape Officer which raised concerns about the treatment of the southern and eastern edges of the site and the relationship between the proposals and the wider rural setting to the south east.
(3) An attempt to deal with the comments made by Oxfordshire County Council Highways which objected because “the development affords a low level of sustainability in terms of transport”; and asking the applicant to submit additional information regarding the sensitivity test at the signalised river crossing, visibility splays, pedestrian crossing, frontage footway and the road safety audit.
In the opinion of the Parish Council these amendments do not address the fundamental objections to the plan in that it provides no benefits to the village and conflicts with the residents’ wishes as per our Neighbourhood Plan which not only provides new housing but also the Community Hub. If Kler’s plan is approved it effectively makes our Neighbourhood Plan redundant.
If you commented on the original plan, please comment again as this will add weight when it goes before the planning committee.
The revisions to the original planning application can be found here:
http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P16/S1124/O
Please note that objections have to be based on planning reasons which are described here:
http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/files/assets/material-and-non-material-planning-considerations.pdf
Key concerns are:
- Conflict with the Neighbourhood Plan: if Kler’s plan is approved it will mean a greater increase in housing stock than is required by the draft local plan but without providing any community facilities that would help address the sustainability criteria.
- The village has few services or amenities and Kler’s plan will not add any.
- Damaging impact on the conservation area.
- Impact on ecology along Fieldside Track with particular regard to the house martins and most importantly the Roman snails. The revised plan still has houses close to this environmentally important site.
- Traffic volume and safety.
