South Northamptonshire villages to expand with 178 homes in Middleton, 105 in King's Sutton and 186 in Woodford

One parish council close to Banbury says this should not happen without proper infrastructure and roads improvements in place.

Consultation on the Plan, which sets out West Northants Council’s (WNC) vision to 2043, ends on Friday, March 27. It shows that Brackley will be expected to take at least 1650 extra houses. Meanwhile Turweston (in Buckinghamshire but dependent on Brackley) will be expected to take 3850 more homes.

South Northamptonshire villages will be expected to take at least 993 more houses. The Plan has the minimum numbers listing the following – Boddington 31, Byfield 60, Chacombe 28, Chipping Warden and Edgecote 31, Culworth 20, Farthinghoe 19, Greatworth and Halse 40, King’s Sutton 105, Middleton Cheney 178, Newbottle 28, Silverstone 121, Syresham 28 and Woodford Halse 186.

Mick Morris, parish council chairman for Farthinghoe, which has long campaigned for a bypass for the A422 going through it, said: “Farthinghoe is allocated 19 houses but we are long overdue a plan to deal with our traffic problems. We feel it will just make what is intolerable even worse.

“The Plan shows that for the last 20-30 years housing growth has outstripped employment growth so why do we need such expansion? It means most houses will be occupied by commuters, many of whom will use the A422 through Farthinghoe.

“When we ask questions they ignore our mails and those of our WNC councillors

“This plan has been drawn up taking no account of our existing traffic problems and we feel that they just want to railroad it through. There is no plan provided for infrastructure to accommodate the extra houses in Brackley, Turweston and Middleton Cheney.

“They just come up with numbers - and infrastructure including doctors’ surgeries, hospitals, schools and roads can take care of itself.”

Residents across south Northamptonshire have complained about reduced bus services. And only this week, a community bus service, Ability, which provides transport for the elderly and vulnerable, has announced it will have to close, prompting fears of increased isolation.

So far, over 2,000 responses have been submitted to WNC as part of the consultation, with community events across the area being held to allow residents to learn more and share their feedback.

The draft Local Plan will guide the future growth of the district up to 2043, setting out the strategy for new homes, jobs, infrastructure and land use. It also includes policies on protecting the environment, supporting the local economy and shaping the places where people live, work and spend time.

Residents, businesses and community groups are encouraged to review the proposals and submit their comments before the consultation closes on Friday, March 27.

Cllr Thomas Manning, Cabinet Member for Planning at WNC, said: “We want to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their views. The Local Plan will affect every community in West Northants, so it’s important that as many people as possible take part before the deadline. Your feedback will help us ensure that future growth is well planned, sustainable and reflects what matters most to local people.”

To respond to the consultation on the Local Plan see this website.