Banbury village's pressurised GP surgery is 'not supporting' 60-home development plan

Cropredy Surgery said on its Facebook page last week it specifically instructed the company acting for landowners, Brasenose College, Oxford, that its service was not to be used to promote the planning application.

An outline application has been lodged with Cherwell District Council for the planned development on green fields north of Keytes Close, off Claydon Road.

The Banbury Guardian reported a public meeting in January at which villagers described their concerns for the expansion of their community.

North Oxfordshire villages that have 'infrastructure' such as a bus service, school, shop and GP surgery have been inundated by new housing estates in recent decades because planning rules do not support development in villages that are 'unsustainable' and require residents to travel for services.

Villages such as Bloxham, Adderbury, Deddington and Hook Norton have been obliged to take hundreds of new homes each.

Last week Cropredy Surgery said it was not endorsing the Brasenose plan.

It announced: "Cropredy Surgery would like to state that we are not endorsing this application and although we did speak to Obsidian in the first instance to express concern regarding the Primary Care provision that would be available to this development (given that we are already over-subscribed) and would love a new building to grow into, we are in fact in conversation with our present landlord to explore expansion ideas for the current building.

"We specifically instructed Obsidian that we were not to be used to promote their planning application and while we would consider further discussion if the right circumstances arose there is no current agreement in place and we would not wish to mislead the community or the planning department in this matter.”

The Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) Integrated Care Board (ICB) said the primary care network (PCN) for north Oxfordshire is already under pressure from recent planning applications, and this application directly impacts on the ability of the Cropredy Surgery in particular, to provide primary care to the increasing population.

The ICB would demand £51,840 to be invested into ‘capital projects which directly benefit this PCN location and the practices within it, if a specific project in the area is not forthcoming’.

Jo Samways, who has lived in Cropredy for over 25 years, is a spokesman for those against the proposal.

"As an individual I am deeply saddened at the thought of agricultural land being turned into housing developments as we fight to become more sustainable and more ecological. It goes against the grain (quite literally) to destroy our agricultural/natural habitat, change the essence of village life to create these huge developments. Meanwhile the centre of our local towns dwindle,” she said.

Ms Samways said the village believes the development would have a seriously detrimental impact on habitat; the fields are home to an array of wildlife which would be destroyed.

Views across the the canal, from the marina and tow path towards the village would be dominated by a housing estate instead of the rolling fields up to the villageboundary. Acceptance of the plan may lead to the whole field being built on with houses very close to the marina.

"This has already been alluded to by the developer in their leaflets with them stating they see the marina as the new limit to the village. If this were to happen it could potentially double the current number of houses in the village,” said Ms Samway.“A community building needs to be central, and in their proposed location would result in more internal car journeys.

"We would suffer substantial noise and disruption during construction which could last many years as more of the field is built on. There would be Increased traffic through the village causing more bottle necks around the school and over the bridge. The planning application states there is a bus service that runs hourly, every day in the village which we all know is not the case.

"Working on a two car per house average, 120 extra cars would be on the road every day in the village will increase the chances of accidents. The building of 60 houses will put an increased strain on local amenities. 180 extra people using the current services would cause severe issues.”

Ms Samways said it was a common misconception that Cherwell does not have enough housing supply to fulfil its five-year commitment.

"This is not the case. Under the new local plan, Cherwell has over five years supply meaning this development is not needed on the grounds of under supply. Cropredy as a Category A village should only be considered for minor development, infill and conversions to existing structures,” she said.

One Cropredy resident among those who have already objected to the district council says without a functioning bus service the plan should not be considered. He has called for a longer period of consideration to give those without knowledge of the planning system time to digest the lengthy documents supplied by Brasenose’s agent.

The design statement produced for Brasenose College says: "Our vision for Land East of Claydon Road, Cropredy, is for a modest residential extension of around 60 new homes alongside a new community building to the northern edge of the existing village. A range of properties will be provided to meet the needs of the expanding local community - including starter homes, retirement homes and family homes.

"Residents will have immediate access to parkland and recreation space, including a children’s play area. New walking and cycling routes, including improvement to the existing off-site network, will connect directly new residents with existing facilities in Cropredy village to the south."

To see the application see here.