Dozens of comments submitted for plans on ground-breaking development on land adjacent to M40 Banbury junction

Property developers Monte Blackburn Ltd have submitted a planning application for a new development, which includes a 240-bed hotel, four-storey office building, and roadside services including two hot food restaurant drive-throughs, a coffee shop drive-through, and a petrol station.

The proposed new development called Frontier Park, and is located on land adjacent to the M40 near junction 11. The site is situated immediately adjacent to the M40 and bounded by the A361 to the east. Access to the application site is from the A361 to the east of the site via an access road.

The proposed development will create a new 240-bed hotel, which will be a Hampton by Hilton, and is to be located at the southern end of the site, employing approximately 65 people. Hampton by Hilton have specifically identified this site as a location where there is a need for hotel accommodation for a higher market than what is currently being provided for at the nearby Premier Inn.

The proposed five-storey hotel will be 19,600 square feet and have 164 parking spaces, including disabled spaces. The hotel will have a total of 167 car parking spaces, and will also feature a covered secure cycle storage area.

To the west of the site sits a speculative office development with 50,000 square feet of office space over four storeys. The premises is designed to be lettable in its entirety or split between multiple tenants, particularly over a two tenant per floor ratio. The offices have 111 car parking spaces including dedicated disabled bays.

The proposed petrol station will be 10,000 square feet and contain nine petrol filling pumps, a hydrogen fuel pump, 20 electric vehicle charging points and 36 car parking spaces.

One of the hot food drive-throughs will be operated by Leon, which focuses on providing healthy fast-food meals.

The proposed development of this site offers the opportunity to deliver employment opportunities to the area whilst helping to boost the local economy both during and after the construction phase of development. The development aims to deliver more than 1,000 jobs across the Frontier Park site.

This is not the first time developers have applied for a planning application at this location. The current application differs significantly in that it does not seek consent for a motorway services, that would feature motorway signage and could attract significant increases in traffic.

More than two dozen residents have already submitted comments to the pending planning application. Residents who have made comments online are from Banbury and several of its surrounding village from Wardington, to Chacombe to Chipping Warden, Cropredy and Brailes.

One woman from Chipping Warden submitted an application objecting to the proposal based on the negative traffic impact it would have on the area. She said: 'This proposal would have serious knock on effect with traffic, traffic and more traffic, more pollution and noise.'

A man from Chacombe submitted a similar objection to application, which said: "I would like to object to the planning application on grounds of need, development in open countryside and the increase in traffic.

"I appreciate there is a need for development and investment in our town, another stop off however isn't needed, the available room capacity in Banbury for hotels currently averages 45%, well above the national average, another hotel isn't required. The area is well served with fuel stations and charging points, another fuel station isn't required. Fast food outlets are available within a four minute drive of the proposed location, more are not required."

Anyone who would like to submit a comment on the planning application can use the following link to the Cherwell District Council website: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/21/02467/F?fbclid=IwAR0578BhgKLxGP5KqLiIDbvGFYI2xLKN7cG05nOSEftW1tKKCNUeGl102KY