Villagers hope desperately that a plan for 700 new homes west of Brackley is rejected

Residents of Farthinghoe fear that any such huge housing estate would make their notorious road problems even worse.

The village, with its infamous, narrow pinch point, endures heavy congestion and repeated accidents involving large lorries. On the A422, it is a Department for Transport major road network route for traffic connecting the M40 to the A 43.

West Northants Council (WNC) scrapped long-standing plans for a £28.5m – £33.75m bypass and will not employ vehicle weight limits. It said last week it had always acknowledged that, as well as the number of vehicles going through the village, ‘the pinch point where large vehicles have collided on a number of occasions does need to be resolved’.

An inquiry started this week into the failure of WNC to determine a speculative outline planning application for permission to build 700 homes west of Brackley and close to the Brackley Rugby Union Club. The plan has been submitted by Neal Watkins of Vulpes Ltd of Godlington, Bicester and Davidsons Developments Ltd.

The application details up to 700 residential dwellings, areas of public open space, a rugby pitch, landscaping, allotments, sustainable drainage and associated infrastructure.

Chairman of Farthinghoe Parish Council, Mick Morris, said: “This would affect us directly and is of great concern. I assume that this might mean an appeal followed by a Government decision.

“In current conditions that would be a rubber stamp and still no sign of a solution to our traffic problems. I hope that I am wrong.”

WNC said in a post on its website last week: “The opportunity of delivering a bypass around Farthinghoe has been studied over many years with significant investment provided in developing a business case for funding.

"That business case shows the economic case for such a scheme is low and therefore funding from government for such a scheme is highly unlikely.

“Work is continuing which will identify a preferred option for a mitigation scheme, and depending on what this is, it's expected costs and funding sources will determine whether it is deliverable by 2030.”

• In the 1980s, in anticipation of the forthcoming opening of the M40, a policy of upgrading the A422 was employed, including creating bypasses for Middleton Cheney and Brackley in the 1990s. Plans were developed to provide a bypass for Farthinghoe, but there were difficulties in determining a route and funding.

  According to figures provided by the council, since 2019 NCC and WNC have spent almost £450,000 on business cases and investigations into the Farthinghoe bypass and alternative traffic management options.

  WNC has now suggested introducing a traffic signal scheme and other traffic calming measures. It explained that the weight limit on the road would not be “feasible in the foreseeable future” as it would require funding to upgrade the nearby B4525 as an alternative HGV route.

• WNC’s adopted transport plan includes several highways upgrades and traffic mitigation schemes, signal and safety improvements, bus service improvements and work to include 20mph speed limits in residential areas among many others.