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Village anger at eco-town plan
Fears are mounting that a quiet Oxfordshire village could be over-run if a 15,000 home "eco town" is approved by the Government.
Householders in Weston-on-the-Green have rallied to form a pressure group - set up by the father of tennis ace Tim Henman.
Tony Henman, who has lived in Weston-on-the-Green for 40 years, formed the group Weston Front to fight plans for the proposed new settlement, dubbed Weston Otmoor.
The development, by Parkridge Holdings, would take up 600 acres of farmland between Weston-on-the Green and the busy A34/M40 junction.
The settlement could be served by a new rail link, which would allow residents to travel to Oxford, Milton Keynes and London without relying on cars. The settlement would also have a tram service.
Almost half the village's 400 residents have attended two public meetings, to find out more details of the scheme which could see a town bigger than nearby Bicester built on farmland beside the A34.
Mr Henman said: "The proposed settlement now extends much further to the east of the A34. We are talking about 550 to 600 acres, but no one is quite sure.
"The public meetings attracted record numbers, with half the adults in the village there. We still do not know what we are up against. We are keeping our powder dry."
And Norman Machin, 64, of Northampton Road, said there was a lot of resentment to the plans.
He said: "There would be a major problem for infrastructure. Roads in the area are gridlocked at the moment anyway and Bicester is already struggling with an increased pressure on its services. It would dramatically change the village and its environment beyond recognition."
Two schemes to build eco towns near Kidlington and Weston-on-the-Green have been submitted to the Government.
And the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has warned it is "likely" one of the Oxfordshire schemes would be on the shortlist of 18 preferred bids.
A spokesman for Parkridge Holdings said: "The Government is likely to announce a shortlist of potential schemes in March. If Weston Otmoor is one of these shortlisted schemes, Parkridge will work with the local community and its representatives to develop proposals which are sympathetic to the local environment and to the needs of the existing community."
Cherwell District Council has expressed concern about the Weston-on-the-Green scheme - and the other eco-town proposal to build 5,000 homes at Shipton Quarry, a former cement works between Woodstock and Bicester.
A statement from the council said: "The two candidate locations offer some advantages, such as the reuse of previously developed land and the potential to improve public transport. But there are significant disadvantages, including adverse effects upon the Green Belt, effects upon rural roads, the impact on nature conservation sites, the loss of agricultural land and the impact on the regeneration of existing towns."
7:09pm Thursday 21st February 2008
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CommentPosted by: Mr Ison, England on 7:13pm Thu 21 Feb 08
I wouls find it obnoxious too.
Send the 30,000 or so Bolshies back to their communist lands.
I wouls find it obnoxious too.
Send the 30,000 or so Bolshies back to their communist lands.
Posted by: DanOxford on 9:13pm Thu 21 Feb 08
It's one thing to accept the loss of open space and green belt to help local people and families to have their own home. However, at immigration running at 25 times any previous level in British history, and the government having no plan for population limits, where will this concreting over end?
Mass immigration is already affecting us all and the claims that it is benefitting the Country economically have recently been dismissed by one of the government's own top advisors, as well as migrationwatch.
Building any of these new developments will not help British people while a million East Europeans alone have arrived recently.
Time to think about what kind of Country we want to live in.
It's one thing to accept the loss of open space and green belt to help local people and families to have their own home. However, at immigration running at 25 times any previous level in British history, and the government having no plan for population limits, where will this concreting over end?
Mass immigration is already affecting us all and the claims that it is benefitting the Country economically have recently been dismissed by one of the government's own top advisors, as well as migrationwatch.
Building any of these new developments will not help British people while a million East Europeans alone have arrived recently.
Time to think about what kind of Country we want to live in.
Posted by: alan page on 11:43pm Thu 21 Feb 08
[quote][bold]DanOxford[/bold] wrote:
It\'s one thing to accept the loss of open space and green belt to help local people and families to have their own home. However, at immigration running at 25 times any previous level in British history, and the government having no plan for population limits, where will this concreting over end? Mass immigration is already affecting us all and the claims that it is benefitting the Country economically have recently been dismissed by one of the government\'s own top advisors, as well as migrationwatch. Building any of these new developments will not help British people while a million East Europeans alone have arrived recently. Time to think about what kind of Country we want to live in.[/quote] Immigration running at 25 times any previous level?
I presume you have taken both the Romans and the Normans into those figures.
I think we already know what kind of country you want to live in.
A racially cleansed one. Not likely to happen I'm afraid.
DanOxford wrote:
It\'s one thing to accept the loss of open space and green belt to help local people and families to have their own home. However, at immigration running at 25 times any previous level in British history, and the government having no plan for population limits, where will this concreting over end? Mass immigration is already affecting us all and the claims that it is benefitting the Country economically have recently been dismissed by one of the government\'s own top advisors, as well as migrationwatch. Building any of these new developments will not help British people while a million East Europeans alone have arrived recently. Time to think about what kind of Country we want to live in.
Immigration running at 25 times any previous level?
I presume you have taken both the Romans and the Normans into those figures.
I think we already know what kind of country you want to live in.
A racially cleansed one. Not likely to happen I'm afraid.
Posted by: Adam, Oxford on 9:16am Fri 22 Feb 08
"The settlement could be served by a new rail link, which would allow residents to travel to Oxford, Milton Keynes and London without relying on cars. The settlement would also have a tram service." Doesn't mean they will not be allowed any cars at all. More road rage at long delays on and getting onto the link roads; more rat runs through small, not built-for-fast traffic villages. Why all the investment in newbuild south of the Wash - we are ruled by Scots, send some up there.
"The settlement could be served by a new rail link, which would allow residents to travel to Oxford, Milton Keynes and London without relying on cars. The settlement would also have a tram service." Doesn't mean they will not be allowed any cars at all. More road rage at long delays on and getting onto the link roads; more rat runs through small, not built-for-fast traffic villages. Why all the investment in newbuild south of the Wash - we are ruled by Scots, send some up there.
Posted by: Phil, Oxford on 9:34am Fri 22 Feb 08
[quote][bold]Adam[/bold] wrote:
"The settlement could be served by a new rail link, which would allow residents to travel to Oxford, Milton Keynes and London without relying on cars. The settlement would also have a tram service." Doesn't mean they will not be allowed any cars at all. More road rage at long delays on and getting onto the link roads; more rat runs through small, not built-for-fast traffic villages. Why all the investment in newbuild south of the Wash - we are ruled by Scots, send some up there.[/quote] No cars, no road rage, no delays!
Adam wrote:
"The settlement could be served by a new rail link, which would allow residents to travel to Oxford, Milton Keynes and London without relying on cars. The settlement would also have a tram service." Doesn't mean they will not be allowed any cars at all. More road rage at long delays on and getting onto the link roads; more rat runs through small, not built-for-fast traffic villages. Why all the investment in newbuild south of the Wash - we are ruled by Scots, send some up there.
No cars, no road rage, no delays!
Posted by: Robin Stafford Allen, Weston on 10:38am Fri 22 Feb 08
I am against the Eco town at Weston. Why? Well my journey to work used to take 25 minutes and now routinely takes over an hour as the A34 is "full", Junction 9 of the M40 frequently has tailbacks to it, and Heyford development has not been completed yet adding to the local pressure. We cannot have another settlement and expect the road and rail (a fairly hopeless and overpriced service on this line already) to cope. It will be gridlock of monumental scale in rural oxfordshire.
Robin...
I am against the Eco town at Weston. Why? Well my journey to work used to take 25 minutes and now routinely takes over an hour as the A34 is "full", Junction 9 of the M40 frequently has tailbacks to it, and Heyford development has not been completed yet adding to the local pressure. We cannot have another settlement and expect the road and rail (a fairly hopeless and overpriced service on this line already) to cope. It will be gridlock of monumental scale in rural oxfordshire.
Robin...
Posted by: Paul Morrison, Weston On The Greeb on 12:51pm Fri 22 Feb 08
Please also dont forget that Parkridge's proposal will encompass RAF Weston On The Green - the oldest continuously operational RAF airfield in the country and also home to Oxford Gliding Club, one of the oldest established gliding clubs in the country. Gliding is the epitome of an 'Eco-Friendly' sport with the club offering training to would be pilots of all ages and yet the irony of this appears to have been lost on the developers!
Please also dont forget that Parkridge's proposal will encompass RAF Weston On The Green - the oldest continuously operational RAF airfield in the country and also home to Oxford Gliding Club, one of the oldest established gliding clubs in the country. Gliding is the epitome of an 'Eco-Friendly' sport with the club offering training to would be pilots of all ages and yet the irony of this appears to have been lost on the developers!
Posted by: DanOxford, Oxford on 1:19pm Fri 22 Feb 08
[italic]Ten years from now, there will be 65 million people in the UK - an increase of five million - and by 2031, the population will be over 70 million, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Within a generation, immigration will add the equivalent of a city the size of London to the population.
This is the fastest growth rate since the post-war baby boom - and is far more rapid than the Government forecast just three years ago.
One campaign group accused the Government of conducting a ''vast unplanned experiment’’ with the country’s well-being.
Statisticians said at least 70 per cent of the population rise over the next 20 years will be attributable directly to immigration.
The rest will be babies born to British mothers - many of whom are second-generation immigrants.
The Government has recently revised its long-term forecasts for annual net immigration upwards by one third to 190,000.[/italic]
(http://www.telegrap
h.co.uk/news/main.jh
tml?xml=/news/2007/1
0/23/npopulation423.
xml)
But you just keep petulantly accusing everyone of 'RACISM!' Alan, before throwing some in some irrelevant comment about paedophilia, drug abuse, the bourgeois, sufism or The Daily Mail.
Get over your own self- inflicted guilt and hatred of your own Country and start dealing with facts and consequences.
Ten years from now, there will be 65 million people in the UK - an increase of five million - and by 2031, the population will be over 70 million, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Within a generation, immigration will add the equivalent of a city the size of London to the population.
This is the fastest growth rate since the post-war baby boom - and is far more rapid than the Government forecast just three years ago.
One campaign group accused the Government of conducting a ''vast unplanned experiment’’ with the country’s well-being.
Statisticians said at least 70 per cent of the population rise over the next 20 years will be attributable directly to immigration.
The rest will be babies born to British mothers - many of whom are second-generation immigrants.
The Government has recently revised its long-term forecasts for annual net immigration upwards by one third to 190,000.
(http://www.telegrap
h.co.uk/news/main.jh
tml?xml=/news/2007/1
0/23/npopulation423.
xml)
But you just keep petulantly accusing everyone of 'RACISM!' Alan, before throwing some in some irrelevant comment about paedophilia, drug abuse, the bourgeois, sufism or The Daily Mail.
Get over your own self- inflicted guilt and hatred of your own Country and start dealing with facts and consequences.
Posted by: peter, oxford on 1:54pm Fri 22 Feb 08
Alan is one of the nimby types I'll be bound.Put One of those developments on his doorstep and he will spitting feathers.
Alan is one of the nimby types I'll be bound.Put One of those developments on his doorstep and he will spitting feathers.
Posted by: K White, Faringdon on 3:30pm Fri 22 Feb 08
[quote][bold]alan page[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]DanOxford[/bold] wrote: It\\\\\\\'s one thing to accept the loss of open space and green belt to help local people and families to have their own home. However, at immigration running at 25 times any previous level in British history, and the government having no plan for population limits, where will this concreting over end? Mass immigration is already affecting us all and the claims that it is benefitting the Country economically have recently been dismissed by one of the government\\\\\\\'s own top advisors, as well as migrationwatch. Building any of these new developments will not help British people while a million East Europeans alone have arrived recently. Time to think about what kind of Country we want to live in.[/quote] Immigration running at 25 times any previous level? I presume you have taken both the Romans and the Normans into those figures. I think we already know what kind of country you want to live in. A racially cleansed one. Not likely to happen I\\\'m afraid. [/quote] Sir, I am not a racist, but do not forget the facts - Britian is already having problems with racial integration. The population composition needs to change slowly so that tensions do not arise.
alan page wrote:
DanOxford wrote: It\\\\'s one thing to accept the loss of open space and green belt to help local people and families to have their own home. However, at immigration running at 25 times any previous level in British history, and the government having no plan for population limits, where will this concreting over end? Mass immigration is already affecting us all and the claims that it is benefitting the Country economically have recently been dismissed by one of the government\\\\'s own top advisors, as well as migrationwatch. Building any of these new developments will not help British people while a million East Europeans alone have arrived recently. Time to think about what kind of Country we want to live in.
Immigration running at 25 times any previous level? I presume you have taken both the Romans and the Normans into those figures. I think we already know what kind of country you want to live in. A racially cleansed one. Not likely to happen I'm afraid.
Sir, I am not a racist, but do not forget the facts - Britian is already having problems with racial integration. The population composition needs to change slowly so that tensions do not arise.
Posted by: sid, bicester on 7:58pm Fri 22 Feb 08
Lets face it,the NIMBY brigade are out in force,making suggestions as to where this should be sited,any where but Weston.I only feel sorry for the born and bred villagers who are slowly being priced out of there home villages.Prime example is of course, Mr Henman his self.
Lets face it,the NIMBY brigade are out in force,making suggestions as to where this should be sited,any where but Weston.I only feel sorry for the born and bred villagers who are slowly being priced out of there home villages.Prime example is of course, Mr Henman his self.
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