New Oxfordshire Town’s Fate Could be Decided This Month
Heyford Park in the Bicester area could be decided by the end of this month, according to Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire.
Planning and development for the new town, which would see roughly 9,000 new homes built at the historical site of RAF Upper Heyford, has been ongoing since the planning application was first submitted in August last year.
Target Decision Date Set for March 27
According to Cherwell’s planning portal, the target decision date for the planning application is set for Friday, March 27.
The decision on the major planning application, which could be one of the biggest the authority has had to decide on in terms of scale, is expected to be made by councillors on the planning committee.
Case Officer’s Report and Recommendation
Ahead of the decision, the case officer assigned to the planning application by Cherwell council, Nick Wyke, will write a report with a recommendation for whether the application should be approved or not.
This recommendation will be based upon the information received from the application and during the consultation period, which has already seen hundreds of residents from across Oxfordshire and beyond write to Cherwell council with their letters of support and objection.
Delayed Decision and Extra Detail Required
The planning application has already been delayed from when the developers had understood a decision would be made, with Paul Silver, chief executive of the developer Dorchester Living, previously stating that he was expecting a decision to be made in October.
However, several consultees, such as National Highways, have been asking for extra detail before they can give their approval, leading to the delay.
Support from the Labour Government
Should the district council grant permission for the scheme, construction could start in autumn 2026 with a final completion date of 2042, and the development already appears to have the backing of the Labour Government, which is pushing for more house building during its parliamentary term.
In September, the Government said Heyford Park is one of the locations in its New Towns Taskforce, meaning it could become part of a new generation of towns designed to deliver thousands of homes, new infrastructure, and support economic growth in the area.
£5bn Investment and Job Creation
The major new scheme represents a £5bn investment into the site, which was bought in 2009 by the developer Dorchester Living, and is expected to create more than 5,000 new jobs, with a focus on clean tech industries.
The plans also include more than 100 hectares of green and blue infrastructure from woodlands and parks to allotments and recreation spaces, four new primary schools, a new secondary school, and new buildings for libraries and community centres.
Renewable Energy and Sustainability
Renewable energy will be powered on site through three 900kW wind turbines and a 5MW solar park, making the development a sustainable and environmentally-friendly project.
As the decision on the planning application approaches, residents and investors will be eagerly awaiting the outcome, which could have a significant impact on the local economy and community.