Kidlington Masterplan Response
18th April 2016
Development pressures on Kidlington, one of the UK’s largest villages, are building. But seeing the Green Belt as an opportunity, not a problem, could help to guide a positive vision. See CPRE’s response to the Masterplan consultation.
Cherwell District Council has just concluded its consultation on a draft Masterplan for Kidlington.
(Download the CPRE response in full at the foot of page.)
Despite significant growth since the 1960s, Kidlington has retained its status as a village. Its position in the Green Belt has not only given residents valuable access to green space but helped to protect it from urban sprawl and coalescence with Oxford. The draft Masterplan recognises this as a major strength and vital to the village character.
Unfortunately, the plan then goes on to undermine this protection by tacitly indicating that the Green Belt is no longer defensible. CPRE challenges this assumption in principle and in practice.
We believe the report should be re-written as necessary to accept the presumption that Kidlington is embedded within the Green Belt and has very limited scope for new housing development. It could then more constructively focus on what that means for achieving what is a fine vision statement. This re-affirmation of intent to comply with Government policy to protect the Green Belt would send a strong, positive message to the public, planners, developers and landowners. This would we hope, discourage the speculative, deliberate erosion of the quality of the Green Belt and the environment it supports.
We also note the scaremongering tactics of Oxford City Council which appears to have promoted several press stories about 3,000 new houses in the Kidlington gap. Whilst it is the City’s stated ambition to expand in this area, this potential development is not part of the current draft Kidlington Masterplan. We trust Cherwell District Council will give the City as much credit as it deserves for this suggestion!
If you are concerned about protecting the Oxford Green Belt and the landscape around Kidlington, please do get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
T: 01491 612079
CPRE_Cherwell_South_response_Kidlington_Masterplan_April_16_FINAL.pdf