Locals back more houses to get most for village

People from a small Oxfordshire village are taking a positive approach to more than seven thousand new homes being built on land around them.

Known more widely for the RAF base next door, Brize Norton has just over a thousand homes, a primary school and well used community centre and sports ground.

But with three large housing developments on the horizon, including the potential of 2,700 homes on the New Astrop estate to the east of the village, Brize Norton could change beyond recognition.

Instead of fighting the proposals, the parish council is working with developers to protect the identity of the village and gain as many benefits as possible for the existing community.

Les Goble is chair of Brize Norton Parish Council and helped develop the area's neighbourhood plan.

Having initially objected to the nearby Brize Meadow development, which is now nearing completion, Goble said he "learnt a lesson" that there was no point in challenging future developments.

"All that energy we put into fighting a battle, we're now putting in to getting the best for our community," Goble said.

"We have to accept that this is coming, but we need to work with developers to try and protect the identity of the old village of Brize Norton while gaining the maximum benefits for our community."

Site promoters for the New Astrop development, Nexus, has now put forward an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Request, a precursor to a formal planning application being submitted.

For Goble, the positives of the plans include a new country park to act as a buffer between the existing village and New Astrop, as well as the creation of a relief road to take the pressure of Brize Norton.

Walking routes are also planned, so people living in Brize Norton can easily access the new shops proposed for the new development.

According to Goble, the good relationship with developers means the designs of the proposed new homes are in the style of a traditional Cotswold village, with consideration given to the line of sight towards the historic village church.

West Oxfordshire District Council said it was working to produce a strategy that will make sure the new development around Brize Norton "contributes to regenerating local facilities, delivering infrastructure improvements and making the most of the potential that the surrounding area holds".

New Astrop forms part of the council's requirement to build more than 900 new homes each year.

It is to meet recently updated targets set by the government, expanding the number of houses in the area by more than a third by 2043.

The council is currently redrafting its local plan, which it says will "guide how the district grows" and "ensure that the right homes are built in the right places".

Council leader Andy Graham said updating the local plan, which includes the developments around Brize Norton, was "about creating an even better place to live and work".

"We are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past, where housing came forward without the right infrastructure," he said.

"This is about making growth work for West Oxfordshire: planned, affordable, and sustainable – not piecemeal or speculative."