Baldons Parish Council News

 

South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2034

 

The Public inquiry into the South Oxfordshire Local Plan will be held via video conferencing on dates between July 14th and 31^st.  This is the plan that has been subject to consultation in the last couple of  years and, whilst SODC have in the past been able to protect the Green Belt south of Oxford from development,  pressures for housing and other development have led to the current plan, which includes  the release of Green Belt land for housing in areas south and east of the city. The Plan includes 3000 houses south of Grenoble Road and 1800 at Northfields off the B480, both of which will impact on our villages. 

 

The council has been arguing consistently against the release of land in the Green Belt.  Its importance as a means of protection for Oxford and preventing expansion and coalescence cannot be overstated.  However, pressures for development have increased and are supported by the County Council, the City Council and the Oxfordshire Growth Board, and now SODC.  Although the government policy has been stated as wishing to protect the Green Belt it appears that this might not apply to our situation. 

 

The Parish Council has indicated we wish to make representation on the sessions devoted to the Green Belt and land South of Grenoble Road. The council has asked to be represented on these items by at the inquiry by Elizabeth Gillespie and Dorothy Tonge. All other parishes on the southern fringe of city are likely to be objecting as are the CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England) and the Green Belt Network.

 

Public Inquiries of this nature are normally held in public but because of the current restrictions this one is to be by video conferencing. Many concerns have been expressed about  the limitations of this and the Baldons Parish Council and other parishes and organizations have protested to the Inspector and to the  Minister for Housing, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, urging a postponement until after the current restrictions on public gatherings are removed. This has been rejected, so we are left to assume that there is an intention to drive this plan through without delay.

 

Solar Farm

 

The company behind the Solar farm have been told by SODC that they must undertake and submit a full Environmental Impact Assessment as part of submitting a full planning application. The reasons for this were stated by the planning officer as being

‘the size and nature of the proposed development, the location of the potential development site and the likely impact of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area. Effects will be significant and wide-ranging including landscape and visual impact, residential amenity, heritage impacts, agriculture, traffic and highway safety impacts during construction and potential effects on biodiversity’

 

We must now wait for the planning application to be submitted  to SODC

 

Planning applications

There have been no new planning applications but planning applications granted by SODC include the School House (Marsh Baldon): new door and plans for a house at The Old Telephone Exchange, Baldon Lane.

 

Dates of next meetings

July 11^th 7.30pm: This is likely to be another meeting conducted via Zoom which villagers will be able to join by notifying the Parish Clerk.

The agenda as usual will be displayed on notice boards and circulated on village email and will include an agreement to repairs outside the school.

 

September 14th 7.30pm: Details of the meeting to be arranged but it is hoped we may be able to meet in the village hall whilst maintaining social distancing.