Inspector continues to review the revised Local Plan

The revised Local Plan was reviewed by the government inspector in July 2017. Following this review the inspector asked for further information, notably around housing development. NWAG strongly disputes key aspects of the extra information regarding North Witney given to the inspector in December 2017. We believe it is flawed in relation to sustainability, traffic flow predictions, air quality, the deliverability of the West End Link road, and a number of other factors. We also think that WODC has shown bias when assessing North Witney against other potential housing developments. Click the link above to read NWAG's latest submission to the government inspector.

North Witney and the Local Plan

The Local Plan produced by WODC includes 1,400 homes in North Witney, despite over a 1,000 residents signing the NWAG petition, the government inspector in 2015 questioning its viability, and much better alternative sites being available.

The site causes:

- an increased flooding risk

- raises traffic levels in the already congested town centre

- destroys a landscape that WODC agrees should be protected

That's before WODC has even properly considered secondary schooling, health centres and how Witney will grind to a halt with the building of a huge mains sewer through the middle of the town.

The infrastructure costs (roads, drainage, schools, health provision etc) are way beyond what the developers are prepared to invest and WODC and Oxfordshire County Council has the means to pay for. The site, put simply, is unviable.

We are confident that the inspector will see that the North Witney development suits the ambitions of developers not the local people of Witney and the long term future of the town and surrounding area.  

The proposed North Witney development area