What’s wrong with Weston Otmoor?

1. What’s wrong with Weston Otmoor? In this slide presentation, we set out the main reasons why we think the proposed new town at Weston Otmoor is a bad idea. To see the presentation left click on your mouse. Each time you click new text or slides will appear. If you have any feedback please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for visiting www.westonfront.com

2. Weston Otmoor new town Why not export even more of Oxford’s workers to a privately-run gated community 10 miles from their place of work? - Because we wouldn’t want to impose that on anyone.

3. Where is it? What’s being proposed? 15,000 homes 35,000 population ‘Eco’ town on M40/A34 junction Larger than Bicester & twice the size of Kidlington Not part of the SE region Plan

4. What Weston Otmoor ‘promises’ • 15,000 new jobs • A solution to the local housing problem • Delivery of the East-West railway to Milton Keynes and an improved M40/A34 junction • Neutral traffic impact • A sustainable new ‘eco’ town lifestyle • A well-managed community • Retention of green belt and 2 SSSIs So what are the problems?

5. 15,000 new jobs – OK? • Bicester, 2001 population = 29,000 with 17,000 jobs. • Weston Otmoor population = 35,000 needing 19,610 jobs (allows for self-employed element) • Parkridge accept 5,000 jobs will go to in-commuters = 9,610 displaced out-commuters • Town & Country Planning Association say ‘self-containment’ under 50% so we think more like 12,000 out-commuters • Parkridge is part-owned by Pro-logis, primarily a distribution company. What sort jobs would locate to M40/A34 interchange: high tech skills jobs, or low density distribution?

6. Any new housing’s good news, isn’t it? • The housing lists in Oxford & Cherwell total over 7,500 • The regional target is 40% affordable homes • The developer is only offering 30% (4,500) ‘affordable’ homes • Of this 30% only 1 in 20 would be socially rented, i.e. 225 in total • Others would be ‘intermediate’ affordable schemes • In Kidlington 45% of new households can’t afford intermediate schemes for even the very lowest priced houses, 38% in Bicester. • Of the intermediate affordable schemes, only 427 are the very lowest price (1 bed studio flats) • Cherwell’s Local Development Framework evidence base recommends that of all ‘affordable’ housing 80% (not 5%) needs to be socially rented Those most in need on the waiting lists will not benefit

7. Harmful housing impact elsewhere? ‘…eco-towns are one of a range of options local planning authorities should consider when determining how to meet their current or emerging planning requirements’ (DCLG Eco-towns Progress Report July 2008) • If Weston Otmoor goes ahead, it will be offset against planned development • in Bicester (current out-commuting 58%), Kidlington (poor retail centre in • need of developer contributions) and arguably at Grenoble Road, Oxford • 1,300 new homes are wanted by Kidlington • Parish Council, and Cherwell District Council • is consulting on major schemes for Bicester, • Banbury and Heyford. Oxford City plans are • for 4,000 at Grenoble Rd, 800 at Barton • We need a good mix of affordable homes • in good locations that do not add to • the current levels of congestion. Poor retail choice and environment means Kidlington’s centre underperforms

8. But the transport improvements make it worthwhile, don’t they? * Some of this capacity would be used by Weston residents travelling to Weston Otmoor station then north Chiltern Railways already plan fast Oxford-London trains via Bicester ‘chord’ line Other developers have agreed to fund Bicester-Milton Keynes line The M40/A34 junction is scheduled for an upgrade in 2014, anyway 6 minute service to Oxford conflicts with East-West Rail plans for an express service and an interchange at Water Eaton

9. So what do all those figures mean? • Weston Otmoor isn’t needed in order to deliver East-West rail or • Chiltern line services from Oxford to London • A 6-minute train frequency to Oxford won’t meet the demand even with • 1,000 cars an hour travelling south on the A34. • Parkridge say 47% of southbound journeys are to East/SE Oxford. Rail • passengers would need to transfer to buses at a Peartree station = • 1,264 or 1,726* passengers/hour getting onto 8 buses using Parkridge’s offer! * TCPA estimates used to generate revised estimated out-commuter passenger numbers

10. ...and the effects on the A34? • A34 is a trunk road, 17% is HGVs and 15% goes to Southampton* • A34 capacity is 4,000 vehicles/hour • Current use (out of term) is 3,000/hour at Gosfordbut reduced capacity at Peartree & Botley causes regular tailbacks now • National traffic growth is 4%/year • Developments at Heyford, Bicester and Banbury will increase use • A34 congestion will seize up rest of Oxford ring road • Congestion increases costs to business and reduces attractiveness of Oxford location A34 at Gosford, 8.30am July 2008 * Source: OCC survey 1999

11. A new ‘eco’ lifestyle in a well-managed community? • Parkridge offer: housing built to level 4 of code of sustainable development (44% above existing building regs). By 2016 all new developments must be carbon neutral (level 6). There’s nothing special about ‘eco’ town status! • Parkridge assume that 60% households have more than 1 car, and 10% will have 3. They promised cars would be ‘out of sight, out of mind’ but most cars will be parked on front drives! Not very ‘eco’! • The 6,000 space car park (bigger than all of Oxford’s 5 Park & Rides combined) will be built on green belt land near an SSSI. It’ll mainly be used by inbound commuters. Most in-commuters will come by car. • A new ‘Management Trust’ will be created to include businesses, residents and other stakeholders. The trust will be bound by covenants, and will also run services such as schools. No effective local council then!

12. A new ghetto? • Details of when Parkridge will hand over to the Management Trust aren’t clear – in the meantime, Parkridge will keep all charges. • Residents will pay to get out through the one access road (average charge £2 last time Parkridge released the income figures, peak exit charges will be far higher). • Residents with complex travel needs (e.g. kids, family obligations, etc.) will be forced to pay the charge. • Trams and trains to Oxford will be ‘free’ but residents will face ‘service charges’ and 1.5 hour journeys to SE Oxford. • On-site retail will be restricted to small shops – duplicating, not adding to existing centre services, and forcing added travel. • With the public transport offer, those on housing waiting lists won’t be able to turn down an offer at Weston Otmoor, but will find the charges expensive, and house swaps very difficult. It’s a rat trap...and you’ve been caught

13. Say goodbye to... The proposals build over this lake, and will alter the water table – damaging the two SSSIs. www.westonfront.com Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information. If there are any inaccuracies we apologise and will correct the text at the earliest opportunity.