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Fears developments will be 'disaster' for village

Victoria WaltonOxfordshire political reporter
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Villagers of Somerton, in North Oxfordshire, fear an environmental disaster if four major developments are given the go ahead at the same time.

Concerns have been raised about the impact four major developments, including a theme park that could attract 1.4m annual visitors, will have on a small village.

Somerton, near Bicester, Oxfordshire, is within three miles of land proposed for Heyford Park New Town, a railway freight interchange, large scale warehousing and a Puy du Fou theme park.

The parish council fears the "unprecedented" levels of development could be an "environmental disaster" and has urged organisations to work together to make sure the area is protected.

The county council said it has "requested" the developers to work together, to take a "holistic view" on the overall improvements needed.

Two men looking at a map whilst sat at a table in a house. The lounge area can be seen behind them. One wears glasses and has short hair and wears a black shirt. The other has grey hair and a brown/green shirt.
David Spencer and Paul Fennemore from Somerton Parish Council are asking for all four developers to work together to fund new road networks in the area.

Under the current planning regulations, there is no legal obligation for this to happen.

Paul Fennemore, from Somerton Parish Council, said the solution was to form a cumulative impact board, for all the developers and local authorities to sign up to, helping to assess how the builds are jointly affecting the area and hold those responsible to account.

"Unless we knock their heads together and do something to deal with this unprecedented level of development, in such a small area, then we're walking into an environmental disaster," he said.

While planning is still being considered for the sites, should they all go ahead, it is estimated that 30 million more trucks, tourists and commuters could be using the area's road network.

Describing the figure as "conservative", Mr Fennemore said developers needed to take responsibility to fund the infrastructure needed to accommodate the increased volume of traffic.

A map with pink blobs, showing where all the big developments will be.
Four major infrastructure projects could come online at the same time.

The numbers

  • The planned Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (OxSRFI) is estimated to have around 600,000 lorries accessing the site each year
  • Puy du Fou theme park could attract 1.4m annual visitors, once fully open
  • Axis J10 logistics park proposes five new warehouses at junction 10 of the M40, which could provide 9,500 jobs
  • Heyford Park has the potential for between 9,000 and 13,000 more homes

Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed it has "requested" each planning applicant to consider the cumulative impact of all the proposals, to help take a "holistic view on the overall improvements required".

Dorchester Living is responsible for the Heyford Park development. Its chief executive, Paul Silver, said, "we are firmly committed to working constructively with both Oxfordshire County Council, National Highways, and the other large developers, to understand not only the impacts of our own proposals, but also the cumulative transport impacts of other schemes as they come forward.

"Our focus now is on ensuring that all parties work together to minimise disruption, support local infrastructure and deliver long-term benefits for surrounding communities."

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