POSITION PAPER – On the Town & Country Planning issues associated

with the delivery of the proposed Carterton West Development

We believe the Carterton West Option is undeliverable because of a number of
technical, planning and political issues. This document highlights the Town and
Country Planning issues for the proposed site identified as “Carterton West”. We
oppose the Carterton West Option, as it will have a catastrophic impact on
Carterton, the local environment and surrounding villages.

Town and Country Planning issues

The proposed Carterton West Option development effectively merges Carterton with Alvescot and actively promotes
urban sprawl. This is a complete reversal of WODC’s Local Plan 2011, adopted June 2006 that specifically indicates a
Policy Area to Prevent Urban Sprawl and to Protect Existing Character (policy NE2).

The proposed Carterton West Option development is against WODC’s commitment to protect the biodiversity
corridor along the Shill Brook Valley. This is supported by the “Draft SHLAA Settlement Summary – Carterton”
(January 2011) document on WODC’s web site and is specifically set out in section 1.24. The Shill Brook Valley has
been fiercely protected in the past by WODC and now it is planned to breach the corridor with a significant housing
development and cross it with one of the access roads.

The proposed Carterton West Option development cuts across a public right of way, which should be maintained
under the Highways Act as this path is well used. This aspect was specifically quoted as a constraint on our planning
approval by WODC Planning Dept.

The road to the West of the site between Alvescot and Shilton is part of the West Oxfordshire cycle route. This road
would need to be upgraded and hence, the cycleway would be affected, and probably removed.

Existing property on the proposed site has been designated as having architectural and historical interest and is noted
as ‘worthy of retention’ by the Appeal Inspector following one of the applications. Therefore, this protects the
surrounding landscape and structures to be in-keeping with it. This property was built in the 1830s and retains
original features, such as carvings in the stone by farm workers. The property is an excellent example of a nineteenth
century gable porched Cotswold Stone built barn.

The main advantage of the Carterton West Option is its size and capacity for yet more development, but it breaks a
large number of current planning rules and principles. It is not credible to ignore good planning principles, simply
because the site is large, as this would set an undesirable precedent for further development of Alvescot Parish land
and indeed of any West Oxfordshire open countryside. After all there are many large fields close to a village, town or
community, in the vicinity that could be next and it would be hard to argue against development of such areas, if
Carterton West went ahead.

The Carterton West Option also breaks many proposed new policies. For instance it creates a separate community, as
it is not integrated with Carterton. There is an attempt to build along Upavon Way, presumably to try and
demonstrate some sort of integration, but this is against the requirements of the SHLAA document paragraph 1.24.
The proposal uses land to the east of the area suggested by WODC. The purpose of this is presumably to make the
site financially viable, but also to render the centre of the proposed new development closer to the centre of
Carterton and attempt to demonstrate that it is integrated with Carterton. In any event the Shill Brook and the
bridges present a physical barrier and the separation remains unresolved.

Many other new policies applied to other rural areas will be broken by this proposed development, particularly with
regard to protection of the Cotswold countryside and it is difficult to understand how dropping these new policies for
Alvescot Parish, whilst they are applied rigorously elsewhere, can be justified.
In particular, WODC have maintained a long held policy (for decades) not to allow development of the Carterton West
site. The main justification for changing this policy seems to be to meet targets. There may be a perception that
building a large number of houses in one place will be a quick win, but this is unlikely. Opposition is growing and
there are legal and technical issues with the proposal and therefore any attempt to develop this land is likely to
become protracted.

The proposed Carterton West Option overturns, or is in conflict, with the following current policies of the West
Oxfordshire Local Plan 2011 :
• 5.5 Objectives – The Carterton West Option is the option with the most impact and so at odds with WODC’s basic
objectives. Priority should be given to previously developed land.
• H2 a), b), d), e) & f) are all contravened regarding the effect of the Carterton West Option proposal on the
existing environment.
• H5 a) & b) are contravened by the Carterton West Option proposal regarding the limitations of development of
the Parish of Alvescot.
• BE1 is contravened by the Carterton West Option proposal regarding transport.
• BE2 a), b), c), d), e) & f) are all contravened by the Carterton West Option proposal regarding impact on the area.
• BE3 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding safe movement of traffic.
• BE13 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding provision of an archaeological assessment, which
we understand has not been carried out.
• BE19 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding noise affecting existing residents.
• BE21a), b), d) & e) are contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding light pollution.
• NE1 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding protecting the countryside.
• NE2 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding development of buffer areas.
• NE3 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding harming the local landscape character.
• NE6 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding protection of trees and hedgerows.
• NE7 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding adverse affect on the Water Environment.
• We note that NE8 & NE9 have recently been withdrawn, but they were contravened by the Carterton West
Option regarding flooding and surface water.
• NE13 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding biodiversity.
• NE14 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding development adjacent to a Site of Special Scientific
Interest.
• NE15 is contravened by the Carterton West Option regarding European Protected Species.

We understand that many of these policies are to be replaced by the ‘CS’ series of policies, but the Carterton West
option appears to be in contravention of a number of these too. In fact, existing planning policy would have to be
substantially rewritten to justify proceeding with the Carterton West option, would set an undesirable precedent for
other sites to be developed and therefore erode the character and environment of the area. It seems that
new policy will fiercely protect the countryside, except at Alvescot, which is both contradictory and inconsistent.

Examples of relevant points that should apply to Alvescot for just one of the Policy statements (CS1) are set out
below:
• CS1 – Refers to development of Carterton and not Alvescot Parish land.
• CS1 – States developments in the open countryside will be strictly controlled and limited to that which requires
and is appropriate for a rural location and respects the intrinsic character of the area.
• CS1 – Refers to developments complementing existing scale, pattern, character and context of the area.
• CS1 – Promises to protect or enhance the setting of the rural landscape
• CS1 - Promises not to adversely affect existing open areas.
• CS1 – Promises to minimise traffic impact upon the local road network
• CS1 – Promises not to set an undesirable precedent for other sites where inequity developments would be
difficult to resist and where cumulatively the resultant scale of development would erode the character and
environment of the area.