Vale approves safeguards in Growth Deal
The Vale Council has agreed the Oxfordshire Housing & Growth Deal, based on a commitment from government and partner councils to address a number of so called ‘red-lines’ which aims to protect the district from uncontrolled development.
By agreeing the Deal, the Vale is securing £150m of infrastructure funding for Oxfordshire, with the hope of additional cash in the future, and £60m for Affordable Housing. The Vale has already been successful in a bid for an additional £8m to deliver the Wantage Eastern Link Road, £9m for the Lodge Hill junction and is hopeful for a further application of nearly £200m to benefit both the Vale and South Oxfordshire.
In addition the Council has negotiated a number of benefits to protect the Vale's existing local plan, including reducing the current 5 year housing land supply requirement to just 3 years.
The deal would see Council's establishing a Joint Statutory Spacial Plan (JSSP) for Oxfordshire to improve joined-up planning across the county. Importantly the Vale has made it clear that this plan must not allocate housing sites and will put no additional pressure on the Vale in the period to 2031. The Vale will consider the most appropriate way to consult with our residents on the scope of the JSSP in due course.
Commenting after the meeting, Cllr Matthew Barber said, "This is a big step forward. I have been extremely cautious about this deal, but I am confident that if the red-lines we have set down can be met then the Vale, and indeed the whole of Oxfordshire, can benefit from much needed infrastructure spending without the fear of returning to a period of uncontrolled development. This is not the end of the story, we need significantly more investment than is currently being offered, but my Council is seeking to mitigate the risks whilst hoping to maximise the benefits."
Funding agreed to improve public realm
The Vale of White Horse District Council agreed its 2018/19 budget, including £750,000 over the next three years for a new flagship team to improve the look of public areas across the Vale and deliver an attractive district that residents and businesses can be proud of.
Cllr Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Our new action team will work alongside town and parish councils to ensure that everyone can benefit from the beautiful environment we are blessed with in the Vale. We are proud of our district and we want to ensure that residents and visitors are proud of the places they live and visit as well.”
£8 million awarded by government for new Wantage link road
Wantage is set to receive nearly £8 million to provide an easy route from Mably Way to the Reading Road, east of the town.
The Wantage Eastern Link Road will connect the A338 to the A417 to avoid people travelling going through the town or along Charlton Village Road and passing the local primary school.
The total cost of building the road is expected to be around £15 million with the remainder of the money coming from developer contributions and other funding pots.
Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council said, “We welcome the funding for the new link road. This route is an important part of our plan to help bring new homes to the Vale over the next 20 years.”
Vale completes sale of West Way in Botley
Vale of White Horse District Council has completed the £12.4 million sale of land to Botley Development Company who are set to revitalise the shopping centre and adjacent land at West Way.
The district council has been working to secure the redevelopment for some time to enhance and breathe new life into the whole shopping area for Botley residents.
Since the original agreements to sell in 2012, the developer has adapted and changed its plans after extensive consultation with the local community. The updated plans were granted planning permission in 2016.
The district council and other site land owners agreed a new price to help Botley Development Company proceed with the purchase and to make changes to their plans that were necessary to meet the needs of the community. The council took a reduction of approximately £1.4 million and agreed to sell the land for just over £12.4 million. Botley Development Company hopes to start preliminary work on the site as soon as possible.
Fly-tipper ordered to pay more than £3,000
A man has been ordered to pay over £3,000 after admitting dumping rubbish in a drainage ditch in Abingdon.
Andrey Kafica, 28, of Dodgson Road, Oxford, appeared at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 30 January when he pleaded guilty to one charge of the unauthorised depositing of waste and another of transporting a controlled waste without the required registration.
On Monday 5 June 2017 rubbish including garden chairs, wooden frames and cardboard boxes were found in the ditch by Peep O’Day Lane, a popular cycling route.
The waste was traced back to a house in nearby Steventon. The occupants were interviewed by enforcement officers from Vale of White Horse District Council, they confirmed the rubbish had been removed by a cleaning company, providing invoices, receipts and photos of the men who had taken it away.
Mr Kafica was then interviewed under caution when he admitted fly-tipping the waste. He said that he had agreed to take the rubbish away as an additional job which had not been agreed by his employer.
In court Kafica was fined £1,800 and also ordered to pay £1,076.75 costs and £201.42 compensation.
To find out how to stay legal when having waste removed from your property visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/removingwaste.
Innovative district heating network could be built in Didcot
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have identified an innovative opportunity to use excess heat from industrial sites to heat other buildings in and around Didcot Garden Town.
One potential idea is to build a ‘district heat network’ that could be to use excess heat from Didcot B Power station to directly heat nearby business premises.
The scheme could provide heating to new businesses and offices set to be built on the old Didcot A Power Station site and stretch out via underground pipes to a nearby business Enterprise Zone sites in North Didcot.
As part of Didcot Garden Town plans to introduce renewable energy, the environmental project would lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions whilst providing low-cost reliable heat. The water source heat pump could produce 16,500 megawatt hours per year – equivalent to powering 1,375 homes.
The district councils have completed two preliminary stages of feasibility studies and worked closely with RWE, land owners, businesses, developers and local key stakeholders. The studies have also included other local schemes, some of which would supply heat and power to other businesses and residential developments.
Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council said, “Working with RWE and other partners, the initial signs are very positive for building a new energy centre and heat network. Using excess heat from power stations has been successful throughout Europe and our Science Vale region has the potential to be one of the first to install this technology in the UK.”
The district councils hope to receive government funding later this year to progress the heat network project further by completing financial and technical tests and to create possible designs for the proposed various combined heat and power networks.
