* AwF Engagement Meetings

A new round of engagement meetings is being held in early 2024  as part of the consultation on the updated Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan for 2024-2040.  The meeting in Ardley is scheduled for Tuesday 6th February in the Village Hall at 7:30pm.

The following notes cover the feedback from the original consultation in 2016.

The PC have so far held three meetings for parishioners – One on the afternoon of Sunday 21st February, the second on Thursday 25th February and the third on the 19th June 2016.

A total of 53 parishioners attended over the three meetings and provided their names and contact details.

All bar two indicated that they wish to be kept informed about the Neighbourhood Plan (NP).

Feedback from the first two meetings was collected from Parishioners as follows:

 Housing

No building in the field behind Fewcott Green and Russet Road

Affordable local housing

Affordable housing for local people

Heyford as a development on a brown field site should be a ‘new town’

I am happy with more houses

Small developments within village for first time buyers who are being priced out

Need affordable housing to attract / keep young people

We like the mix of housing in this area but would not object if some very large modern houses with large gardens were replaced with some small developments in Fewcott

Transport

Bus service would be helpful for those who don’t have transport

Re-open the railway station at Ardley

Street lights on Ardley Road

Local bus service

Bi-pass for Ardley with Fewcott

To improve transport flaw provide link from motorway direct to incinerator

Re-opening railway station at Ardley

Traffic lights out of Ardley Road on to B430or a roundabout

Reliable bus service to Oxford, Banbury and Bicester

Traffic lights on B430 / Fritwell Road

Reliable bus service

Separate access to incinerator from M40

Traffic lights at Ardley road junction with B430 to enable easier flow of traffic onto B430

Decrease the speed limit on b430 through Ardley with Fewcott to 30mph

When considering the effect of housing increases at Upper Heyford a real worry is the increase in traffic passing through the village to the motorway and then passing back

Direct access route to Heyford by putting in new M40 junction to service Heyford and the incinerator

Cycle / footpath to Heyford by re-opening road up past Quarry Cottages / Quarry field

Roundabout at Ardley Road / Bucknell Road cross roads

Direct route from Heyford to motorway to stop rat runs through village

Re-open railway station

Re-routing of incinerator traffic via spur off of motorway

Traffic lights at the cross roads at the top of Ardley road even if only on at busy periods

Local bus services

Better public transport links to Bicester, Banbury and further aboard

Traffic calming bumps to stop Ardley Road Fewcott being a rat run

Access Rad from M40 to new incinerator in the back instead of B430

Keeping Bucknell Road open as we (locals) use it a lot. It would be disastrous for many people to have to drive a long was round to get to work or shops

Leisure

Leisure centre would be a great idea at Heyford for surrounding villages

A museum / heritage centre at Heyford then clear area of hangers and run way

Leisure Centre

Perhaps a larger leisure facility to incorporate more activities

Leisure centre

Heyford park should have leisure facilities for it and surrounding villages

Leisure centre as part of Heyford development

Leisure centre to be constructed at Heyford (space and parking)

Leisure facilities at Heyford

Leisure entre to include facilities for villagers

General

I feel very strongly that I moved into a village and that’s what I want Ardley to stay – a village

Local shops

Decent village hall for everyone

Post office and shops

Shops

60 Hardened Aircraft Shelters need to go from Heyford

Shop, PO

What may help is more shopping facilities for those in villages to use rather than just in Bicester

Heyford park should have a range of local shops catering for essential needs

Heyford park should have community facilities such as meeting rooms perhaps linked to leisure facilities

Thames Valley Police should retain an office facility on Heyford Park for use by local / visiting officer

Shops at Heyford

Retention of character of village

Permits for local people

Education

School

Another school if numbers of houses increase above 2500

Employment

Warehousing on land east of motorway (Junction 10)

Build a better junction at 10

If the development is to be self sufficient then there has to be jobs created and there could be manufacturing as well as service type jobs

Environment

Proper landscaping needed

Making a site of special scientific interest for biodiversity

Reopen road by Kennel Copse for public access footpath or bridleway

Keep open areas in the village centre

Footpaths or cycle ways to Fritwell and possibly to Quarry Cottages and to Heyford

Footpath to services

Health

A good coverage of medical facilities and perhaps another cottage hospital

Doctors at Heyford

Medical centre

What do you like most about your area specifically and the nature of the NP area as a whole?

The community of Ardley, church etc. Playing Field, Ardley Utd.

We should recognize that the parish churches are hopelessly under used – two of them could have a change of use with strict control on preserving the old / ancient fabric

We would like a mixed age group so need housing to attract young people

We like easy access to motorway but rural location

We moved to this village after city life and brought our children up here. We feel that the villagers in the local area will change dramatically if developments are allowed in them. Small amounts of infill or affordable housing must be accepted for our children’s sake. Upper Heyford is an ideal site for development as long as it does not get out of hand. It should involve facilities such as schools, shops and leisure plus of course a medical centre to ease the workload in Bicester

What are your main concerns for the future?

Traffic is the main concern

We need enough schools and facilities for young people, teenagers i.e. sports youth clubs etc. Also need affordable housing to attract / keep young people.

Traffic which is already a problem is likely to impact all villages in the areas as people take short cuts to their destinations. With the plan should come a bus service in support of the local communities to cut down on vehicle movements.

B430 to stop rush hour traffic speeding towards the M40

What issues do you feel the NP should cover?

Transport, Environment, Leisure and environment

What are the most important matters that the NP should address?

Development should be focused at Upper Heyford

The Third meeting.

At this meeting the villagers were given information regarding the draft objectives that have been hand delivered to the Mid-Cherwell area. More information will be forth coming in due course.

For more information about the Neighbourhood Plan please look at the website (www.mid-cherwell.org.uk) and ask to be kept updated by email.