* 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.