FAQs

The site is located east of Burford Road and south of Charlbury Road. In addition to a small number of residential properties along Burford Road and Over Norton Road, the site is bordered by sporting clubs to the south, farmland to the east, an allotment site to the north, and the recently completed Cotswold Gate development to the west.

Suitably situated within walking distance from the town centre, the site benefits from a number of local amenities within a ten-minute walk, including several schools and nurseries, a leisure centre and the Chipping Norton High Street.

Following extensive consultation with the local community across summer and autumn 2023, Gleeson Land has now submitted an outline planning application for the development of up to 104 high quality homes to help West Oxfordshire District Council meet local housing need. The submitted application is available to view in full on West Oxfordshire District Council’s website, using the application reference number 24/00769/OUT.

An outline application is used to determine whether the principle of a development is acceptable. As such, it is less detailed than a full planning application, with specific details know as ‘reserved matters’ such as appearance, materials and exact layout and scale being considered as part of a future application.

Outline planning permission is subject to the condition that reserved matters are approved before works can commence on site. While illustrative design will be shown as part of the consultation and application process, fixed detailed design will therefore come forward as part of future reserved matters applications and will be the subject of further public consultation.

West Oxfordshire District Council is currently operating at a shortfall for the 5-year land supply that is a current planning requirement for Local Planning Authorities, currently at a supply of around 2.5 to 3 years. Therefore, there is a need for more sites to come forward in the District which can deliver much needed housing for local people, particularly in the context of a national housing crisis, with demand significantly outweighing supply.

The site is highly suitable for new housing development, given the ease of road access from Burford Road and the short distance from amenities in Chipping Norton, encouraging active and sustainable travel. The site is unconstrained and mostly arable so currently of low value ecologically.

Gleeson Land is part of MJ Gleeson PLC which has over 100 years of experience in the development industry. Gleeson Land promotes land for development ranging from small scale, to large scale strategic sites.

Gleeson Land aim to secure permission for high quality new homes at sustainable locations to help deliver much-needed housing across England. We are invested in delivering high quality schemes where local people and new residents would be excited to live.

Gleeson Land are adopting a proactive approach to sustainability, committing to design a Future Homes Standard development which will align with the priorities of the energy hierarchy and will feature air source heat pumps, photovoltaics and water efficient fittings.

Gleeson Land is committed to working with the West Oxfordshire District Council to deliver the right types of homes in order to meet local demand, with a combination of affordable and market housing included within the proposals. In line with the Council’s policy, 40% of new homes on site will be made available through a range of affordable tenure types.

The proposals will meet policy set by West Oxfordshire District Council, which requires all housing developments of 100 or more dwellings to include 5% of the residential plots to be serviced and made available custom and self-build housing.

Primary vehicular, cycle and pedestrian access will be from Burford Road, located slightly north of the adjacent existing junction with Evans Way.

Initial assessment undertaken suggests that there is sufficient highways capacity to accommodate the number of new homes proposed and the proposals are not expected to have a material impact on local traffic flows. We will continue to work with West Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council to ensure the proposals are acceptable in terms of highways and access.

The Outline planning application submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council seeks to establish the principle of development of the site and agree the proposed access off Burford Road.

Further details around design, such as the exact number of new homes, materials and house sizes will form part of a future Reserved Matters application. Nevertheless, Gleeson Land is committed to ensuring that the scale, density and design of the proposed development will be sensitive to the surrounding area and make the best use of the land available without compromising on quality.

The planning process will consider not only housing need but also associated parking provision. Gleeson Land is committed to working closely with West Oxfordshire District Council to ensure this is in line with agreed standards. The exact number of car parking spaces will be determined during a future Reserved Matters application once the finalised housing mix is known.

In developing the proposals, Gleeson Land has sought to retain the majority of the landscaped area which currently exists along much of the site boundary. Additionally, the proposals will provide the opportunity for new planting across the site to support local wildlife and enhance the character of the development.

The proposals will see a considerable increase in biodiversity, with a net gain of at least 10%, supporting ecologically valuable habitats.

While the number of homes proposed is not sufficient to warrant a dedicated infrastructure provision on site such as schools and healthcare facilities, Gleeson Land is committed to working with Oxfordshire County Council and the local Integrated Care Board to ensure the proposals are compliant with existing capacity.

As part of the planning process, applicants are typically required to provide monetary contributions through Section 106 contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy, used towards local infrastructure such as school places, road improvements and healthcare provision.

In addition to high quality new homes, the proposals include ample green space and amenities which are accessible to both new and existing residents. This includes an amenity park located in the centre of the site and potential for a new children’s play area.

All existing Public Rights of Way will be incorporated into the design of the site. This includes the existing Public Right of Way which runs southeast through the site from Over Norton Road, which will be enhanced as part of the proposals to improve connectivity in and around the site.