Nature Strategy and Local Plan Consultations

KDW would like to draw your attention to two consultations – one current and one forthcoming.

• Local Nature Recovery Strategy – Consultation Closes 1st December

• Cherwell Local Plan - Consultation expected soon

Oxfordshire is currently developing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the County - a new statutory requirement for all areas in England. A consultation is currently running on the latest version of the Strategy and ends on 1st December. Details are at:

https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/lnrs-phase3-consultation

Much of the countryside around Kidlington has already been allocated for building, so KDW thinks it’s particularly important that the remaining areas are protected and their value for nature is enhanced. If you are able to make comments, we encourage you to do so.

One way of doing this is through an interactive map on which you can add a "pin" and make a nature-related comment about that location. You can add an orange pin to make a general comment and a blue one for a specific proposal. We have already added an orange pin in the fields behind the Moors and a blue one on the pond by Homewell House.

Cherwell District Council is in the process of finalising the latest draft of its Local Plan. This version is particularly important because it is the plan which the Council will submit to the Government for approval.

As you’ll know, KDW has long argued that Cherwell (and Oxford) have been planning for unrealistically high levels of new housing development. We are very pleased, therefore, to say that Cherwell’s new administration has now proposed a much more realistic level of housing requirement in this latest version of the plan.

The plan also does not include the “Land Behind the Moors” as a development site, something we had strongly argued against, as it is one of the last undeveloped Green Belt sites around Kidlington. It is not the end of the matter, however, as the would-be developer will no doubt object to this and may even submit a planning application in any case.

We would like to see this land, and other green areas around the village officially designated as Local Green Spaces. The Council has taken up our proposal to designate Stratfield Brake, though only the nature reserve and not the playing fields. Where land is privately owned, LGS designation does not allow public access, but it does give additional protection and we would hope that in the longer term means could be found to allow more public access (and more nature conservation measures) to land such as the fields behind the Moors.

The draft plan has now been published on Cherwell’s website as an agenda item for the next Executive Meeting. If it is approved then a public consultation would run for eight weeks beginning 20th December (this is two weeks more than required to allow for the Christmas period). We will send out a further email with our views about how to respond.