Council unhappy with plan for 41 ‘later living’ homes

PLANS for a “later living” community to be built in Woodcote have drawn objections from a parish council and community groups.

T A Fisher and Sons has applied for outline permission for 41 homes on land south of Bridle Path.

The proposed homes are terraced and semi-terraced and would be a mix of one, two and three bedrooms, providing both market and at least 40 per cent affordable housing.

The applicant said the homes would be designed specifically to cater to the over-55s market, which it said would provide an opportunity to downsize and meet a need specified in the Woodcote neighbourhood plan.

A proposed community hub would sit in the centre of the site, which the applicant said could be used to socialise, attend classes or activities, or hire for a special occasion. The 3.5ha site is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and lies outside the settlement boundary of Woodcote.

It currently comprises equestrian stables and associated buildings and is used for the keeping of horses.

Three previous applications to develop the site for housing have been refused by the planning authority. The most recent application for 40 homes was knocked back in 2022.

Woodcote Parish Council has called for the new application to be turned down as well.

It said, like the previous applications, the scheme did not provide adequate justification for a major development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It said: “The proposal would cause material harm to the character and intrinsic quality of this part of the AONB, which would outweigh the theoretical benefits of the development.

“Those circumstances have not changed, despite the case put forward.”

It also objected to the community hub, which it said could detract from the viability of existing community assets including the village hall and community centre, which it said are not used to capacity.

The council said the age requirement, that occupants should be aged 55 and over, with no allocation for “younger people and young families” failed to meet the need for mixed housing supply.

It also expressed concerns about light pollution, impact on a traffic hotspot, location of parking areas and lack of a play area.

The Woodcote Neighbourhood Advisory Board objected on the basis of impact to the AONB and unsuitable housing mix. It also said the addition of 60 elderly residents would add strain to the local services and transport.

The board added: “The Woodcote Surgery provides essential GP services but appears to struggle with the existing load. The addition of potentially more than 60 elderly parishioners will add to the strain on the surgery.”

Woodcote Conservation Group and the Chilterns Conservation Board also objected for breaching the existing settlement boundary and did not justify a major development.

South Oxfordshire District Council aims to reach a decision by January 28.