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Didcot Garden Town proposed delivery plan consultation

We’ve published details of a new consultation which seeks feedback on the Didcot Garden Town proposed delivery plan.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have set out how they will manage expected growth for the town to include new roads, schools, shops, leisure facilities and more green spaces to support the additional homes already granted planning permission.

To view the proposed delivery plan, appendices and take part in the consultation please visit www.didcotgardentown.co.uk

If you prefer to view a paper copy of the document, copies of the proposed delivery plan appendices and consultation forms are available to view at the following venues:

  • South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council , 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park,OX14 4SB
  • Vale of White Horse District Council , Abbey House, Abbey Close Abingdon, OX14 3JE
  • Didcot Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7HN
  • Didcot Library , 197 Broadway, Didcot, OX11 8RU
  • Cornerstone Arts Centre, 25 Station Road, Didcot, OX11 7NE
  • Didcot Wave, Newlands Avenue, Didcot, OX11 8NX
  • We strongly advise you read the proposed plan before making comments.

    Responses to the consultation can be submitted and received until midnight 31 July 2017.

    We hope that you take the time to view on comment on the proposed delivery plan.

    Posted on 20th June 2017

    by Didcot Garden Town Team

    Didcot Garden Town response to development proposals at the site east of New Road in the Parish of East Hagbourne,

    GREATER DIDCOT GARDEN TOWN PERSPECTIVE ON DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS AT LAND EAST OF NEW ROAD, EAST HAGBOURNE

    December 2016Appeal Ref: APP/Q3115/W/16/3153639

    1 THE PURPOSE OF THIS SUBMISSION

    1.1 This submission is written on behalf of the Greater Didcot Garden Town Team to set out the team’s position in respect of the development proposals at the site east of New Road in the Parish of East Hagbourne, which is the subject of a planning appeal (PINS Ref: APP/Q3115/W/16/3153639). 

    This note has been prepared jointly by Quod and Novell Tullett, each members of the Didcot Garden Town consultant team, leading on planning and landscape respectively for South Oxfordshire District Council.

    2 THE GREATER DIDCOT GARDEN TOWN

    2.1 In April 2014, DCLG published a prospectus entitled Locally-led Garden Cities which identified Garden Cities as critical to addressing the nation’s housing shortage. It noted that Garden Cities are “critical to driving the supply of new homes in the medium to long term… [and] they can offer a more strategic and thoughtful alternative to sequential development (or ‘sprawl’) around existing communities,” (Para 2). The prospectus set out the Government’s intention to support new Garden Cities and welcomed expressions of interest from local areas keen to deliver these. It states:

     “We [the Government] would like to work with local authorities who want to create locally-led Garden Cities. The potential for benefit to local areas is immeasurable: new Garden Cities which are properly designed can bring new jobs, an increased local tax base, and use using land value uplift to finance 21st century infrastructure.” (Para 5) 

    See footnote 1

    2.2 In response to this prospectus, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, Oxfordshire County Council and the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership joined together to develop an Expression of Interest for a Greater Didcot Garden Town. In December 2015, Government announced that Didcot was successful in its bid, and that it will become a Garden Town delivering 15,050 new homes and 20,000 high-tech jobs in the greater Didcot area. 

    2.3 Didcot is unique as a Garden Town in that the town already exists. Historically, Garden Cities and Towns have been synonymous with new settlements: they typically comprise development of greenfield land to create entirely new places with new communities. Whilst new development in and around Didcot presents an opportunity to incorporate the Garden Town principles from the off, it will also be important to retrofit the existing town and to address its current shortcomings and to ensure that Didcot has a unified sense of place grounded in being a Garden Town. Some of the existing issues that Didcot faces which the Garden Town proposals need to address are:

  • A lack of identity and character – at present, Didcot does not have a particularly strong external profile outside of the local area. It will be critical to tap into Didcot’s existing and emerging assets to establish a new narrative for the Garden Town.
  • Underutilised gateway to the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – Didcot does not make the most of its beautiful countryside setting, lacking visual and physical connectivity between the Town and the AONB.
  • Sprawl – largescale housing allocations to the west of Didcot have resulted in asymmetrical and low density growth away from the town centre.
  • A town centre lacking vibrancy and diversity – Didcot’s centre lacks the diversity and intensity of uses that is needed to enliven the town throughout the day and attract a mix of residents.
  • 2.4 Since the bid’s success, South Oxfordshire District Council has instructed a team of consultants – the Didcot Garden Town team – to further develop the garden town proposals by establishing a fullyfledged vision and masterplan, and a supporting delivery strategy which will ensure that the plans for the Garden Town are realised. The suite of proposals will be set out in a single Garden Town Delivery Document which is to be completed and delivered to the Council at the end of February 2017.

    2.5 The Garden Town consultant team is currently in the process of developing these proposals. We are working closely with both District Councils to ensure that the developing Garden Town proposals are incorporated into each Council’s emerging Local Plan, and the Delivery Document will include our recommendation for how the Garden Town proposals should be taken forward in planning policy terms from February 2017. But until the next drafts of each Council’s Local Plan is published2, the emerging Garden Town proposals will not be present in any form of policy document. Given the timing of this appeal, it is important to set out the Garden Town team’s view of how the proposed development at land east of New Road, East Hagbourne relates to the emerging Greater Didcot Garden Town proposals, and highlight the implications of the decision of this appeal for the Garden Town.

    See footnote 2 

    3 THE GARDEN TOWN VISION AND EMERGING PRINCIPLES

    3.1 The Expression of Interest which won Didcot Garden Town status included a high level vision which described the aspirations of the Council for Didcot. In line with this, the Garden Town team is continuing to refine and strengthen the vision for Didcot and develop a masterplan that will enable the delivery of this vision. This process is underpinned by ongoing community engagement: we are welcoming views on the emerging proposals until 18 December3. However, some themes have been apparent throughout the lifetime of the project so far and we expect them to remain critical to the Garden Town vision. A number of challenges have been recognised as holding Didcot back, and these need to be addressed by the Garden Town vision and proposals (see Para 2.3 of this submission).

    3.2 In order to translate the aspirational vision into a suite of tangible proposals which will realise it and address the challenges facing Didcot, we are developing a set of Garden Town Principles. These will be set out in local planning policy going forward. Emerging Garden Town Principles which are of particular relevance to the appeal at East Hagbourne are:

  • To maintain the distinctiveness and separation between Didcot and the surrounding villages;
  • To make the most of Didcot’s natural setting within the North Wessex Downs AONB, and improve access for residents and visitors to the beautiful countryside.
  • To ensure that the community has a strong and active role in shaping the Garden Town vision, in its leadership and in its continuing development; and
  • To encourage intensification of development within Didcot, promoting denser development around sustainable transport hubs and in central Didcot locations.
  • 3.3 Principles 1-34 were set out explicitly within the Expression of Interest and have been carried forward into the emerging Garden Town Principles. Principle 4 has emerged to address a number of Didcot’s issues – it is intended to improve sustainability, create a more diverse housing mix, improve the vitality of the town centre and resist the continued outward sprawl of Didcot. 

    See footnotes 3 and 4

    4 HOW THE PROPOSALS RELATE TO THE RELEVANT PRINCIPLES

    4.1 The Garden Town Principles set out the need to retain the separate nature and integrity of the necklace of villages around Didcot. Each village has its own landscape setting of predominantly rural and agricultural land. The history and development of each of these villages is founded in the proximity to the chalk downland as villages developed on the springline at the foot of the escarpments. The pattern of footpaths and green lanes is also a reflection of the relationship between people living in the villages and farming the adjacent land, with movement of stock between the chalk downland and the clay lowland surrounding the settlements themselves.

    4.2 As a result of their historic development, many of the villages, East Hagbourne included, have significant numbers of historic buildings and the village curtilage has been designated a Conservation Area. This designation seeks to protect not only the quality and characteristics of the structures but also the significant relationships of buildings and open spaces which have evolved over time. The setting of these village conservation areas within the rural landscape at the foot of the Downs is an important a part of their character and value.

    4.3 The Garden Town Principles describe the separate identity of the necklace of villages around Didcot and set out to protect and enhance it. And as part of the historic development of the landscape setting of the Garden Town, it is right to recognise that where local settlements are as special as East Hagbourne the wider environment has a material effect on village character and identity. Erosion of their separation, as well as degradation of the surrounding landscape by the effect of encroaching development or coalescence, will have a detrimental impact on the character and specialness of the villages.

    4.4 In recognition of the special character of the surrounding villages and their important contribution to the setting of Didcot Garden Town, the landscape proposals which form part of the emerging masterplan include the establishment of green buffers to each of the villages within the Garden Town Area of Influence5. The green buffers serve to protect the setting of the villages, rather than providing a green belt to Didcot. These buffers are part of the productive landscape setting and context for the Garden Town and their rural agricultural use will include sustainable environmental features which promote opportunities for wildlife, assist carbon capture, protect soils and help prevent flooding. It is therefore key that woodland and orchards, nature reserves, natural streams and watercourses (as part of the blue infrastructure network) are part of the pattern of agricultural use and integrated with recreational uses that are compatible with it.

    See footnote 5 

    4.5 The appeal site has been classified as Grade II - very good quality agricultural land – and it forms part of the hinterland of Didcot. In support of the Garden Town Principles, food growing within the local area is identified as a key generator of sustainable and community initiatives. Local food production helps to reduce food miles, boosts availability of fresher, higher quality food, promotes understanding of the connection between food and the rural environment, and sustains the rural economy through the availability of produce in local markets. These characteristics are particularly important in the context of a designated Garden Town. Whilst the committee report for the original planning application considers that the proposed development would result in a minor economic disbenefit due to the loss of this agricultural land (Para 7.2), this underestimates the importance of good quality agricultural land in close proximity to Didcot in the context of Didcot as a Garden Town. The land is a key boundary, in agricultural use, which the emerging Garden Town proposals identify to be used in food production and woodland as part of the productive landscape and to provide an appropriate setting for the Garden Town.

    b) Didcot’s relationship with the AONB

    4.6 The Garden Town team is producing a suite of background evidence documents which will inform and support the Garden Town proposals. This evidence base includes a landscape character assessment and green infrastructure strategy, both prepared by Novell Tullett. The former has been submitted in draft to the District Councils for comment and the latter is under preparation.

    4.7 The landscape setting of Didcot Garden Town is as important as the open spaces within the town and the proposed development areas. The countryside around Didcot is widely valued for its character and quality and the designation of the North Wessex Downs as an AONB recognises and seeks to conserve and enhance this land. The LVIA (James Blake Associates 2015) supporting the proposed development sets out in some detail the characteristics of the AONB close to East Hagbourne and estimates the proximity of the boundary to be within 400-500 metres of the appeal site. The Downs Plain, a landscape character type which extends from the skirt of the AONB towards the site in question, is under threat from, among other things:

  • Impact of development on the edge of the AONB (for example Didcot) – visual
  • impact plus increased pressures on housing, roads etc; and
  • Loss of rural tranquillity resulting from the combination of the above.
  • 4.8 Evaluation of the detailed landscape character in the areas around East Hagbourne identifies the following:

    See footnote 6

    4.9 Flat open farmland key characteristics:

  • Distinctively flat, low lying farmland with large scale rectilinear field pattern with distinctive network of drainage ditches
  • Weak landscape structure with few trees, low or gappy hedges, open ditches and fences
  • Comparative inaccessibility creates a rural and remote character
  • Open denuded landscape results in high inter-visibility
  • 4.10 Landscape threats to the character and quality of the landscape comprise the following:

    Landscapes on the fringes of settlements are particularly vulnerable to change and special attention should be paid to creating strong landscape ‘edges’ to reduce the urbanising influences of development on adjacent countryside and to prevent the coalescence of settlements. 

    4.11 With the proximity of the nationally designated AONB to this site and the local landscape characteristics which are those of high inter-visibility within a flat and denuded landscape, there is a clear contradiction in providing new built development where the existing ribbon development and development edge of Didcot is highly visible. The ‘landscape led’ proposals set out in the development proposals’ LVIA seek to assure us that there will be no detrimental effect on the character and quality of the landscape by virtue of the proposed new hedgerows and trees planted in tandem with the building of houses. While in the long term this vegetation may help to absorb the built development into the landscape it will not mitigate for the loss of separation between Didcot and East Hagbourne on a site which is key to maintaining the gap and protecting the distinct character of East Hagbourne village.

    c) Community-led

    4.12 DCLG published Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities in March 2016, setting out how the Government will support new garden villages, towns and cities. It is clear that new garden towns must be shaped through community engagement and underpinned by strong local support. The note states:

    “We [the government] do not want to impose a set of development principles on local areas, and will support local areas in developing their own vision for their communities. But, we will want to see evidence of attractive, well-designed places with local support.” (Para 11)

    4.13 The importance of community engagement is further supported by Garden City Principles developed by the Town and Country Planning Association, which include “strong vision, leadership and community engagement” among the nine principles. These principles are intended to be “a distillation of the key elements that have made the Garden City model of development so successful, articulated for a 21st century context,” and were included in the project brief provided to the consultant team at the outset of the Greater Didcot Garden Town project. They remain an important consideration for the emerging proposals.

    See footnote 7

    4.14 The Expression of Interest which ultimately secured Government buy-in and achieved Didcot’s garden town status states that the Councils will “…embed a community driven approach that delivers a strong sense of ownership,” (pg. 19). In developing a set of locally-led principles for Greater Didcot Garden Town as encouraged by DCLG, community engagement has remained critical to both the process and the principles themselves. Whilst community consultation is always an important consideration in the planning process, it is especially critical in the context of an emerging garden town – to ensure the Garden Town responds to local needs and to build trust with the existing community.

    4.15 To this end, it is important to recognise the comments received through the Garden Town consultation to date. The Didcot Garden Town website has established an inter-active forum for community engagement and has so far received extensive feedback, including 23 comments in the general area of the appeal site which support the preservation of the green gap that separates the village of East Hagbourne from Didcot and resist development of this area. Together, these comments have received 122 ‘agrees’ (a feature which allows individuals to support comments made by others). The area has also received 2 comments which support the site as an appropriate location for development, and these comments have together received 2 ‘agrees’.

    See footnote 8

    4.16 The consultation process so far has indicated strong local support for preserving the character and rural nature of the surrounding villages by maintaining the separation between Didcot and these villages. This is reflected in the emerging Garden Town Principles (see Section 3 of this note) and the emerging masterplan, which establishes a strong green buffer between the built form of Didcot and the necklace of villages (see paragraphs 4.1-4.6 of this note). 

    4.17 We are aware that the planning application received over 600 letters of objection from neighbouring residents and a number of objections from the local residents’ group called Mind the Green Gap. In addition, East Hagbourne Parish Council, Didcot Town Council and Ed Vaizey MP for Didcot and Wantage all objected to the planning application. It is clear from the number of objections received in response to the planning application and the comments made via the Didcot Garden Town public consultation website that there is strong local opposition to development of the appeal site.

    4.18 It is important to have strong regard to the views of the Greater Didcot community, especially at this early stage in the development of the Garden Town proposals. Having insufficient regard to the community’s views risks undermining residents’ confidence in the project’s principles and in turn potentially compromising the Government’s objective for the Garden Town to be locally-led.

    d) Intensification of development within central Didcot

    4.19 At present, Didcot is characterised by relatively low density development. Most of the town is made up of semi-detached and detached housing, and development in the town centre is typically two storeys in height, although a handful of buildings are three storeys. The Garden Town Principles encourage intensifying development around sustainable transport hubs and within central Didcot in order to:

  • Encourage sustainable modes of transport: walking, cycling and public transport;
  • Increase the diversity of Didcot’s housing offer through the introduction of higher density housing types like flats and Build to Rent;
  • Improve the vitality of the town centre by increasing the number of people who live and work centrally; and
  • Reduce sprawl by intensifying land use within the existing town.
  • 4.20 As part of the Garden Town proposals, the population of Didcot is set to more than double in the next 15 years. The 15,050 homes are to come forward across a number of sites in both District Councils which were identified in the Expression of Interest, and which do not include the appeal site. There is no policy requirement to add to this scale of substantial growth, rather the challenge is to assimilate the growth and ensure its sustainable delivery. The identified sites include a number of strategic housing allocations at various stages in the planning process, including within the town of Didcot: North East Didcot (resolution to grant for 1,880 homes), Valley Park (resolution to grant for 4,254 homes), Ladygrove East (Local Plan allocation for 642 homes) and Didcot Gateway (planning consent for 300 homes). The delivery of these sites is critical to the success of the Garden Town, not least to realise the Garden Town’s role in providing much needed new homes but also because they present a ready opportunity to embed the Garden Town principles – including intensification of land use – in Didcot through new development.4.21 It is important that the implementation of key sites in Didcot is not compromised by enabling easy green field development elsewhere and diluting the incentive for developers to deliver more appropriate allocations, especially those in Didcot’s centre, which are central to the achievement of the garden town vision. Allowing development at the land east of New Road could undermine the delivery of sustainable sites that are critical to the Garden Town and put at risk the opportunity to intensify development within the town to improve Didcot’s sustainability and economic vitality.

    5 CONCLUSIONS
  • Maintain the distinctiveness and separation between Didcot and surrounding villages;
  • Bring agricultural land into use for local food production and woodland;
  • Make the most of Didcot’s natural setting within the North Wessex Downs AONB;
  • Ensure a strong and active role for the community in shaping the Garden Town;
  • Intensify development within Didcot; and
  • Secure timely delivery of the Garden Town proposals.
  • 5.2 Didcot’s designation by government as a Garden Town make these objectives nationally important. APPENDIX A – PROPOSED GARDEN TOWN BOUNDARIES

    Didcot Garden Town – proposed boundary 
  • The A34 forms a natural boundary and follows the Valley Park, North West Valley and A34 Service Area allocations in the Vale of White Horse Local Plan Part 1. North of the Milton Interchange, the boundary cuts east to trace the northern edge of Milton Park, including the EZ sites here whilst excluding Milton Village to the north.
  • From Milton Park, the boundary turns north to include the northernmost EZ at Milton Park and the power station site. It then continues north to capture the full extent of the gravel pit and landfll sites before joining the B4016 to the south and heading east.
  • The boundary follows the B4016 east and then turns south along the edge of the North East Didcot site. It then joins the South Moreton Parish boundary and travels south (which coincides with the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty boundary).
  • The boundary cuts west across the Parish of East Hagbourne, including the land which is currently subject to a planning appeal. This area has been purposely included within the boundary so that its use can be carefully planned as part of the Garden Town Vision – whether it’s to be developed or maintained as open space. It is important to remember that the Garden Town Boundary does not indicate the developable area of Didcot. It will also include areas to be retained as open space and indicate where new green infrastructure should be introduced.
  • To the west of East Hagbourne, the boundary rejoins the East Hagbourne Parish boundary and follows this west, joining the West Hagbourne Parish boundary which reconnects with the A34. Didcot Garden Town boundary
  • What does it mean to be in the Garden Town Boundary?

    The Didcot Garden Town boundary identifies the area that the masterplan will cover. This area will be considered for appropriate development opportunities as well as potential for investment and improvement in transport, landscape, green infrastructure, public realm and social services. Proposals that relate to connectivity, such as transport and green infrastructure, may need to extend beyond the Garden Town boundary in order to join Didcot with surrounding networks but the focus of the masterplan will be within this line. The masterplan’s crucial role is in knitting together these different strategies.

    Didcot Garden Town and Science Vale Area of Influence

    This area includes Harwell, Milton Park and Culham science parks and all housing sites which are earmarked to contribute towards the 15,000 new homes to be delivered as part of the Garden Town. The boundary follows Parish boundaries where possible because these are long established and widely understood, but it has been necessary to deviate from these in order to capture specifc sites or villages which are considered to influence, or be influenced by, the Garden Town. The explanation of the boundary, starting at the south and working clockwise, is as follows:

  • To the south of Didcot, the boundary cuts across the Parish boundaries in order to include the villages of Blewbury, Upton and Chilton, for which Didcot acts as the service centre.
  • From Chilton, the boundary runs west and then north around Harwell Campus, and then directly north from the campus to meet the A417 where it rejoins Milton Parish boundary running west and then north. 
  • The boundary again deviates from Milton Parish to include the village of Steventon for which Didcot acts as the service centre. To the north of Steventon, the boundary cuts back east to again trace the Parish boundaries of Milton, Sutton Courtenay and Culham. Incidentally, the boundary also follows the Thames at the north which forms a natural geographical boundary.
  • The boundary follows the Clifton Hampden Parish boundary north and east of Culham Science Park, but then cuts south through the Parish to rejoin the Thames to the south.
  • This deviation has been introduced to keep the boundary relevant to the Garden Town, and exclude the village of Berinsfeld to the east, whose most likely service centre is Abingdon.
  • The boundary continues to follow the Thames east and then south and loops around the Whittenham Clumps which are considered a key landscape feature relevant to the Garden Town. It then rejoins the Parish boundary of Little Whittenham, South Moreton and East Hagbourne to travel south and eventually west before deviating to include Blewbury (as described above).
  • What does it mean to be in the Area of Influence?

    The Garden Town team felt it was important to ensure that people living and working in areas with a strong link to Didcot should be given every opportunity to shape the Garden Town vision. This ‘area of influence’ has helped to guide our engagement programme, but it does not mean we are not interested in views from people who live and work beyond this boundary. We want to hear from anyone who is interested in the future of the Garden Town.

    FOOTNOTES

    Footnote 1 

    This publication was withdrawn on 5 September 2016. It was replaced by DCLG’s more recent publication Locally-Led Garden Villages, Towns and Cities (March 2016) which remains a live document and is referred to in Section 4 of this submission.  

    Footnote 2 

    Vale of White Horse DC intend to publish a preferred options version of their Local Plan 2031: Part 2 for public consultation in February 2017; South Oxfordshire DC intend to publish a second preferred options version of their emerging Local Plan 2032 for public consultation in the first quarter of 2017.  

    Footnote 3 

    Please see the Didcot Garden Town consultation website at www.didcotgardentown.co.uk

    Footnote 4 

    Please note that the principles are numbered within this document for ease of reference only. Their order has no bearing on their degree of importance.  

    Footnote 5 

    Appendix A to this note shows the proposed Garden Town Boundaries and explains the roles of each boundary.  

    Footnote 6 

    South Oxfordshire Landscape Assessment (April 1998) Atlantic Consultants.  

    Footnote 7 

    https://www.tcpa.org.uk/garden-city-principles  

    Footnote 8 

    Since its launch on 9 November 2016 until the time of writing on 07 December 2016. The website will remain open for comment from the public until 18 December 2016.  

    Posted on 20th March 2017

    by Lucy Mori Development Manager at South and Vale Distrct Councils

    Views on Didcot Garden Town help to shape final proposals

    South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Council leaders have welcomed the views from thousands of residents, businesses and the wider community on proposals for Didcot Garden Town, stating that local people’s input has been invaluable and will ensure the final proposals are fit for a 21st century garden town.

    The Didcot Garden Town proposals are now being updated, following this extensive engagement programme, and will no longer include proposals for a new technical college and associated flats in Ladygrove.

    Cllr John Cotton, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council said: “I am delighted with the level of interest and debate the proposals for Didcot Garden Town has raised. Thousands of individuals and organisations have commented, many offering innovative ideas about what a garden town should include. Importantly we have listened to people’s views and are amending the plans accordingly, to ensure our final plans reflect the needs and wishes of local people.”

    The councils are now working to amend the plans - ensuring people’s views are taken into account. The final Didcot Garden Town Delivery plan will be published for consultation in May.

    In January South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils revealed their innovative draft Masterplan for Didcot Garden Town. These initial plans included a better connected town centre, significant new public open space, a new leisure centre, the potential to upgrade the station, a mix of affordable and private rented homes, and new infrastructure. This followed input from residents who had been asked what they wanted to see from a Garden Town.

    Cllr Bill Service, Leader of Didcot Town Council, said: “I am grateful that the councils have listened to peoples’ views, and I fully support the wider proposals for Didcot Garden Town. These innovative plans will put Didcot on the map as a place to visit, live and work for many decades to come.”

    Cllr Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Didcot Garden Town will benefit thousands of residents in southern Oxfordshire. We’ll see many new facilities, a vast increase in the amount of public open space, and it will also help to ensure we get the infrastructure needed to support the new homes in the area.”

    Posted on 13th March 2017

    by Didcot Garden Town Project Team

    Draft Masterplan - Have your say

    South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse councils are urging everyone who lives, works and visits Didcot and the surrounding villages to comment on the draft Garden Town masterplan by Friday 24 February 2017 . Details of this can be found here

    Please note that these are our initial ideas and aspirations, following public engagement over the past few months and may change once we have carried out feasibility studies, testing, detailed discussions with landowners, potential funders and developers and further community engagement.  All development will be subject to planning approval.

    Feedback received through this website, along with direct correspondence and meetings with community representatives, will help shape the final delivery plan to be published in March 2017. This is a long term project that comprises of short, medium and long term aspirations and your views are key in helping us to produce a garden town capable of serving the planned growth of Didcot and that we can all be proud of.

    The final draft Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan will be published for public consultation in the spring of 2017, followed by a formal six week consultation. 

    Posted on 1st February 2017

    by Mark Hewer - Project Officer

    Stakeholder Representative Group Presentation - 19 January 2017

    The presentation from the Stakeholder Representative Group Briefing held on on 19 January 2017 and the summary of the engagement process up to 18 December 2016 can be found at the following links:

    - Stakeholder Representative Group Presentation - Part 1, Engagement and Vision

    - Engagement Summary Document

    - Stakeholder Representative Group Presentation - Part 2, Housing and Infrastructure

    - Stakeholder Representative Group Presentation - Part 3, Landscape and Masterplan Strategy

    - Stakeholder Representative Group Presentation - Part 4, Masterplan

    - Stakeholder Representative Group Presentation - Part 5, Governance and Next Steps

    Comments and questions raised at this meeting will be recorded as part of the engagement and will be added to the second phase of our community engagement

    Key points from the draft plans will be published on the Didcot Garden Town website www.didcotgardentown.co.uk  from week commencing 23 January 2017 and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse councils are urging everyone who lives, works and visits Didcot and the surrounding villages to comment on these initial proposals.

    The final draft Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan will be published for public consultation in the spring of 2017, followed by a six week consultation.

    Please note that these are our initial ideas and aspirations, following public engagement over the past few months and may change once we have carried out feasibility studies, testing, detailed discussions with landowners, potential funders and developers and further community engagement.

    Everyone will have an opportunity to comment further when individual planning applications are brought forward.

    Thank you for your continued interest in the Garden Town project.

    Posted on 20th January 2017

    by Mark Hewer - Project Officer

    Didcot Garden Town Draft Masterplan Update

    Tomorrow (19 January), South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will ask local stakeholder representatives to comment on the proposed masterplan for Didcot Garden Town.

    Over the past few months, town and parish councillors, schools, businesses, landowners, partners and residents from Didcot and the surrounding villages have all given their thoughts on what a new Garden Town could include.

    Over 4,000 comments have been made, through face to face meetings and via the dedicated Didcot Garden Town website – which has helped to shape the proposals set out in the draft masterplan.

    The main features include a better connected town centre, with safe cycle routes to multiple locations, including the Harwell Campus, Mowbray Fields nature reserve, Didcot Parkway, allotments and Culham, and a new Leisure Centre in the North East of the town.

    Proposed Cycle Network

    There is also potential to upgrade the station and the access to the railway museum.

    The town centre itself will build on its existing success and includes implementing the £50 million expansion of the Orchard Centre. Along Broadway, local businesses will be supported with improvements to the street and space for activities such as markets and events.

    The Orchard Centre expansion is a significant milestone for the future growth of Didcot Town Centre and forms part of our wider plans to transform Didcot into a Garden Town and deliver 20,000 new jobs and 15,000 new homes over the next 20 years.

    Nearby, on the Rich’s Sidings site, there are plans to develop new business premises and homes. In the longer-term there is also potential to relocate the railway station, creating an entrance directly into the Orchard Centre and providing access for more direct trains to Oxford and new services to Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton and beyond.

    A mix of affordable and private rented housing will be the focus of our future plans for the current Gateway site opposite the station, with smaller shops and places to eat and drink to support the new community there. This replaces previous proposals for the Gateway site, which has been unable to attract strong developer interest. We envisage that both South Oxfordshire Housing Association (SOHA) and the Prince of Wales pub will be re-housed onsite.

    Opposite the Gateway, to the north of the railway line, the masterplan proposes developing a world class Technology Institute, with the potential to make Didcot a centre of excellence for the research and development in advanced technologies.

    The Technology Institute will be the focal point of a technology campus that includes homes for people working in the institute. These homes will be built adjacent to the boundary of Didcot Football Club, with most of the green areas being maintained as a public open space or park.

    No new development is planned for the area north of Tyne Avenue – however the Garden Town proposals will aim to improve the quality and accessibility of this green space.

    Didcot is surrounded by beautiful countryside and its local location is part of what makes the town such as attractive place to invest. The Garden Town proposals, once implemented will lead to an increase of almost four times the current amount of publicly available open space.

    Ensuring green spaces between the edge of the town and the surrounding villages is also an important part of our proposals.

    Plans ensuring the right infrastructure to support new development are also in place, such as the construction of a new road between Didcot station and Harwell science centre. The use of new technology is also planned to help manage traffic flow, including installing traffic signals that talk to each other to make travel better for people at peak-times. And where the lights turn green for emergency services travelling with their blue lights flashing.

    The masterplan also includes recommendations for schools, health centres and other services and proposes to work the County Council, the NHS, highways, the ambulance service and the police to ensure the services they deliver in Didcot and the surrounding area are of the highest quality.

    The enthusiasm of people to get involved in the Garden Town has been awe-inspiring. Business ranging from major employers in the space sector to small local firms have made suggestions to help Didcot business thrive.

    People in the town and surrounding villages have also been passionate in telling us good things about Didcot and suggesting ideas that would make the town an even better place to live, work and invest.

    The draft plans will be published on the Didcot Garden Town website www.didcotgardentown.org from 23 January 2017 and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse councils are urging everyone who lives, works and visits Didcot and the surrounding villages to comment on these proposals.

    The final draft Didcot Garden Town Delivery Plan will be published for public consultation in the spring of 2017, followed by a six week consultation.

    These are our visionary proposals, following public engagement over the past few months and may change once we have carried out feasibility studies, testing and detailed discussions with landowners, potential funders and developers.

    Everyone will have an opportunity to comment further when individual planning applications are brought forward.

    Posted on 18th January 2017

    by Mark Hewer - Project Officer

    Thank you for your feedback and Season's Greetings from the Garden Town team

    4,843 visitors have looked at the website so far!

    Residents and stakeholders have been in engaged in a variety of ways during November and December 2016:

  • Interactive website
  • Public drop in sessions at Cornerstone Arts Centre
  • Pop-up exhibition and drop-in session in the Orchard Centre
  • Facebook advertising
  • Advertising in the Herald series newspaper
  • Meetings with key stakeholders, parish councils and community groups
  • Display stands exhibited at the Orchard Centre, Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot Civic Hall, Didcot Wave and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White of White Horse District Council Offices.
  • Leaflet delivery to all homes in Didcot
  • Posters in Didcot and surrounding villages
  • Community engagement at Didcot street fair
  • Press releases to local press resulting in articles in the Herald series of newspapers
  • Here is an extract from the analytics from the website showing more detail of when and how people have engaged with the Didcot Garden Town website:

    You are welcome to continue posting comments but this stage of the public engagement is now complete.  

    The Garden Town Team is currently taking on board everyone's comments and developing proposals for the Draft Delivery Plan and we will be able to share the first draft in January.

    In the meantime, we would like to wish you and your families a 

    Merry Christmas 

    and a

    Happy New Year 2017.

    Best wishes

    Didcot Garden Town Team 

    Please note that South Oxfordshire and Vale of the White Horse District Councils offices are closed from 3pm on 23 December 2016 and will re-open at 9am on Tuesday 3 January 2017.

    Posted on 23rd December 2016

    by Lucy Mori Development Manager at South and Vale Distrct Councils

    Head to the Orchard Centre to learn more about Didcot Garden Town

    There’s another opportunity for the community to hear about the future of Didcot Garden Town and learn how the programme is shaping up at the Orchard Centre this winter.

    Displays showing draft ideas and opportunities for the town will be on show at the Orchard Centre in a unit adjacent to the Next store on Saturday 26 November , Saturday 3 December and Saturday 10 December from 11am to 2pm. Visitors will be able to speak to a member of the project team to find out more about the Garden Town and give their views.

    Over 470 comments and ideas for Didcot’s future have already been given by the community, in person and online at www.didcotgardentown.co.uk . The interactive site lets users pin their views and suggestions to a map of the town and also see what other people think.

    The team delivering the project is encouraging the community to give as much feedback as possible before 18 December . So far people have made suggestions or commented on their most-loved green spaces; their desire for improved transport and easing of congestion; and their favourite heritage sites, among many other topics.

    The aim of the Garden Town project is to help transform Didcot into a more dynamic, welcoming and sustainable place to be. Everything from new cycle networks through and around the town to better nightlife, shopping, cultural spaces and sporting facilities for all ages will be considered.

    The project will ensure Didcot can continue to thrive and that the town is able to accommodate the thousands of homes already planned or being built.

    After 18 December all comments from the website, events and conversations with community groups will be used to help prepare a draft masterplan for the Garden Town. This masterplan and vision for the area, supported by a Garden Town delivery plan setting out how this vision will become a reality, will be published in spring / summer 2017, at which point the community will have another opportunity to comment.

    Councillor John Cotton, leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “People have known for a long time that Didcot is a major growth area, with lots of new housing already planned. The Garden Town project is about finding the best way to join this development together and identifying the right infrastructure to make Didcot the best it can be. The councils can’t change everything but we’ve got an opportunity to do something really exciting for the town and we hope the community seizes this moment to have its say.”

    Councillor Matthew Barber, leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “We’re only at the opening stages of an ambitious long-term programme that will help transform Didcot and the surrounding area and we want the community to contribute from the very beginning. Our innovative website has allowed people of all ages to give us their views and we encourage everyone to spread the word so that we can guide the project in the best direction.”

    For more information please call 01235 422473 or email info@didcotgardentown.co.uk

    Posted on 24th November 2016

    by Garden Town Project Team

    Download materials from the Didcot Garden Town drop-in events

    If you have any further comments on the materials available here you can add additional comments using this form and send it to info@didcotgardentown.co.uk or to Didcot Garden Town, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Milton, OX14 4SB.

    You can access all the materials presented at the Didcot Garden Town public drop-in events held at the Cornerstone Arts Centre on 9 and 10 November on this page.

    We welcome your feedback – if you would like to comment on the project, please have your say by returning to the map here

    Please note that information detailed in these materials relates to emerging themes and ideas for the Garden Town and these are likely to change as the engagement progresses.

  • Briefing sheet outlining details of the Didcot Garden Town projec t
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Summary of stakeholder engagement to date
  • Details on the proposed Garden Town boundary and Area of Influence
  • Display stand – ‘How would you put Didcot on the map?’
  • Exhibition boards on the proposed Garden Town
  • Posted on 10th November 2016

    by Didcot Garden Town project team

    FAQs about Didcot Garden Town

    What is a Garden Town?

    Didcot was awarded Garden Town status in late 2015, after South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils prepared a bid to the UK government. The success of this bid gives Didcot a unique opportunity to grow in a number of ways and to become a better place to live and work. As well as 15,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs for Didcot and Science Vale, the Garden Town project teams wants to explore how various innovations, cultural interventions and new infrastructure can improve the town for everyone.  

    Why is there a need for change?

    Didcot is already a great place to work and live, but it is not without its problems.

    The town is divided by the railway line; it is not easy to get from one part of the town to another or to get from Didcot to surrounding towns and villages. As well connectivity problems, many feel that there is not enough choice of types of home, whether you are a young couple starting out, a family of four or an older person looking to downsize. Equally, there is a need for greater job opportunities, and for Didcot to have a more vibrant shopping and leisure offer.

    Didcot’s population is expected to grow from its current level of 24,530 to 65,200 by 2031 and with that comes the need to plan for high quality education and health provision in the future.

    Where are all the jobs going to be?

    There will be 20,000 new jobs in science and supporting roles over the next 15 years and an additional 227 acres is being made available for employment growth to complement the big strategic sites of Milton Park, Culham and Harwell. Being a Garden Town will make Didcot a more attractive place to live and work, creating a further incentive for businesses to locate in and around the town and thereby creating multiple employment opportunities both directly and indirectly right across the town.

    How will the Garden town impact on other infrastructure, facilities and services in the town?

    We are in conversation with educational establishments, the Clinical Commissioning Group, businesses, landowners, and a wide range of other key community members. We want to listen to as many opinions and viewpoints as possible, by presenting ideas to different groups and opening a dialogue between all interested parties.

    With a larger population comes a greater demand on services, from healthcare and transport, to leisure and retail. We therefore need to make sure that the town is prepared to deal with growth, and that growth is delivered in a sustainable way. For example, in terms of transport we will be looking at improving the network of cycle and pedestrian links as well as other modes of transport around and about the town.

    It seems to be about housing and infrastructure – where will the green spaces be?

    Didcot is surrounded by beautiful countryside and its location south Oxfordshire is part of what makes the town such an attractive place to invest.

    In creating a Garden Town, the plan must be to incorporate green space within the town itself, by providing green spaces and natural environments that aren’t only pleasant to look at, but also genuinely useful to local communities. Of course, there are many ways that the project team could approach this, and crucially, we need people to tell us what kind of green spaces they want to see, and how they hope that this could improve their lives.

    What will the Garden Town mean for the existing areas of Didcot?

    The point of the Garden Town is to make Didcot an even better place for people who live, work and use facilities in the town, accessible to everyone, rich with innovation, and always evolving.

    We are asking people what they would like to see change and this could include improvements to the existing streets, open spaces and amenities in Didcot, as well as the development of new business space and homes around the town. Improving connectivity, particularly with sustainable modes of transport, is also a priority and we need to make moving around the town easier.

    What will it mean for the villages around Didcot?

    We will protect and enhance the character and setting of the historic villages around Didcot. Improved cycle and pedestrian links will connect the village settlements that surround the town. At all times we will ensure these villages are able to maintain their distinctiveness and separation from each other and from Didcot.

    We want to maintain a positive dialogue with all the villages included within the Garden Town area of influence. This will help make sure Didcot Garden Town benefits everyone.

    How are you planning on dealing with more traffic?

    A number of highways changes have already been made or are underway, such as increasing capacity at the Milton Interchange on the A34, the introduction of south facing slip roads at Harwell, and the installation of a direct road between Didcot Station and Harwell science centre. There will be other infrastructure improvements over time to manage traffic flow, but Didcot Garden Town will also be encouraging alternative modes of transport to the car wherever possible.

    Who is paying for it – will it raise our council tax?

    No, it won’t raise the council tax. The Garden Town project has funding from a number of different sources, including central government and private sector investment. We have to be realistic and the project has to be financially viable. This is why we have a team of expert consultants who will be thoroughly testing the project’s viability from the outset. While we want our vision to be bold, we are taking a constraints led approach to the future of Didcot and aim to develop a robust delivery plan that is costed and deliverable in the long-term.

    Who will be making the decisions and how will they be made?

    The Didcot Garden Town project is all about listening to the needs of the people of the town and wider area.

    The project board, made up of council leaders, will provide organisation, leadership and oversight of the general strategy of the project. Beneath the board is the project steering group to which the consultant team reports. The consultant team is made up of subject experts who each specialise in “work streams” including planning, placemaking, architecture and engineering.

    We know that our communities value open and honest communication and we have been told that people want to be actively involved in shaping their town for the future. They want us to deliver the right kind of change in the right place, in a way that is sensitive to the hopes and wishes of local people. This cannot be achieved without the full participation of the people who live in Didcot and we are therefore making sure that we fully engage with the community and local stakeholders from the outset.

    What are the timeframes for the Garden Town?

    We intend to complete an initial Delivery Plan in spring 2017. Following approval of this by the Councils, some improvements are likely to be able to begin quickly and we are hopeful that initial projects can act as a kick-start for future ideas and projects. However, the overall plan is a long-term one and the extent to which we can make progress will of course depend on securing additional resources from the government, other public organisations and the private sector. Delivery of the agreed priorities will therefore be phased over time, aiming to provide lasting benefits for the town.

    Will there be further opportunities to get involved?

    This period marks only the beginning of the dialogue – we want local people to be involved in the evolution of the Garden Town over the next 15 years and beyond. We know there is a lot going on in Didcot and we want to work with you all to maximise involvement by local people in the Garden Town project. In addition to hosting drop-in events and talking to the key groups in Didcot, we will also collect important feedback through an interactive website, a key tool that everyone can use to tell us their own vision for Didcot, including the issues and opportunities that they would like the Garden Town project to consider.

    We will listen, engage and consult with all parties throughout the project. The formal public consultation period begin following approval by the councils of the Delivery Plan. We are engaging people now and will continue this throughout the formation and eventual delivery of the Garden Town project.

    Posted on 28th October 2016

    by Didcot Garden Town project team