A SLEDGEHAMMER TO CRACK A NUT The Town Council are desperate to expand parking in the town. I agree the current situation outside the primary school is unacceptable but am I convinced encouraging more coaches is entirely necessary in a medieval town such as Burford? In any event, it would seem to me that OCC owned land with access to the A40 would be the best option. But BTC appear so desperate to find a car park, they are willing to support the development of 70+ houses on

In last month’s Bridge [November] , I wrote about the HELAA plan which proposes to build 70 dwellings on AONB land. Consultation started on 3 November and will end on 22 December.  We hope you will support us in stopping this project by registering your objections at www.westoxon.gov.uk/localplan2043   It is doubtful whether the planners understand the concept of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the WODC plan, they wrote: Situated to the west of the town, the preferred

From Hugo Ashton - Executive Member for Planning on WODC and councillor for the Burford ward As many of you will have seen, West Oxfordshire District Council has published its Preferred Spatial Options Consultation Paper on how and where to allow development to meet the government’s challenging housing targets. The consultation will run to just before Christmas.  We have also published the draft HELAA (Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment), which is our planner

We have had a number of messages about planning, especially over the suggestion of a new development in Sheep Street in Burford, and associated aspects such as traffic, car parking and tourist coaches. There is too much to put in the December edition of The Bridge, which is going to the printers this week, but we can put more on our website. Here is some information about the Local Plan process, including details of where you can go along and meet the planners.

WODC have now launched the consultation which is an important part of the process of developing a new Local Plan and will play a major part in determining where new homes and businesses will be located. See our earlier posts on this subject. The possible sites include one in Burford in Sheep Street between the surgery and the cemetery. You can reply to the consultation online. There are also some drop-in events where you can discuss the proposals with planning officials,

This is for anyone thinking of going to the reception on 7 November for the launch of Burford's Wartime Stories : please note that there has been a great demand for tickets for this event and they have now all been sold. Therefore please do not go to the reception unless you already have a ticket or you are a Benefiactor of the Tolsey Museum and Archive. If you do go and you are not one of the above, you will unfortunately be unable to get it. You can still order a copy of