Report

WING’s Challenges

Our challenges are to ensure:

• Construction of the West End Link (WEL)
• Construction of Northern Distributor Road (NDR)
• Flood Prevention Measures through the Windrush Valley
• Community infrastructure as part of the North Witney housing scheme

The detailed case for each of the WING challenges is set out in Appendices 1–4.

Each challenge will be addressed by several stakeholders. They will have overlapping responsibilities affecting other challenges. We have therefore assembled a list of stakeholders and matched relevant stakeholders with each challenge to generate a list of the issues that we would like to discuss with each organisation. The outcome of this approach is shown in Appendix 5.

Appendix 1 – Construction of the WEL

The provision of a second river crossing in Witney has been included in policy development for some years. Details of the potential location and layout of the WEL are illustrated in the appendix and have been included in West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 and other policy documents. Decision makers will include a range of teams within WODC and OCC.

The developer has chosen to omit the WEL in their application for outline planning permission and the case for proceeding in this way is examined. WING’s conclusion is that the impacts of building 1400 houses without a second river crossing will include increased congestion, increased air pollution, missed opportunities to prevent flooding, and missed opportunities to improve active travel.

The OCC options report for the road layout in the Bridge Street area recommends:

• Clockwise flow around West End, Bridge Street, Mill Street and WEL with some additional lanes.
• Additional northbound bus lane in Bridge Street.
• Additional southbound lane over the WEL for all traffic.
• Cycle lanes and pedestrian footpaths on all sides of the area.

WING takes the position that the WEL must be a prerequisite of the development going ahead. This might take the form of a planning condition or a reason for refusal of the plans in their current form.

OCC has undertaken to act as Project Manager for the construction of the WEL together with road layout and junction alterations for central Witney. The Project Management Team at OCC has also accepted that they will need to consider flood prevention as part of the options for construction of the WEL The issue of flood control is addressed more fully in Appendix 3 of this report. It is unclear what funding for the WEL will be expected from the developer if planning permission is granted to proceed with North Witney housing. WING will seek clarity on this.

Appendix 2 – Construction of the NDR

The developer’s proposals for the NDR, as set out in the Transport Assessment section of his planning application, are quoted for reference. WING considers that these proposals are inadequate and lists specific shortcomings as follows:

• The proposed road geometry does not match the standard of other perimeter roads around Witney and will fail to provide the free-flowing route that will be needed for residential and through traffic.
• Access to Witney along New Yatt Road would be restricted under the developer’s proposals. WING disputes whether these proposals will satisfy local needs and requests OCC to carry out an independent assessment of possible options.
• Provision for HGV routing in the developer’s proposals conflicts with the current approaches that are being developed by OCC for Witney and the Windrush Valley area. In particular, the introduction of a point weight restriction in Bridge Street would conflict with OCC policy as decided after the rejection of a similar restriction on the A361 through Burford.

WING’s conclusion is that the planning application should be rejected and that further options need to be developed.

Appendix 3 – Flood prevention measures through the Windrush valley

WING believes that Witney’s flooding problems should be addressed as part of the infrastructure improvements associated with the North Witney SDA development. Although construction of the WEL will tackle the congestion and air pollution issues that are recognised in the Local Plan, the WEL could also provide a control mechanism for flow in the Windrush. Flood control is not considered in the Local Plan as an infrastructure improvement to be funded by SDA development and WING sees this as an omission that could be corrected without adding to overall costs.

The WEL could be constructed as an earth dam that would retain flood water in the flood plain on the upstream edge of Witney. The dam would have a restricted opening to reduce the flow of water into the town, providing flood control in a severe weather event. The river channel under the bridge in Bridge Street acts as a pinch point for the river flow and water currently collects above Bridge Street in the basin within West End, Bridge Street and Mill Street. This basin is filled not only by the flow in the Windrush but also by surface water from the 750mm diameter drain under Hailey Road. WING has identified a series of interventions that would manage the flow in the Hailey Road Drain. More detailed proposals for building the WEL as an earth dam and for controlling the Hailey Road drain are set out in Appendix 3.

Permission to construct a river crossing over a main river is granted by the Environment Agency (EA). The EA’s response to any application will always start from the position that a structure over a river must not adversely affect the flow and must not cause flooding. A proposal for an open viaduct structure with wide spans and minimal piers would meet this requirement, but such a structure across a river valley would be a heavily engineered and expensive solution. OCC have recently used £25m as a broad cost estimate for this structure. If the alternative approach was adopted using an earth dam, there would be a significant saving. However, EA approval is needed before this alternative can be fully investigated and costed.

WING urges EA, OCC and WODC to consider a scheme that would use the WEL as the centrepiece in a new system of flood control through the Windrush Valley. There are few opportunities to secure capital funding for such schemes and, if this chance is allowed to pass by, there may not be another for many years. Without better flood control, Witney will continue to flood during severe weather events. WING will press for delivery of a flood management plan along the full length of the Windrush Valley through Witney.

Appendix 4 – Community Infrastructure as part of the North Witney housing scheme

‘Community infrastructure’ is defined as being the elements within a planned development in addition to housing that will support the day-to-day life of its residents. These include for play and social activities as well as healthcare, shops, and schools. The wider term ‘infrastructure’ is generally taken to include major structural elements such as roads, bridges, and flood defences but these elements also contribute to ‘community infrastructure’. There is a potential overlap that must not be missed.

The North Witney development will lie entirely within Hailey Parish. New residents will be welcomed into the Hailey community and allowance has been made in the Hailey Neighbourhood Plan for both existing and anticipated residents within the parish. Comparison is made between desired facilities that are listed in Hailey’s plan with those proposed by the developer. Where discrepancies occur, the case for the provision of community infrastructure as required by the Hailey Neighbourhood Plan is explained and justified. Major shortfalls in the developer’s proposals include:

• The need of a separate community centre and not an allowance for community use within the local centre that is proposed.
• Adequate provision for anticipated growth in school facilities.
• A stand-alone health centre with GP surgery and pharmacy.

Hailey PC believes that a full review of community infrastructure proposals will have to be negotiated with the WODC Planners and the developer to reach some agreement. WING supports this position and will maintain active opposition to any planning application that does not fully deliver the infrastructure that we believe is necessary.