The case against North Witney, in order
In 10 years of investigating the published evidence, NWAG has established that the proposed site will cause an increased flooding risk, a doubling of traffic levels in North Witney, potential air quality issues in West End, and destroy a landscape that WODC agrees should be protected. In that 10 year period, despite the publishing of many papers, reports and documents, there have been no solutions found for any of these problems. What follows is that evidence, set out the way it happened.
The proposal
Five companies, working together as the North Witney Consortium, want to build up to 1,250 houses on the fields between Woodstock Road, New Yatt Road and Hailey Road — linked by a new road, the West End Link, across the river Windrush floodplain. The land is in Hailey Parish, on the northern edge of Witney. First promised in 2009. Contested by residents ever since.
1,250 new homes on farmland north of Witney, plus a new road across the river floodplain to carry the traffic. Allocated for up to 1,400 homes in the current Local Plan; the live application asks for 1,250.
The promise, broken
The whole case turns on one fact: in 2009 the developers promised, in writing, to fund everything the site would need. Seventeen years later, that promise is unravelling — and the chronology proves it better than any argument can.
- 2009 — the Consortium's leaflet promised to "fund in full" the West End Link, affordable housing, bus services, a primary school, community centre and doctors' surgery. PROMISE 2009
- 2018 — the Government Inspector ratified that the road "will be required for the full development", funded by the developers. CHRON 2018
- 2026 — the developer is increasingly unwilling to fund WEL2, promoting Active Travel in its place. CHRON 2026
- Ongoing — Thames Water has informed the developers they can "build the homes but not occupy them" — because of sewage disposal and potable water supply.
Exhibit A — Flooding
Flooding
The site sits on Blue Oxford Clay above a culverted drain the Environment Agency says posed "the biggest threat to life" in July 2007. In December 2020, 54 properties flooded and care-home residents were evacuated. No solution has been found.
"An alarming flow travelling overland down the Hailey Road at very high speed… some manhole covers had lifted, leading to one vehicle breaking down after it drove over an open manhole at high speed."Witney Flood Review, July 2007 — Environment Agency EA 2007
Exhibit B — Traffic
Traffic
Oxfordshire County Council's own modelling says peak traffic on Hailey Road and Farmers Close would be two-and-a-half times today's levels. The £23 million West End Link — the supposed fix for Bridge Street — only takes 10% off it.
- ×2.5 peak traffic, Hailey Road & Farmers Close, over 2013 base flows TRA1 2014
- −10% the reduction West End Link delivers on Bridge Street
Exhibit C — Landscape
Landscape
WODC's own commissioned study — the Kirkham Report — calls this farmland "worth preserving" and says a major road through it would be "out of keeping" and "visually intrusive". The plan does exactly that.
"…a major peripheral road would be out of keeping with the local landscape character and would be visually intrusive…"Kirkham Landscape Report, p 63 — WODC, 2012 KIRKHAM 2012
Exhibit D — A fragmented consortium
The development
Five developers were meant to deliver this site as one plan. At the January 2024 appeal, their own land agents confirmed there is "no Equalisation Agreement (legal entity)" between them. The Inspector dismissed the appeal: as a Strategic Development Area, it must be masterplanned together, not delivered piecemeal.
- Blenheim Strategic Partners · Cranbrook Construction · Gleeson Land · L&Q Estates · Taylor Wimpey — plus A2 Dominion, whose KC told the appeal A2 Dominion "do not communicate" with the others
- Taylor Wimpey tried twice before, in 2017 and 2019, to move forward alone as owner of Parcel 2
The case is cumulative — all four exhibits
The latest entry in the file
Response to questions 11 & 12, WODC 2043 Local Plan Consultation
The North Witney Action Group strongly opposes the inclusion of the North Witney Strategic Development Area in the 2043 Local Plan. Audited infrastructure costs of £91.3m — a £73,000 levy per dwelling — the developer's hesitance over WEL2, and the Consortium's fragmentation all point one way: the NWSDA should be removed from the Local Plan.
North Witney Action Group · December 2025 · Read the full submission (PDF) LP2043 2025
26 August 2026 — NWAG posts its comments on the Consortium's reviewed application, lodged 22 June 2026: "The sole reason this new Application is tilted towards Active Travel England is not altruistic but in the hope that WEL will be removed because, as has always been the case, this SDA is not viable." Read the news entry →
What you can do
Get involved
- Follow and message the group on Facebook — North Witney Action Group
- Watch NWAG's flood film and other material on YouTube
- Read the full document register before writing your own response — every NWAG submission is there, ready to cite
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