Frequently asked questions
What is a Garden Village?
The Town and Country Planning Association describes Garden Communities, also known as Garden Towns, Villages and Cities as “a holistically planned new settlement that enhances the natural environment and offers high-quality affordable housing and locally accessible work in beautiful, healthy and sociable communities”. The principles behind a Garden Community is that it is infrastructure-led, which means that all the essential facilities and services – like schools, health services, roads and transport systems, and jobs – would all be available as the community grows.
What are the proposals for the Berinsfield Garden Village?
In June 2019, Berinsfield was awarded Garden Village status. This means that the government will provide us with extra funding to help plan for new open spaces and high-quality housing. There will also be new employment opportunities and community facilities for Berinsfield residents and the wider community.
The Garden Village includes undeveloped land to the east of the existing settlement on the former airfield, which has been allocated in the South Oxfordshire District Council (SOCD) Local Plan (adopted December 2020, strategic allocation Policy STRAT10i). It is anticipated that approximately 1900 homes will be built.
Proposals are being developed for the Garden Village by landowners and developers working with the local community and other stakeholders to design a comprehensive masterplan for Mount Farm and the existing village of Berinsfield as required by SODC Local Plan policy.
What are the planned local improvements to green spaces and local facilities?
There are a range of improvements planned for green spaces and facilities including pockets of woodland, tree planting along with additional sports facilities such as a sports ground and park along with the creation of an additional Community Hub.
Has planning permission been granted?
Not yet, it’s still too early to be making an application for planning permission. When a planning application is submitted, we’ll let people know how they can view the plans and say what they think before any decision is made.
Why do you want to build more houses?
There must be a five-year supply of housing land in each council area across the nation. This represents the requirement for housing based on population data and is determined by counting the number of new homes that must be built.
What about GP services and schools?
These services are being considered as part of the project planning. A Health Impact Assessment will look at a range of health-related issues at the design stage of the development. There will also be a new school planned as part of the development. We are in the very early stages and there will be plenty of opportunities for people to give their views before work begins.
What about roads?
We have already started work on transport studies looking at road and rail access to the site, and roads within the site. One of our important considerations is that Berinsfield Garden Village would reduce the need to travel to and from the area, thinking about how we reduce carbon emissions to help tackle climate change. We are in the very early stages of planning the Berinsfield Garden Village and there will be plenty of opportunities for people to give their views before any work begins.
Where do I find more information about Berinsfield Garden Village development?
To find out more details of the proposed new development and information on community engagement being undertaken by landowners and developers please see https://berinsfieldgardenvillage.com/
