Locals object to plan for 9,000 new homes at Heyford
Steeple Aston’s Martin Lipson, who is Chair of the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum has spoken out against a plan to build a substantial new town on the former air base at Upper Heyford.
Dorchester Living, the Upper Heyford developer, has lodged a planning application with Cherwell District Council for the demolition of 222 existing buildings and the building of up to 9,000 new homes. Thirty percent of the new homes will be affordable say the developers whose proposals also include 900 assisted living units and 180 homes for key workers. They say there will also be five new schools, community facilities, employment space and extensive green infrastructure. Perhaps ironically, there is also a plan for a new Centre for Peace Studies.
This application is in addition to the 1,200 homes already at Heyford Park along with Heyford Free School, a supermarket, a pharmacy, and a hotel.
Martin, who is also vice chair of Steeple Aston Parish Council, outlined his objections to the plan in an interview on BBC Radio Oxford. He said Cherwell District Council already has a Local Plan which will deliver thousands of new homes near Bicester and Oxford. Local people did not want such a development built in the countryside.
“A small-ish development at Heyford Park has been acceptable for years” he said, “but the scale of ambition here is just really over the top”.
“Of course we need new homes, especially affordable ones, but this isn’t the right place for such a large development.”
Martin thought local people were sceptical that the infrastructure required for such a large development would be provided. He cited as an example the continued failure to build the promised health centre at Heyford Park.
Dorchester has extensive plans for infrastructure in their application. They also say improved connectivity and sustainable travel will underpin the settlement’s continued growth. They have been working with GWR to facilitate upgrades to Heyford Station and improvements to the Cherwell Valley Line service providing connections between Banbury and Didcot. There will also be enhanced bus routes and walking and cycling routes.
They say that sustainability is at the heart of their plan, with around 60 per cent of the site dedicated to open space – connecting nature corridors, public parkland, walking trails, a boating lake, waterways, and an area set aside as a retained Local Wildlife Site. The old runway will be the centre of a new park which will offer a wide range of leisure opportunities and include the planting of 65,000 trees.
The long-term ambition is for Heyford Park to become the UK’s first renewable energy surplus town, generating more renewable energy than it consumes through a combination of solar and wind power generation, energy-efficient design and low-carbon transport.
If the application is approved by Cherwell District Council, work could start on the development in 2026.
You can see the planning application on Cherwell’s website here https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/02190/HYBRID
There’s more about Dorchester’s plans at www.heyfordparknewtown.com/
You can hear Martin’s interview on BBC Radio Oxford along with contributions from the developer and local MP Liberal Democrat Calum Millar here
Exhibitors defy the drought at the Summer Show – photos
Steeple Aston and Middle Aston Horticultural Society held its 133rd Annual Show on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August. The show is always popular, and large crowds braved the heat of the day to see the exhibits, visit the stalls and watch the Dog Show. They also enjoyed plenty of tea and cake consumed in the cool of the Village Hall.
Given the recent drought and the imposition of a hosepipe ban, local gardeners defied expectations and produced some impressive flowers, fruit and vegetables for the show. Once again, Daphne Preston won the Walker Cup for Show Champion. See the full results.
Vicky Clifton, the Show Secretary is pictured here with a the cups and trophies before they were awarded to the winners. She reports on a very successful day:
Bank Holiday Monday in Steeple Aston is always a special day. It’s the day of the annual Summer Show, and yesterday’s show didn’t disappoint. Yes I am writing this the very next day, slightly jaded but I have plenty of cake to help me through. There has to be one positive to entering a few bits.
The weather this year has been the most challenging I think I can remember. With so many heatwaves and no real rain since the beginning of June, I was quite expecting to have few veg or flowers and the exhibits that came would be less than wonderful. Not a bit of it, regular exhibitors and some very welcome new names, did us proud. If I could have I would have given all fruit, veg and flower exhibits a 1st prize! The sheer effort to fill a watering can… carry up the garden… day in day out is astounding. Well done all and thank you on behalf of the committee. Without these efforts we wouldn’t have such a spectacular and large show.
Sadly on the day, we made a mistake and a trophy should have been awarded to Rebecca Purtell, who produced some lovely enteries. We are working on a plan to give her, her moment of glory and present her with the trophy. This should help to even up the bragging rights at home as her sister also won a trophy, one very talented family. Well done Rebecca.
We were delighted to have Dogs for Good supporting us again, and putting on the Dog Show. Due to the weather not as many dogs came, which I am actually quite pleased about. We know our own dogs and should never put winning a rosette ahead of their health. Hopefully next year it will be a little cooler and we’ll be back to normal with a field of barking. I for one would love to see their new class that would have been Musical Sit (think musical chairs). Oh well I’ll just have to wait a few more months.
We don’t have any confirmed figures yet, but hopefully we have raised the £4000 needed to host the show. As you would imagine the marquee is our biggest expense, which is normally sat empty on the Friday and Saturday evenings…. do you have a big birthday coming up, or wedding ?? We’d love someone to make use of this massive space, so if next August Bank Holiday you could make use of it, please do get in contact to discuss with a member of the committee.
That leads me nicely to my last point. We will hold our AGM on September 24th where hopefully we will recruit some new committee members. We always need people with ideas for classes, offers to write a quiz in the spring, propagate some bits for a plant stall, or help with the washing up. Your involvement can be as a committee member throughout the year or just on show days. There is many a family or individuals out there who we are eternally indebted to. Thank you all.
The next event in our Calender will be the Spring Show in March. The schedule of classes for this will be in the January Life, and on the website from December.
For now, thank you to everyone who has supported our two shows this year, see you in 2026!
To see lots of photos by Nigel Francis and Daphne Preston, go to the Photogallery. Click on the first photo to enlarge and then navigate using the arrows.
Scarecrows appeared, then allotments opened – photos
In the middle of August, Steeple Aston played host to a number of strange characters lurking outside village houses. These were the entries for the Scarecrow Competition run by the Allotment Association in association with their Open Day.
The theme was Heroes and Villains – and there was a striking collection of scarecrows ranging from a Donald Trump lookalike on Paines Hill to Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall alongside Spiderman on South Side.
Stuart Cummins, SACAA Chair reports:
As part of the National Allotment Week, Steeple Aston Church Allotment Association (SACAA) held their first Open Day on Sunday, 17th August. The weather was glorious and over 140 people came to join in the festivities!
The village Scarecrow Competition winners were announced – Best Villian “Cruella de Vil” (Hill House Lodge) and Hero, “Rainbow Warrior” (Grange Park), both receiving vouchers for the Yurt graciously donated by Nicholsons.
A lot of hard work (and baking) was done to make this event happen and particular thanks go to Marie O’Connor for managing all the wonderful refreshments, Kay Francis and Catherine Crook for running the produce stall, Eleanor O’Connor for Face Painting and Amanda Rodgers for kids’ activities.
Given its successful outcome, might this become an annual event? Watch this space!
To see photos from the Open Day and more great scarecrows go to the Photogallery. Click to enlarge the first photo, then navigate using the arrows. Thanks to Nigel Francis and the Allotment Association for these pictures.
Festival fun comes to ‘Middle Aston-bury’
The first ever local Tribute Music Festival took place in the grounds of Middle Aston House on Saturday, 19th July. Villagers and visitors of all ages came to join in the fun – and a good time was certainly had by all.
Comments on social media afterwards included ‘fantastic’, ‘well-organised’ and lots of ‘brilliants’. One villager summed it up saying ‘This was a village punching well above its weight. Fabulous afternoon and superb organisation. Bravo!’
Organiser Helen Wright reports from ’MiddleAston-bury’:
When Dan and I came up with the idea of putting on a Tribute Music Festival, it was borne of the frustrations at the huge cost of tickets to most festivals, and also of the love of bringing our wonderful community together in person.
What felt like the first rain we’d had all year decided to fall on the morning of the festival, but thankfully it had passed by the time gates opened at 1.00pm.
And we welcomed hundreds into the grounds of Middle Aston House to enjoy an afternoon and evening of music.
A young and talented “Death Warmed Up” got the crowd going with their 80s rock covers, followed by the popular local band “Whiff of Horse” (who brought many Whiffers along with them!). “The Ariana Grande Experience” dazzled the crowd, “Utmost Elton” was the rocket man, “Oasus” took us back to BritPop and “Rule the World” made us all shine (and remember how much we love Take That!).
We had wood fired pizzas, gourmet burgers, candy floss and bubble tea; Liam & Noel masks, bars, glitter and face painting. Not to mention, deckchairs, haybales and eventually even a little bit of sunshine!
Thank you so much to everyone who supported this idea – its success was down to those who came along and gave it a try!
Same time next year?
Meanwhile, we’d love to hear your thoughts, please do follow us on Facebook and Instagram
See lots more photos from Nigel Francis in the Photogallery. Click on the first one to enlarge and then use the arrows to navigate.
Aid vehicles will drive from Middle Aston to Ukraine
You may have wondered why there are so many commercial vehicles, including ambulances, parked on the land behind The Hatchery off Fir Lane between Steeple and Middle Aston.
It turns out they’re parked there for a very good reason.
Charles Sandy, one of the owners of The Hatchery, explains: “The vehicles are awaiting to be driven out to Ukraine as a charitable donation, which we are supporting.
“Driving Ukraine https://drivingukraine.org/ will be temporarily parking suitable vehicles on our site until they number 12, at which point a convoy of volunteers drives them over to Ukraine, where they’re camouflaged etc. before heading to the front. The process then restarts.”
Charles and co-owner Patrick Bradshaw will be joining one of the convoys in the coming months. They will be posting information on the charity and putting up flags next to the vehicles.
Fynn Watt from Deddington is one of the founders of the organisation, which began its work in 2022. Since then, more than 1,400 dedicated volunteers from 30+ countries have got involved. They now have convoys at least five vehicles (min 10 people) that depart at the end of every month from Oxfordshire.
The end-users of the donated vehicles and aid include: foreign volunteer medics and paramedics working on Ukraine’s frontline; Ukrainian volunteer medics and paramedics; bomb disposal teams; combat medics and Ukrainian hospitals.
They are always looking for more volunteers, and, of course, donations. Details on their website https://drivingukraine.org/
Sad death of Bob Bickley announced
We are very sorry to report the death of Bob Bickley of Steeple Aston. Bob was very well known in the village especially because he was the caretaker at Dr Radcliffe’s Primary School in Fir Lane for 13 years. He was also a schoolgovernor. Many local children and their parents will remember his kindness and good humour.
Bob died on Tuesday, 8th July following several weeks in hospital. His funeral will be held on Friday, 8th August at 12.00 at the North Oxfordshire Crematorium (between Tackley and Woodstock). All are welcome to the crematorium and afterwards at Steeple Aston Village Hall.
If you would like to make a donation to charity in Bob’s memory, you can do so at https://www.memorygiving.com/bobbickley.
There is a tribute to Bob written by Julia Whybrew in the Family News Section. If you have memories of Bob that you’d like to add, please email the Editor at steepleastonwebeditor@gmail.com