Plans for nearly 400 homes near Oxfordshire town unrest

Developer David Wilson Homes wanted West Oxfordshire District Council to grant outline planning permission for housing and employment use for a site between Witney and neighbouring Ducklington.

Planning officers, the council’s professionals, recommended refusal of the plans for land to the north-east of Ducklington Farm off Course Hill Lane, based on “unacceptable odour impacts to the occupiers… to the detriment of their living conditions” due to the proximity of the sewage treatment works and abattoir. 

It was also considered that such a scale of housing at the location would not respect the character of the area and that it would lead to the gradual merging of Ducklington and Witney. 

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It comes as plans for 120 homes on a nearby area of meadow called The Moors was approved on appeal by a planning inspector despite being rejected by the district council.

The forcing through of unpopular plans by Ainscough Strategic Land prompted the resignation of the villager's district council representative Ben Woodruff.

Michael Knott, a planning director for consultants Barton Wilmore, said the developer was committed to “up to 154 affordable homes” at the Course Hill Lane site, with “approximately £8 million towards infrastructure” being “agreed in principle”. 

On the “complex, technical issue” of odour, he added: “Until very recently, we had been advised that the assessment submitted with application had been accepted subject to conditions.

“In response to the comments in the report, the applicant has commissioned a second odour expert to critically review the original assessment.

The proposed site on land north-east of Ducklington Farm

In conclusion, both experts in this field support the approach taken in the application to avoid and mitigate odour.”

Mr Knott also articulated that the applicants “strongly disagree” with the other reasons for refusal.

Planning officer David Ditchett said the council’s assessment of available land in 2016 had “concluded this site is divorced from Witney by the A40″ and that development “would result in unsustainable urban sprawl, dependence on car travel, a poor level of residential amenity and the coalescence of Witney with the outlying villages of Ducklington and Curbridge”.

Councillor Ted Fenton, who represents Bampton and Clanfield, recalled a time when he had worked nearby. 

“When the sewage treatment works did certain operations, cleaning out tanks, it absolutely stank,” he said. 

“Sometimes it was impossible to go outside, only for limited times but it can absolutely reek at times.

“I have been around the sewage treatment works when there has been no smell at all apart from when they emptied someone’s septic tank and then it stank. 

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"Lines (on a map) saying this is where it will smell and where it won’t are not terribly helpful because sometimes it can reek for absolutely miles. If you put houses in that field, they are going to get it every time there is any increase in smell and I think we really have to question that.” 

Councillor Dan Levy, who represents Eynsham and Cassington, discussed the merging of distinct areas.

“This is neither Ducklington nor Witney, it does not logically form part of either place,” he said.

“One thing that probably occurred to most of us when we saw this was whether it was the same situation as The Moors where our decision was overturned on appeal.

“I think in many ways it is not. The Moors, regardless of whether you think the appeal decision was correct, does adjoin the built-up area of Ducklington.

"This is very different as it does not form part of Ducklington at all.

“It is barely connected and the fact there is a footpath proposed to take kids to school shows just how far away from the existing village it is.”