Yarnton 540 homes plan criticised as council decision due

A planning appeal hearing was launched in February by land owner Merton College after Cherwell District council and Oxfordshire County Council initially rejected proposals to build the 540 dwellings near Rutten Lane in Yarnton.

But the reservations over flooding and affordable housing now appear to have been dropped with both councils accepting the developers' claims the new homes would not add to flood risk.

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Yarnton parish councillor, Steven Smith, said: "We are rather disappointed.

"The inspector hasn't really taken on board our concerns.

A sketch of the site near Yarnton called PR9. Picture: Merton College.

"It looks like Merton will get their planning application and existing flooding will remain as is."

Oxfordshire County Council says its original objection was based on "lack of information" from the developer to make an assessment of the proposals for surface water run-off. 

A spokesman added: "The developer subsequently provided information on how the site was to be developed in line with national and local standards and there were a number of site visits to the area during that period. 

"This concluded from the information provided that the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) scheme for this site was appropriate and the county council therefore withdrew its objection."

But Mr Smith said: "They have failed to see what locals are having to live with.

Flooded Yarnton.

"Some areas are more prone than others.

"We weren't invited to the site visits.

"There doesn't seem to be any strategy for dealing with the flooding."

Heavy rainfall in 2021 left many of Yarnton’s roads submerged underwater.

But planning agents for Merton College claim the proposed homes would “improve, not worsen, the current flooding situation”.

Green councillor Ian Middleton said: “Much as I appreciate that the county council is bound by the limitations of national planning guidance, they have done precious little to ensure that this development will not make a difficult situation in Yarnton even worse.

"An agency worker was sent to the inquiry who was poorly informed about the situation on this site and the officer representing Cherwell District Council on flooding accepted the reassurances from the developer on face value.

Ian Middleton. (Image: Contributed)

"Both councils then withdrew their objections leaving only the Parish Council and me to push for more consideration over flooding risk."

Mr Middleton also raised concerns over a lower amount of affordable housing on the site being agreed than initially anticipated despite the fact that setting it at 50 per cent to match the city council’s requirements was "the whole point of the local plan review exercise".

The county council says there is a long list of proposals that are being looked at by the flood group to improve resilience of the local community which the Lead Local Flood Authority is inputting into.

A Cherwell District spokesman said: “Evidence for this Planning Inquiry has been appropriately presented to the Planning Inspector and the Council awaits the Inspector’s decision.”