LANDOWNERS and developers are scrambling to get in on the act to provide thousands of new homes for Witney and West Oxfordshire.

Five major sites have been put forward for the next phase of Witney's expansion, while smaller sites are potential development areas for the district's two other major towns, Carterton and Chipping Norton.

Over the coming two months, all will be reviewed as part of public consultation in the drawing up of a Local Development Framework (LDF) - formerly the Local Plan - for the district through to the year 2026.

In Witney, the major sites are all greenfield, and submissions for them have come in from two consortiums, a development company and planning consultancy.

They are . . .

* 107 acres of land south of the A40 Witney bypass and bordering on part of Ducklington village (JWPC Ltd - Abbey Developments).

* The 'Cogges triangle', 32 acres of land east of the existing Cogges estate and bordering on the A40 and Oxford Road (Carter Jonas - East Witney Land Consortium).

* 23 acres of land north of Oxford Road (Carter Jonas - East Witney Land Consortium).

* North Witney, 58 acres directly north of the existing Madley Park estate (RPS - North Witney Consortium).

*North Curbridge, 72 acres north of the A40 between Deer Park Road and Downs Road (Barton Wilmore partnership).

Smaller sites have also been put forward for housing, including the Buttercross Works, off Station Lane, land south of Curbridge, and land at the north end of Ducklington. The size of the five major sites indicates that landowners and developers see the town as most likely to take the brunt of future housebuilding in the district.

But it also puts greater pressure on the town's need for a better road system. This week, the county council is preparing to put in its latest planning application for the Cogges Link Road, with the earliest opening date now 2011 (see Page 3).

West Oxfordshire District Council's cabinet gave the go-ahead for consultation on the LDF on Wednesday. Tina Rowley, planning policy manager, said the process should begin by the end of the month, and continue until May 12.

"If there is a call for public meetings, we will attend them," she said. "Full details of all the sites that have been put forward for development, across the district, are on our website. Copies are also available at the council offices."

Targets for new housing, both private and social, are set by the Government, but it is down to local councils to determine where they should go.

The target for West Oxfordshire, from 2006 to 2026, is 7,300 new homes. Out of that, a total of 3,730 have been built, are being built, or have allocated sites.

That leaves land to be found for 3,570, and the process is under way to specify them.

"This is an early stage of development plan preparation," added Ms Rowley. "The figures may change a little, but this is what we are going on now.

"What is clear is that the vast majority will have to be found on greenfield sites, because there is a lack of brownfield in the district. People will have all kind of views on the submissions put forward. In Witney, there has been an indication that the North Curbridge site is an area for development, but it is not yet included as a commitment.

"It would, in any case, only take up a part of the 3,570 homes, and we need to review it in the light of available alternatives. It should be emphasised that there is no council commitment to any of these as yet unallocated sites."

After consultation, the council expects to draw up a core strategy, which will be submitted to the Government in July next year.

* Full details, including maps, can be found on the council website westoxon.gov.uk, following the links via Local Development Framework.

Source: Witney Gazette