Our local councillors put forward 4 projects, proposed by residents, for funding from the over £250k Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) accumulated in the Wolvercote Neighbourhood area in the period before our plan was made.

These were:

1. White Hart Pub & market garden seating
2. Cutteslow Park Woodland Trail
3. Five Mile Drive notice board
4. John Rowland portrait and clock

They were not accepted by Council Officers. Council policy is that projects from areas without a made plan have to be included in the annual City budget. The council, however, had failed to divulge to local residents and councillors in neighbourhoods without a made plan how they might influence decisions on the local portion of CIL. There is currently no process by which councillors can apply to have projects in the annual budget.

It is also Council policy that this pot of CIL funding can be used anywhere in the city, no matter where it is raised.  Obviously, we think that the money should be used to mitigate the effects of development in the actual area where it takes place. The City Council thinks ‘the area’ is the whole city.

Andrew Gant, Liz Wade, and I had a meeting on Thursday 3 March to discuss this with the Chief Executive of the City Council. A note of the paper we presented can be found here. We will keep you up to date.

We will now fund the 4 approved projects from the smaller pot of CIL money that became available after our Neighbourhood Plan was made.

Christopher Hardman

Chair Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum 

The Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum Steering Committee met on 22 October 2021, and made the following recommendations for Community Projects to be allocated CIL funding. These recommendations will now be taken to the City Council by the local City Councillors. For more details, see the WNF website.

Defribrillator for Five Mile Drive / Lakeside area: Not recommended for funding.
A34 sound survey: Not recommended for funding.
John Rowland portrait and clock: Recommended for funding.
Five Mile Drive notice board: Recommended for funding.
Harbord Road traffic survey: Not recommended for funding.
Blandford Avenue & Sunderland Avenue area traffic calming: Not recommended for funding at this stage.
Cutteslow Park Woodland Trail: Recommended for funding.
White Hart Pub & market garden): Recommended for funding.
Davenant Road – traffic calming Phase 2: Not recommended for funding at this stage.
Tree planting on Nixey’s Field): Recommended for funding.
Lower Wolvercote playground improvement: Not recommended for funding at this stage.
Godstow Road canal steps improvement: Application withdrawn.

From a communication from the Oxford North developers: 

“Hill is preparing a Reserved Matters Application (RMA) for Canalside, part of Oxford North. Canalside forms the area to the south of the A40 and will deliver the first phase of new homes, public park, streets, and landscaping.
As part of Oxford North’s continued community engagement, we invite you to join a public consultation event between 9am and 1pm on Saturday 27th November 2021 at Jurys Inn, Godstow Rd, Oxford.
Here you can view our proposals and discuss the timescales for our application.
Most importantly, we are seeking your views on the application and the project team will
be on hand to answer any questions you may have.”
“If you do plan to attend we are implementing a booking system to maintain social distancing and to reduce the risk of COVID spreading.
Please email: oxfordnorth@hill.co.uk or phone: 0800 032 6760 to reserve an hour time slot.
9:00-10:00 10:00-11:00 11:00-12:00 12:00-1:00″

For more details see the flyer about the meeting.

Applications for eleven projects in the WNF area were received in the first round (closing date 7th October). 
Comments from the community are encouraged to help the steering committee make decisions on funding. 
The deadline for comments to be received has been extended to 21st October 2021.
See https://www.wolvercotenf.org.uk/cil-funded-projects/ for more details.

The application process is now open for the first round of funding for projects in the WNF area, funded by the Neighbourhood Portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy..

See https://www.wolvercotenf.org.uk/cil-funded-projects/ for more details.

Information will shortly appear here about the application process, which is soon to be opened, for local projects funded by Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL ) money.

…That was the term used when the plan was officially accepted by the full City Council on 23rd June 2012, following the referendum landslide. It means that our Plan, like the Local Plan, now has to be considered in deciding planning applications. It also means that the community is entitled to a larger share of the money from local developments. If you want to see how it happened on Wednesday 23 June look at the City Council’s YouTube channel.
Christopher Hardman , Steering Committee Chair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY-6gwy0FuU: from 05:05

It is urgent because the closing date for comments on the current planning application is 26 May. See the application on the City Council website ref: 21/ 01053/Res
https://public.oxford.gov.uk/onl…/applicationDetails.do…

Work on Oxford North Phase One will start soon and construction will affect local residents. Now is the time to tell planners what you think about the detailed proposals and also what might be done to minimise damage to nature, pollution, congestion, and disturbance from noise. Everyone will be affected by proposals for soil movement and lorry movement on the A40, A44, and at the Wolvercote roundabout.

If you live in Goose Green Close, Rawson Close , Mere Road, Millway Close, the tops of Woodstock Road and Godstow Road, Linkside or Lakeside, you will want to look carefully at the proposals for the times and days on which work will be done and when deliveries to the site are proposed.

Background information to letter to Oxford Times 17/12/20 “Council Clash Brewing”

It will cost £2.62m to expand Wolvercote School and provide the school places
needed by the 480 homes planned for Oxford North. The County Council, responsible
for the provision of education, was clear that it would object to the planning
application for the development unless the funding was secured. The City Council has
now chosen to ignore the County Council’s objection and approve the application
without making any provision for education funding.

More details