New doctors’ surgery in Lower Wolvercote cancelled

Dear Neighbours,

The change of use application for the surgery space at Wolvercote Mill was approved by the Planning Committee of Oxford City Council on Tuesday 9 March. In spite of all our efforts we failed to secure the relocation of the current satellite surgery.
I am afraid that the decision was inevitable because the legal advice the Committee received, and the advice of Planning Officers, was that the developers had fulfilled the terms of the 106 condition, which did not explicitly state that a fitted-out surgery should be provided free.
The Clinical Commissioning Group standard, even for a relocated surgery, meant that a fit-out could have cost up to £1m. The CCG has no capital and, even if it had, its policy is not to fund surgeries unless there are more new residents than there will be at Wolvercote Mill together with Oxford  North in the future.
If CALA Homes had fitted out the surgery (and they were not required to do so), the rent needed would have been unaffordable. There was no possibility that funding could be found from elsewhere. We considered using some Infrastructure Levy money, but we could not have made enough of a difference.
We tried very hard to solve the problems. I had several email exchanges and a meeting with the CCG , and Layla Moran wrote to them twice. Mary Brown and I had a meeting with the Land Director of Cala Homes.
Lower Wolvercote’s current surgery is very small and on a restricted site. It is a highly valued local amenity. We must do whatever we can to maintain and, if possible,  improve it.
I do not think that it is either possible or sensible to attribute blame to any of the parties involved in this. Unaffordable costs, lack of money, a long-standing 106, and CCG rules combined to make it impossible.

Christopher Hardman
Chair
Wolvercote Neighbourhood Forum

Lower Wolvercote Surgery – decision delayed

The West Area Planning Committee two days ago delayed making a decision, by seven votes to two, on the change of use application for the surgery space and workshops to flats until the next meeting. The Committee was seeking clarification of a number of issues. This provides a little time but there is no presumption that it means that an eventual decision will be to reject the planning application, perhaps quite the contrary. However, we will continue to do what we can and keep you in the picture.

Thanks again to all of you who commented to the Council on this planning application.

Education funding for Oxford North – Threat to funding for our community projects

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

Danger of no GP Surgery at Wolvercote Mill Site

In September 2020 a planning application was made by the developer of the Mill Site, CALA Homes, for a Change of Use from the GP Surgery shown on the original plans to residential flats. The Neighbourhood Forum and the Wolvercote Commoners’ Committee have written to all residents on their mailing lists urging them to comment on this application. The deadline for comments has now been extended to 28th December.  The Forum’s revised letter gives more information.  From the original letter at least eighty letters, mostly objecting to the application, were sent to the Council.  


Neighbourhood Plan Referendum Postponed

Owing to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, as the May Elections have been postponed, the referendum to approve our Neighbourhood Plan has also been postponed.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 7th April 2020, the Government appreciates that this postponement “will be frustrating for communities that have dedicated significant time and effort to the neighbourhood planning process and naturally want their plans to come into force as soon as possible. With this in mind, they have updated current planning guidance to set out that neighbourhood plans awaiting referendums can be given significant weight in decision-making.”

When the referendum is eventually rescheduled, we hope you will

Vote to support the Plan.