There is a flurry of activity and concern about the submission of a further planning application by Euro Garages for the area between Wardington and the M40 – https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/21/02467/F
Having got permission for the monstrous warehouse, they are having a second go for a motorway services station, four story office building, two fast food outlets and a 240 bed hotel.
Their first application was opposed and withdrawn some 3 years ago.
The reasons were:
- Unnecessary: Services already exist less than 15 miles to the north and south
- Access: Increasingly congested motorway junction and unsuitable access via the A361
- Pollution: The air between the motorway junction and Banbury is already one of the most polluted areas in Oxfordshire
- Type of Employment: A main justification for the Banbury Area 15 development was the creation of highly paid, technical, forward looking employment. The Euro Garages application provided (and still provides) virtually none of this.
- A New Hotel: There is already an hotel close to the junction. (In this new application the size of the hotel has increased from 80 beds to 240 beds)
There are 2 changes from the original application which could make their application more acceptable to the planners
- No mention of a Lorry Park
- A 4 storey Office Block is added
Despite this everyone I have spoken to feels the bad outweighs the good and it should be opposed strongly.
The Parish Council will be objecting.
The volume of objections makes a difference. The more the better.
As a resident of Wardington, I object to this development. The motorway junction is often congested as it is. Another development would create even more traffic and air pollution on the roundabout. This kind of investment would be a lot more beneficial if aimed towards developing Banbury town centre and give the high street a much needed boost.
Thanks for posting your comment. If you haven’t already posted this to the council website, please do so. You can find a link to comment or object to an application on the application details page, linked to in the original post. Thanks.
Thanks for posting the links to the planning application Andrew,. This was inevitable with the developers of the current distribution centre already doing the groundwork for this Beaconsfield Services style project obviously confident they will get this application through this time. I have like last time lodged my objections in detail but I do not hold out much hope.