Preferred Spatial Options Consultation: Factors to Consider

Disproportionate Growth

• Long Hanborough has already grown by 56% since 2011 — more than four times the district average.
• A further 300 houses would increase the size of the village by a further 18%, pushing overall growth to around 32% above 2021 levels.
• This far exceeds what WODC officers have informally described as “reasonable and proportionate” growth (around 10%).

Key point for your response: Ask WODC to clearly define “proportionate growth” in the Local Plan, and to recognise that Hanborough has already exceeded this threshold.

Tier 2 Service Centre – Misleading Classification

WODC proposes to continue classifing Long Hanborough as a Tier 2 Service Centre, suggesting it acts as a key local hub for services, employment, and transport. However, this classification is not supported by evidence and overstates the village’s true capacity.

Compared with other Tier 2 settlements such as Eynsham, Burford, and Woodstock, Hanborough lacks key amenities:

• No secondary school, library, fire station, or policing base.
• The GP surgery is already full, with no room for expansion.
• Limited retail provision – one co-op, one café, two pubs, and one takeaway.
• Very few local jobs and no defined commercial centre.

Hanborough therefore does not function as a service centre for surrounding villages and is already struggling to meet local needs.

Railway Station – Not a Sustainable Justification for Growth

WODC’s main reason for keeping Hanborough in Tier 2 is its railway station. However, the latest Oxfordshire County Council consultation and the OxRAIL 2040: Plan for Rail report both confirm that there are no firm plans or funding commitments to expand Hanborough station’s facilities or capacity.

• The OxRAIL 2040 strategy focuses on new stations (at Begbroke, Cowley, and Wantage & Grove) and broader line upgrades rather than major improvements at existing rural stations like Hanborough.
• It describes the Cotswold Line, which Hanborough sits on, as facing “capacity and connectivity constraints” — but offers no funded solutions in the short or medium term.
• Most of the delivery phases for infrastructure improvements extend to the late 2030s, well beyond this Local Plan period.

The reality on the ground in Hanborough is that:

• Service frequency is limited and reliability is inconsistent.
• Parking is already overstretched, forcing cars onto nearby roads.
• 81% of station users arrive by car, and only about one-third live locally.
• Bus services do not connect well with train times or nearby villages.
• Census and HAG survey data show that only a small proportion of residents use public transport, with more than 75% relying on private cars.

These facts demonstrate that the station currently does not reduce car dependency and cannot be considered a sustainable growth driver. Without confirmed investment, it is unsound to base housing allocations or settlement classification on the assumption of future station improvements that may not occur for a decade or more.

Key point for your response: Explain that Hanborough’s railway station cannot support additional large-scale development. It lacks the capacity, accessibility, and integration with other transport modes to justify Tier 2 status, and the OxRAIL 2040 report confirms that improvements are long-term aspirations rather than deliverable projects.

Environment and Biodiversity

The proposed site (marked K on WODC’s consultation map) is right next to Pinsley Wood, a designated ancient woodland and County Wildlife Site.

• The area supports rare bats, badgers and roe deer.
• It forms part of an important wildlife corridor connecting the wood with open countryside.
• Development would breach National Planning Policy Framework paragraph 183 and Local Plan Policies EH2 and EN2 on biodiversity.

Key point for your response: Stress the ecological importance of Pinsley Wood and its surrounding fields, and the legal protections that should prevent development in this sensitive area.

Transport and Connectivity

Despite being cited as a benefit, Hanborough’s transport links are not sustainable:

• The station car park is often full, and parking pressure spreads into residential streets.
• Bus services have been reduced (the S7 and E1 routes cut or withdrawn).
• The Lower Road railway bridge is narrow and unsafe for heavy traffic.
• The proposed housing site is well beyond the 10-minute walking or cycling radius from village amenities.

Key point for your response: Question how this location can be described as sustainable when it will clearly increase car use, congestion, and emissions — contrary to WODC’s own transport and climate policies.

Infrastructure at Breaking Point

Local services are already under pressure:

• Early-years childcare is oversubscribed.
• The primary school has limited expansion options.
• Secondary education (Bartholomew School, Eynsham) is full.
• Water and sewage systems are inadequate — Thames Water confirmed local capacity shortfalls.
• GP surgery parking and appointment availability are already stretched.

Key point for your response: Ask how WODC can justify new housing allocations when no funded plan exists to improve these essential services.

Flood Risk

The proposed site, off Lower Road, is known to flood regularly. Building here would increase runoff, overwhelm local drainage, and conflict with Policy EN5 (Flood Risk and Water Management).

Key point for your response: Refer to the site’s flood history and ask for transparent, site-specific flood risk evidence before any land is allocated.

Loss of Rural Character

The development would extend the village towards the Botley West solar farm and Salt Cross Garden Village, creating continuous urban sprawl and erasing the green gap that defines Hanborough’s identity. This undermines Policy EH1, which protects rural landscape character.

Key point for your response: Highlight that this proposal would permanently alter the landscape and blur the distinct boundaries between Hanborough and neighbouring settlements.

Community Wellbeing

Recent surveys show strong local sentiment:

• 95% of residents are happy with Hanborough as it is.
• 92% believe more housing would not create a happier community.
• 68% report anxiety about ongoing development uncertainty.

Key point for your response: Stress the social and wellbeing impacts of overdevelopment. Planning policy now recognises community health and cohesion as legitimate considerations.

What You Can Do

Every resident’s voice counts. When submitting your response:

• Use your own words — personalised comments carry the most weight.
• Focus on facts — infrastructure limits, sustainability, biodiversity and wellbeing.
• Reference policy conflicts (e.g. NPPF 183, OS2, EH2, EN5) to strengthen your case.
• Submit within the six-week consultation period (exact deadline to be confirmed) via the WODC consultation portal or by email.