KPC Chair's Report June 2022
Kidlington Parish Council
Chair’s report: June 2022
In the last couple of weeks two circulars were dropped through residents’ doors both of which call
for some commentary.
One was Cherwell District Council’s update on their review of the parish boundaries between
Kidlington (KPC) and Gosford & Water Eaton (GWE). Readers may remember that this was not
initiated by KPC. Cherwell consulted us in the course of a district-wide governance review, and in
response we proposed that KPC and GWE should merge because the division between the two is
anomalous and because of the benefits of strength in numbers. Cherwell in turn conducted a
consultation with residents.
The results, as detailed in the leaflet, were that 334 residents were in favour of the merger and 249
against. 301 were also in favour of our fall-back proposal that the Gosford triangle should become
part of Kidlington, and 227 against. Despite this clear majority in favour of our two proposals,
Cherwell decided against them on the basis that the turnout was low (the population of the two
parishes is about 15,000) and that GWE Parish Council opposed them. Unfortunately the responses
were not broken down between residents of the two parishes: it would be relevant to know if a
majority in GWE were in favour.
The situation will be reviewed when the massive new housing developments due in GWE have taken
place. This is an outcome KPC can certainly live with, given that we are faced with the much more
urgent and demanding issue of Stratfield Brake—on which we are working amicably with GWE, and
hope to come to a common position.
The second leaflet is of course the circular from Oxford United (OUFC) on their Stratfield Brake
proposals. This was sent out immediately after the first of the planned meetings to discuss the
proposals between the Club and the council stakeholders—the County Council, Cherwell, GWE and
KPC. The leaflet is not in any way the outcome of these discussions, but simply reflects OUFC’s
starting position. The point of the discussions still to take place is to enable the Club to develop the
proposals into a form that is sufficiently firm and detailed to enable the councils to take a decision
on them.
Contrary to the original plan, these discussions are being chaired by the Club, or rather by a PR firm
employed by the Club. Reluctantly, I have come to think that this is probably for the best: it makes
clear that none of the council stakeholders is yet committed to a particular outcome.
KPC’s position remains as it has been throughout: we are not taking a decision until the firm and
detailed proposals are available, and we will consult residents first. We are still considering how best
to do this, since all possible means have their disadvantages, and we are currently in discussion with
expert consultants on the best choice.
Whatever means we eventually choose, we are anxious that residents should be as well informed as
possible on the issue. We hope that the publicity offensive by OUFC will be matched by similar
efforts from organizations such as Kidlington Development Watch (
https://www.kidlingtondw.org/)
and the newly-formed Friends of Stratfield Brake. The issue is highly complicated, difficult and
contentious, and it is essential that the views on all sides should be heard.
