Dear Friends

This newsletter is to bring you up to date with what’s been happening in the last few weeks with the campaign against the Penbridge development. Members of the action group have been busy on your behalf, co-ordinating the first phase of the campaign – our initial response to the County Council Structure Plan.

The action group would like to thank everyone who completed a response form. On 5th November, SPADE delivered 368 response forms to County Councillor Anne Purse who is responsible for the Structure Plan. With “on line” responses and those sent direct, the total is over 400 forms. You may have seen the coverage on the front cover of the Oxford Courier (see Press coverage ). We received massive support from the residents of Bayworth, Sunningwell, Lincombe Lane and Boars Hill. Forms also came from further afield, including the further reaches of Boar’s Hill and Sugworth Lane in particular. 2800 forms were received by the Council, this means that ours represent about 1/7th of the total. A fantastic effort, when we had so little warning and time to act, but -

The threat is real – it has not gone away

The landowner Mr Ted Wilcox has formally proposed the Penbridge development to the County Council as an alternative to the housing planned in Grenoble Road, Oxford – stating that Penbridge is a better option. The plan shows that the development will stretch from Bayworth, up to Chandlings School, to Bayworth Manor, run alongside the A34 and down to Long Furlong, behind Whitecross and surround Blagrove Farm before enveloping Sunningwell Village. This is approximately 600 acres, not the 150 proposed by Mr Wilcox at the public meeting.

What are SPADE doing now?

• Analysing the Wilcox proposal (see the full submission and village noticeboards for a copy of the proposal).
• Examining and responding to the Highways Agency Route Management Strategy for the A34 including the policies which would affect the Wilcox proposal.
• Networking with other groups to co-ordinate campaigns.
• Preparing guidance for the letter writing and lobbying campaign ( for launch in Jan – March 2004).
• Fundraising – we will be seeking your support.
• Preparing for the Structure Plan “Examination in Public” in Spring 2004 (we expect SPADE to participate on behalf of those who requested representation).
  

What can you do to help?

• Come to the next public meeting on the 7th January 2004
• Prepare to write to Oxfordshire County Councillors to lobby them (see newsletter No 1 for details – we will be providing more guidance and advice at the public meeting).
• Lobby the Highways Agency regarding the A34 and the Abingdon North Junction – details in the next newsletter.
• Volunteer to help SPADE – contact any of the people below.
• Keep up to date with news by visiting www.sunningwell.org or watching whats posted on the village notice boards.
• Help us fundraise – we need professional advice to ensure we put forward the best case possible – this will need money.
• Talk to your friends and family in the nearby area – the campaign will shortly spread out to cover Radley, Kennington, Wootton, North Abingdon, Whitecross, Shippon and Boars Hill. All of these areas will be badly affected by the development.

Contact SPADE