Sheep Street Development

Burford Primary (50% oversubscribed) and Burford Secondary have turned away children; many from Cotswold Gate cannot attend their local school, and the primary school site cannot expand.
OCC and WODC research shows oversubscribed schools increase inequality and weaken community as children must be transported elsewhere.

Burford surgery is at 7,860 patients.

The proposed site covers the fields on Sheep Street, from the Surgery to the cemetery, where Battle Edge was fought in 752AD. Its historical importance is key to the area. This site should be celebrated not developed.

The Priory land directly opposite is listed as Ancient Woodlands. Any Development result in flooding and disappearance of this ancient landscape.

Read about Battle Edge on Wikipedia

WODC planners do not understand the concept of AONB :

"Situated to the west of the town, the preferred spatial option would be located in the Cotswolds National Landscape but due to the slope of the land, would be well contained within the local landscape" 

They mean that the site will not be seen from the A40. The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is not a view. It is an area which not only encompasses fields, slopes, or wooded areas, but also villages and historical settlements. 

As Cotswolds National Landscape highlights:

"This desire for new houses has already compromised the internal and external form of many settlements. Erosion of the special character of the edges of settlements is a particular problem, as towns and villages have become ‘suburbanised’ by development that is entirely inappropriate."

• Burford traffic is worsening, with more coaches and increased air pollution from idling vehicles.
• Sheep Street and Tanners Lane function as single-lane roads; the proposal adds about 150 more cars to them.
• The Town Council also suggested locating a coach and car park there.
• Without direct A40 access, the development and parking will worsen congestion and push more traffic through existing rat-run routes. 

 • In January 2023, BTC and WODC strongly opposed 70 homes at Cole’s Field, citing harm to the AONB, the Conservation Area, access issues, and serious infrastructure limits. They declared they would lodge strong objections.
• Now they support a similar-sized development on the opposite side of town with the same issues.
• This reverses their previous statements on landscape impact, heritage harm, access, and infrastructure strain.
• The question remains: what changed? 

• Cotswold Gate already increased Burford’s population by 25% in four years; adding 70 more homes would mean a total 34% rise, which is not proportionate.
• The new site qualifies as a major development; WODC must show exceptional need, which cannot simply be “more houses needed in West Oxfordshire.”
• Burford currently has 55 Airbnb listings and 24 homes for sale; several “affordable” homes are now on the market at £325–£435k, including eight at Cotswold Gate.
• Where is the evidence that 70 new homes meet a proven local housing need? Development should not be driven by landowner and developer profit at the expense of Burford. 

 • Burford and Woodstock are identified as towns with economies centered on tourism, with Burford’s strength being its charm and character. Footfall in Burford rose 31% from Jan 2023–Aug 2024, while Woodstock’s fell 10%.
• The report highlights traffic and limited parking as Burford’s main weaknesses.
• Turning Burford into a commuter town and adding a development plus coach and car park on West Sheep Street (without A40 access) would increase traffic and harm the town’s appeal and economy.
• Instead of building outward on AONB land, WODC could meet housing targets by increasing affordable housing density (e.g., flats in three-storey buildings on brownfield sites) rather than expanding costly, car-dependent sprawl.