On Thursday 15 July, Cherwell District Council’s planning committee resolved to approve an application for 825 new homes. Providing land for the new football ground is a requirement associated with this planning permission.
700 of the new homes will occupy land to the southeast of Longford Park on a site allocated for housing in the council’s Local Plan. A further 125 will occupy part of an adjoining site identified for the new football ground with a secondary school. A new access road will connect to Oxford Road and parkland will be provided.
An agreement to secure the land for the football ground must be made before planning permission is granted. There will also need to be a legal agreement to secure contributions towards the improvement or development of other local leisure facilities, highways improvements; and to ensure that 30 per cent of the homes are affordable.
As the planning application is at the outline stage, ‘reserved matters’ applications will need to be received and determined before work can begin. This would detail the design and layout of the new homes. A separate application will also be needed for the new football ground.
Councillor Colin Clarke, Lead Member for Planning, said: “Residents know that Longford Park is a key housing location for the growth of Banbury. This planning application reflects housing allocations in our Local Plan, which guides our vision for development in the district.
“New homes have to come with the right infrastructure and that includes leisure provision. When we adopted the Local Plan, we included a commitment to help Banbury United move to a new site. This decision is a positive step towards securing a new ground.
“As a local councillor I know that Banbury United is a very important part of the life of the town. Coming off the back of England’s superb run at Euro 2020, this is more footballing news that local fans can welcome.”
