Oxford United has confirmed that the Cherwell District Council committee meeting to determine the club’s new stadium planning application will take place on Thursday 14 August.
The report by Cherwell’s Planning Teamrecommends councillors approve the plans. If the Planning Committee agrees, the application will then be referred to the Secretary of State — a standard procedure for a proposal of this scale.
Jonathon Clarke, Development Director at Oxford United, said:
“This is a significant and positive step towards our goal of building a world-class venue that safeguards the Club’s future.
We now have confirmation of when the Planning Committee will meet and look forward to them hopefully endorsing the positive recommendation made by their professional officers.”
Oxford United Football Club has submitted a full planning application for a new 16,000-seat stadium and associated facilities on a 7.17-hectare site known as The Triangle, located between Stratfield Brake and Oxford Parkway Railway Station in Kidlington.
The plans include commercial, community, and hospitality spaces, as well as extensive landscaping and transport infrastructure.
The site lies within the Oxford Green Belt and is not allocated for development in the adopted or emerging Local Plans. As such, Oxford United’s proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt and must demonstrate “Very Special Circumstances” (VSC) to gain approval.
Officers acknowledge the site’s strong contribution to preventing urban sprawl and the merging of Oxford and Kidlington.
While the development would weaken the “Kidlington Gap” and have localised landscape, visual, and ecological impacts, the applicant’s VSC case — including the urgent need for relocation, lack of alternatives, and public benefits — is considered “comprehensive and compelling.”
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Mitigation measures have been secured to achieve a neutral impact on transport, biodiversity, infrastructure, and residential amenity.
After weighing the planning balance, officers concluded that the harm to the Green Belt and other identified impacts is clearly outweighed by the proposal’s benefits.
It is therefore recommended that members resolve to grant planning permission, subject to the set conditions and completion of a planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
