A BID by an Oxford college to stop land in West Oxford being protected from development has prompted fears there could be building on the site.

Christ Church has submitted a “deposit” to Oxfordshire County Council for a parcel of land it owns opposite homes in Binsey, used anually for a village fete for the last seven years.

The deposit was submitted on October 22.

If the deposit is registered, the land would be protected from new rights of way, including an attempt to register it as a village green and protect it from development.

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Now villagers have just under nine months to decide whether they wish to make a village green bid, before the deposit comes into force.

Binsey Lane resident of 32 years Dr Stephen Cobb said villagers would hold a meeting about the issue early in the new year.

The 67-year-old said: “Our concern is that this is just something that makes it easier for a landowner to contemplate filling up the centre of Binsey at a later date.”

In the past, he said, planning applications in the area had been turned down due to concerns about flooding.

“But when they have built the Western Conveyance scheme it could be designated an area less liable to flood and that could cue more attemps to develop the land.

“I have no practical objection to Christ Church saying they own the land, but doing this makes it harder for our community to say we use it for communal purposes.”

Mr Cobb said villagers were considering making a village green bid.

Under the Commons Act 2006 this can be done for pieces of land “used by local people for lawful sports and pastimes for at least 20 years”.

The legislation replaced what many greens were registered under in the 1960s, the Commons Registration Act 1965.

Mr Cobb added: “We have held Binsey’s village fete on the common each year and I think people feel it has revived a previously long-standing tradition.

“We want it to continue.

“Binsey residents in the past missed the opportunity to register the green under the Commons Registration Act and I believe there is still an opportunity to do that now. We will meet in the new year to decide how we will go about it.”

James Lawrie, Christ Church treasurer, told the Oxford Mail: “We have no present intentions to submit a planning application for our land in Binsey.

“[This land deposit] is to prevent people establishing rights of way on our land.”

 

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