Henmans spearhead eco-town protest

7:09pm Thursday 3rd April 2008

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The parents of former tennis star Tim Henman are spearheading the fight against plans to build a 15,000-home eco-town yards from their village.

Tony and Jane Henman and neighbours in Weston-on-the-Green, near Bicester, said they were outraged by a Government decision to shortlist the site for a potentially massive housing development.

They said the proposed town - called Weston Otmoor by developers Parkridge Holdings - would change their village beyond recognition if it was given the go-ahead.

But Government housing minister Caroline Flint said developments, such as the one proposed in Weston, would allow people less fortunate than the Henmans to climb the property ladder.

Mr Henman said he was very disappointed by the announcement. "I have seen a few villagers and they are in shock. If it goes ahead, the traffic will be horrendous," he said.

"We are certainly up for the challenge. In the end common sense will prevail."

Yesterday's Department for Communities and Local Government decision meant the scheme would now be one of 15 considered as a means of averting a housing shortfall in the South East.

Weston Otmoor was put on the shortlist ahead of more than 40 other proposed eco-town locations - including Shipton Quarry in Oxfordshire.

In the autumn, after a public consultation, villagers will find out whether the scheme will be one of 10 submitted for planning permission.

Parkridge Holdings plans to build up to 15,000 zero-carbon homes, a new railway station, tram service and park-and-ride system, as well as new schools and libraries on the site next to the A34 and the Oxford to Bicester railway line.

The company said construction work could begin by 2010.

Mr Henman has formed the Weston Front Action Group and has set up a fighting fund.

But Ms Flint said: "Those people who have got a home of their own, including Mr and Mrs Henman, are very fortunate and good luck to them.

"But there are many children who are not in the same position as Tim Henman, whose mums and dads are worried about whether their kids are going to be able to get on the property ladder."

Norman Machin, 65, a member of the action group, said: "This announcement has caused immense distress."

Matt Jackson, head of biodiversity for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, which owns some of the land earmarked for development, said building the eco-town could threaten rare plants and butterflies which had made the area their home.

Eco-towns are intended to be a three-pronged response to climate change, the need for sustainable living and the need to increase housing supply, according to the Government.

Each of the new towns - dubbed "Brown's Towns" after Prime Minister Gordon Brown - will use recycled materials in order to minimise waste during construction and balance development with green spaces.

Households may find their waste food or wood is used to fuel a combined heat and power plant.

Walking and cycling will be encouraged by the provision of free public transport, bus priority schemes and car clubs.

Other initiatives used by European eco-towns include the use of gas from sewerage works to power buses, and car-sharing schemes.

The site is favoured because it is next to a railway line, which can take people in and out of Oxford in minutes.

If Weston Otmoor becomes a reality, between 3,000 and 5,000 affordable homes will be created - easing a housing shortage in Oxfordshire.

A Department for Communities and Local Government report claimed there were 3,965 households on housing waiting lists in Oxford and another 3,400 in Cherwell.

The department claimed the development was in an area of "extreme affordability pressure".

Other schemes being considered to alleviate Oxford's housing shortage include a proposal to build 4,000 homes on land to the south of Grenoble Road, in Greater Leys.

That proposal is backed in principle by Oxford City Council, but opposed by the Conservative-run county council.

Last year, then housing minister Yvette Cooper took a swipe at Conservative opposition to the Grenoble Road plans when she called the party NITS ('Not in Tory Seats').

The contentious land falls within the control of South Oxfordshire District Council, which is Tory-run.