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Eco-town warriors stage protest

5:24pm Tuesday 17th June 2008

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Protesters led by the father of tennis star Tim Henman held a demonstration outside County Hall in Oxford today to fight plans for a giant eco-town near Weston-on-the-Green.

About 20 protesters from the campaign group Weston Front, including chairman Tony Henman, brandished placards to voice their opposition to the Weston Otmoor development that could see up to 15,000 homes built on 800 acres of farmland near the village, close to the A34/M40 junction.

The Oxfordshire eco-town is on a national shortlist of fifteen drawn up by the Government.

Mr Henman was among three campaigners who addressed county councillors to outline the objections of residents from 15 towns and villages including Bicester and Kidlington.

Mr Henman said: "These homes could bring an additional 25,000 new cars to the A34/M40, which is already heavily congested. We are not against new homes but this is not the right site."

The campaign group is urging people to join a protest rally at Weston-on-the-Green on Sunday.

The county council's cabinet will decide whether to officially support or oppose the proposals at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Weston Front protesters are also planning to join other eco-town campaign groups for a demonstration outside the House of Commons on Monday, June 30.

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Your Say YourOxford Mail

Nimby, Upper class suburbs says...
6:08pm Tue 17 Jun 08

Not in my back yard

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CW, Nearby says...
7:26pm Tue 17 Jun 08

I agree - classic nimbyism. Weston snobs with xenophobic attitudes not wanting the risk of 'affordable housing' near them. Oh and tennis star...???

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Colin, Nr Deddington says...
8:29pm Tue 17 Jun 08

A really silly place for an eco-town .
Weston is in no-way a brown-field site and the airfield does not even have hard runways. It will blight local villages and probable Bicester as well, and play havoc with the A34, M40 and their junction.

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Nag Dealer, Poole says...
9:25pm Tue 17 Jun 08

why not get rid of all the residents of Campsfield and build it there.

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Kevan Barnhill, Weston On The Green says...
9:58pm Tue 17 Jun 08

Classic nimbyism? Only if dumping another 20-25 thousand cars on to the already stationary A34 is nimbyism....only if destroying an SSSI is nimbyism....only if concreting over 2000 acres of virgin farmland is nimbyism....only if building homes on a flood plain is nimbyism....only if wrecking the lives of people in 7 villages is nimbyism....only if destroying any chance of development in Kidlington and Bicester is nimbyism. Weston snobs? I grew up in Blackbird Leys, am I a snob? Xenophobic? No - just sick to death of sad little people who want to dictate other peoples lives. 'Affordable housing'? Our parish council has been trying for years to get somebody - anybody - to build some here. "CW", grow up, stop the name calling, and examine the issues.

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JB, Oxford says...
11:05am Wed 18 Jun 08

I remember seeing a program on TV a couple of years ago presented by Kevin McCloud (of the clan McCloud) where he showed lots of existing, well-built but neglected houses that could be easily restored.

Are there any areas like this in and around Oxford?

I'm sure someone will tell me that this won't solve the (alleged) shortage so I have a second question - where are all these people that need homes currently living? If the answer is rented accomodation then we've identified one cause of the perceived shortage i.e. too many properties that could be owned by the occupants are actually owned by landlords. (presumably thanks to the buy-to-let boom of the last 10 or so years)

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sid, Bicester says...
7:58pm Wed 18 Jun 08

Great case for turning the A-34 into the M-34,Problem solved.Park and ride on the village green, Think of the rail link,brilliant idea.Lorry park next to Weston Manor serving all day breakfasts.Taxi rank at the Ben Johnson.Bring it on !!!!!!!

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Ox, Oxford says...
8:11pm Wed 18 Jun 08

Nice one Sid,you wouldnt buy a used car from any of those protesters would you.Henmans Henchman!!!!! Sid, dont forget the Eco towns own airport. I remember when Barton,Headington and Littlemore were all villages,now they are just suburbs of Oxford.Weston,Cheste
rton,Kirtlington will be the same,suburbs of Bicester.I wonder what that will do to the price of Henmans pad.

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Kevan Barnhill, Weston On The Green says...
9:28pm Wed 18 Jun 08

'sid', surprisingly we have a hint of some common ground! Yes, when the A34 was turned into a dual carriageway, it should have been made into a motorway - but that will never happen now, will it? The village green might be put to good use if we reactivate the stocks...do you fancy being first in? The 'rail link' will never happen - the developers simply can't afford it - the cost would blow their entire profit. A lorry park next to the Manor? I think the owners of Cherwell Services would soon put a stop to that - they wouldn't stand to loose their profits would they? And a taxi-rank? Haven't you read the proposal? There won't be a need with the wonderful, all hours, free tram service!

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Kevan Barnhill, Weston On The Green says...
9:39pm Wed 18 Jun 08

'Ox', you're well wide of the mark with "Henman's Henchman". My hair is a little bit to long, and my politics a little to left for that! But stop and think, the value of "Henman's pad" (as you so wonderfully put it), will sky rocket - a nice piece of prime real estate like that - you could fit in a dozen nice rabbit hutch houses on that plot...so that'll be a nice million or so won't it?

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