Caversfield Parish Council

Working for the village of Caversfield

Caversfield Parish Council

Dymocks Farm Planning Application – 26/00452/OUT

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The Parish Council considered planning application reference 26/00452/OUT at its meeting on 18 March and has resolved to agree to object to the application on the following grounds:

  • beyond the current boundaries of the village and is contrary to local planning policies, particularly the settlement hierarchy contained in both the current and emerging Local Plans;
  • adverse impact of local services and infrastructure, including power and water supply and the effect on surrounding properties which rely on bore holes;
  • adverse impact on the landscape;
  • does not represent sustainable development;
  • highway safety considerations.

It is also contrary to both CDC and the Parish Council’s Biodiversity and Climate Emergency stance.

The planning application is available on CDC’s planning portal at https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/26/00452/OUT

More information about Cherwell’s Local Plans can be found on their website at https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/info/83/local-plans

The current, adopted, Local Plan (to 2031) is available on the CDC website at https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/downloads/download/45/adopted-cherwell-local-plan-2011-2031-part-1

The emerging Local Plan, which has been submitted to the Planning Inspector for examination, is available within the Core Documents section of https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/local-plan-review-2042-submission – see the Cherwell Local Plan Review 2042 Proposed Submission (December 2024)

The Village Categorisation information is available on

  • page 246 in the Policy Villages 1 section of the current Plan and
  • pages 24 and 25 in Policy SP 1 of the emerging plan (the Settlement Hierarchy section)

There are also many other policies about sustainable development and infrastructure for consideration.

It is worth noting that a previous application for the site 07/00225/OUT was withdrawn, but much of the Officer Report to the Committee, which can be found in the Supporting Documents section, is relevant to this current application.

Anyone wishing to submit a response can use the points above as a basis for a response, but it is strongly encouraged to write things from a personal perspective as the responses which are a ‘carbon copy’ are likely to carry less weight.

The planning portal deadline for responses to this application is 18 April.  It will be considered at a future CDC Planning Committee in due course.

Local Government Reorganisation – February 26 Update

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Three proposals for Local Government Reorganisation for Oxfordshire were submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for consideration in November last year.

MHCLG has now issued a consultation – Proposals for local government reorganisation in Oxfordshire – GOV.UK – on the three proposals and wants to hear your opinions (see the survey).

The proposals are for:

  • one council covering the whole of Oxfordshire – proposed by Oxfordshire County Council.  Known as One Oxfordshire
  • two councils covering Oxfordshire and West Berkshire – proposed by the Oxfordshire District Councils, West Berkshire Unitary Authority and Oxford City Council.  Known as Two Councils
  • three councils covering Oxfordshire with a proposed ‘greater Oxford’ area – proposed by Oxford City Council.  Known as Three Councils

All the proposals can be read in depth from the above links.

The consultation runs from 5 February to 26 March.

Bainton – proposed speed limit

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Oxfordshire County Council is asking for views on the proposal to introduce a 20mph speed limit on the unnamed road through the hamlet of Bainton

Map showing Bainton Road
Map showing Bainton Road

which will replace the existing 30mph speed limit but also extend the limit south-westwards to include the access to ‘Watergate Farm’, replacing a section of 60mph National speed limit in the process. The proposals have been put forward to help improve road safety on local roads, and follows the subsequent completion of the implementation phase of the County-wide 20mph project at the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

The consultation documents are:

Details are also available to view on the Councils consultation portal at the following link: https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/bainton_20mph2026

Any objections or other representations on the proposals should be submitted to Oxfordshire County Council by Friday 27th February 2026.

Council Tax and Parish Council Precept 2026 / 27

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The Parish Council considered the detailed budget and the Precept request (the amount the Parish Council requires for meeting the expenses of running the Council) for the year 2026 / 27 at the meeting on 21 January.

The budget of £14,622 for the year 2026/27 was agreed.  This took into account the range of Parish responsibilities including grass cutting on Skimmingdish Lane, Fringford Road and Old School Close, the Fringford Road weed spraying, the dog bin emptying, meeting costs, saving for replacement street furniture,  potential election costs, paying the Clerk, a road safety fund and reserves.

The Parish had been given the Tax Base figure (broadly, the number of Band D equivalent dwellings in the village) by CDC which was estimated at 595.5; this was an increase from 592.5 the previous year.

Following the calculations, it was agreed to increase the Precept to £11,900 which was an increase of £1,900.  The annual cost to a Band D household would be approximately £19.98 – an increase of £3.14 over the whole year.

However, it is worth noting that the Band D equivalent for a resident of Bicester for 25/26 was scheduled to be around £139.

More information about how the Tax Base figure is calculated is available at Financing the Parish Council

For anyone interested, the draft budget and precept calculations can be found under the January Items for Information at 2025 – 2026 – Agenda and Minutes of Meetings

OCC Waste Recycling Centres

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Oxfordshire County Council is changing the way the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) are used.
From the 14 January 2026 you will need to book a time slot before every visit to our HWRCs
◾ Select your site, the type of waste you are bringing and the date and time.
◾ Bookings can be made up to two weeks in advance or up to 30 minutes before your visit (subject to availability).
Once you have booked your visit:
◾You will receive a confirmation email with all the details you need.
◾ They will explain what to do to ensure everything is clear and there are no surprises on the day.
As part of the booking process:
♻️ You’ll need to select the type of waste you are bringing. Sorting your items is now part of our updated terms and conditions.
♻️ Please sort all your recyclable items from your waste before you arrive on site, this will speed up your visit and help us to recycle even more.
♻️ We know that space in your car can sometimes be tight. If you are unable to sort everything before you set off, don’t worry! We have sorting areas available on site to help you out.
On the day:
◾ You will need your booking number and proof of address to show you are an Oxfordshire resident and are eligible to use our sites for free.
◾ The onsite team will greet you when you arrive, direct you to a bay and will answer any question to help you recycle as much as possible.