THIS MUST BE THE LOWEST MOMENT IN FARINGDON'S HISTORY. Town Councillors elected to work for the people and town of Faringdon have voted to SUPPORT the landowner’s plans to put a VAST industrial infrastructure development on the doorstep of the town – obliterating the town’s major environmental asset- the unique, internationally famous Wicklesham Quarry, Site of Special Scientific Interest.  YOU STILL HAVE ONE DAY LEFT TO OBJECT- EVEN IF YOU HAVE DONE SO ALREADY- please read on!

This development - OVER 46,000 SQUARE METRES- would bring total chaos to the town's roads, set a precedent for urban sprawl on the beautiful MidVale Ridge, and open the way for the SAME landowner to build on the WHOLE of Wicklesham Lodge Farm (as he is seeking to do).  Worst of all, it will obliterate our unique Site of Special Scientific Interest- the most important natural asset  the town has.  This outrageous application- SUPPORTED BY FARINGDON COUNCIL- will be decided by Oxfordshire County Council in early July.

The same councillors who fell over backwards to promote the landowner’s interests using a neighbourhood plan are now cringingly suggesting “adjustments..to MITIGATE THE IMPACTS on the town”. 

They claimed in the neighbourhood plan that building on Wicklesham Quarry was essential to the future of the town. Now it has come down to ‘MITIGATING THE IMPACTS’! This is an insult to the people of Faringdon, and it shows Faringdon Council in its TRUE COLOURS.

IS THIS WHAT YOU VOTED FOR IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN? Faringdon residents have expressed outrage at the outright lies, deceptions and fake data in the neighbourhood plan that were used to obtain support from around 900 people - none of whom appears to have written in support this planning application. IT'S TIME FOR FARINGDON RESIDENTS TO SPEAK OUT & protect their town.

Let’s be quite clear: none of the cringingly suggested ‘adjustments’ has any legal force whatsoever, as Faringdon Council is well aware, nor would they prevent the landowner from obtaining planning permission if they were all ignored. What counts for the applicant is that the Town Council has voted to ‘SUPPORT’ the application.

There was a massive show of opposition from the residents of Faringdon and the Western Vale during the last planning consultation. What should now be CLEAR TO EVERYONE is that this Council represents the private interests of a local landowner- NOT THE PEOPLE OF FARINGDON.

THERE IS ONE DAY LEFT TO MAKE A FURTHER OBJECTION- EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE ONE- YOU CAN SUBMIT ANOTHER. The deadline is midnight 15 June. You can email your comments (include your name and address) to planning@oxfordshire.gov.uk or upload them here: https://myeplanning.oxfordshire.gov.uk/Planning/Comment/MW.0151/23/

It is now more important than ever to OBJECT to the MISUSE OF A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN that contains a policy for industrial development that is: - 

• Outside the development boundary in a nationally designated site
• based on a neighbourhood plan ruled in the High Court to be in conflict with the strategic policies of the Local Plan
• for A MAJOR strategic development on an unallocated site.

Only the Vale of White Horse District Council is empowered to allocate strategic employment land- as Faringdon Council knows very well – and Wicklesham Quarry was put forward by the landowner and REJECTED repeatedly by the District Council as an employment site in the Local Plan from 2008 to 2016. 

LOCAL PEOPLE MUST OPPOSE THE 'PRINCIPLE OF DEVELOPMENT' USED BY THE APPLICANT: THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN ITSELF.

EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED COMMENTS YOU CAN DO SO AGAIN UNTIL MIDNIGHT 15 JUNE. 

This was and is a SERIOUS MISUSE of a Neighbourhood Plan. Its primary intention was to overturn the policies of the Local Plan in order to help a local landowner get permission for a site that the District Council had repeatedly refused to include in the Local Plan. 

WE HAVE ONLY ONE DAY LEFT TO OBJECT TO THIS APPLICATION! PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR FARINGDON AND WICKLESHAM QUARRY!

Get in touch with any comments, questions or queries: protectwicklesham@gmail.com