Major plans to build a new nursery and a range of shops at a housing development near an Oxfordshire town have been lodged. 

The scheme, submitted by HDD Banbury Ltd, is for Longford Park just outside Banbury. 

Longford Park is a development of 1,070 houses which was permitted in 2009. 

It includes a new primary school, playing fields, local shops, community facilities and employment provisions.

The original scheme was controversial as locals feared it would sever the divide between Banbury and Bodicote. 

Now the developer wants to add a nursery, convenience store, hot food takeaway, drinking establishment and launderette. 

READ MORE: Fears over loss of popular retail park if major plans for labs and offices go ahead

CGI of Longford Park Nursery (Image: Cherwell District Council) In the planning statement, it said: “This application relates to the wider residential development at Longford Park, which was approved in September 2009.

"This will provide up to 1,070 dwellings, with associated facilities including a new primary school, playing fields, local shops, community facilities and employment provisions.

“The application seeks permission for a children’s day nursery and an ancillary retail unit with associated access, car parking, landscaping and drainage. 

“This application seeks permission for Plot A which comprises of a convenience store and three ancillary retail units, with associated access, car parking, landscaping and drainage.

“The development aims to reinforce existing pedestrian links and create new connections to the wider community as well as providing a meaningful area of public open space.

“The design has considered issues of accessibility and security by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, the scale, massing and materiality of the development reflects its location and is in keeping with the local character and design code.

"It incorporates principles of sustainability and provides an integrated sense of place, creating a village centre that will evolve over time offering opportunity for social engagement.

“It is intended that this development enhances the new development and the wider community in Longford Park.”

It added: “The proposed local centre seeks to deliver a day-to-day shopping and service facility for local residents living within Longford Park as originally envisaged by the outline planning application and non-statutory Cherwell Local Plan.

"Given this, there is a clear locational specific need for the development to be located on the application site. 

“As such, in considering the sequential test, it is clear that the closest defined town centre to the application site, Banbury town centre, would clearly fail to serve the same catchment and would therefore be unsuitable to accommodate the proposed development and can be discounted without further assessment.”

By Monday, October 28 no public comments had been submitted in objection or support. 

The planning applications are open for comments until November 14. 

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber you will get:      

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website   
  • Advert-light access       
  • Reader rewards       
  • Full access to our app

About the author  

Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government. 

He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years. 

Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby