Plan for land adjacent to Aldi


A developer has put in a new planning application for the land adjacent to the new Aldi on what was previously called the Circus Field in North Abingdon. This area had been marked for development in the Vale of White Horses District Council’s Local Plan to 2031, and it’s the last big chunk of Abingdon land on the plan that hasn’t already started being built on.

The plan is to build up to 40 houses, a day nursery, and a care home. The houses won’t be decided on yet, but there will be a mix of sizes, and some will be affordable. (This is an outline plan, and the details will follow). The day nursery will be two stories and have a garden. The care home will be three stories and also have a garden. (The nursey and care home plans are full plans). There will be new parking and a new road into the site from Copenhagen Drive. Three trees will be removed to make way for the road.

The plans can be seen and commented on at: https://data.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P23/V2861/O.

14 thoughts on “Plan for land adjacent to Aldi

  1. Daniel

    It’s not the last chunk of land….

    There’s space for a house on the McDonalds roundabout. There’s a whole grass verge down Caldecott Rd that you could easily fit some flats on….and there’s space for at least a few 3 beds on some of the grass along Audlett Drive.

    Reply
    1. David Jones

      While I’m sure your post is in jest Daniel, it seems to be that Lib Dems neither like the idea of a green belt or green space, so now that you’ve pointed those green spaces out I’m sure they will have made note of them.

      Reply
  2. newcomer

    Has our local Planning Department extracted a quid quo pro from the developer re. this development?

    Bet they ain’t.

    However, if by some miracle they could get off their arses and apply some pressure, they might press for a large contribution toward a GPs Surgery and Parmacy to serve all the new builds on the Northern Fringe.

    There is a growing shortage of fiirst-line medical care in the town brought about by an increasing population which our politicians are just ignoring. Nurseries and care homes sorta hint that there’ll be an increased requirement from those with above average requirements.

    Reply
  3. Kris

    How about some more trees to offset all this new brick and concrete?
    The estate across the road from Aldi looks very bare and needs more planting. (and I’m sure the ones at the front wouldn’t mind more cover so they don’t have to look at a supermarket car park. )

    I’ve also noticed that a number of young trees planted on that estate have actually died and nothing has been done to replace them. (when I last looked in the early autumn) The same for the estate just south of Kennington. It’s 2024 now and we know we have a climate change issue, but still humans are throwing up concrete everywhere and ignoring that we desperately need lots more green stuff…

    I get that funds are tight to non-existent with the council and local govt after a decade and a half of austerity, but maybe a widely advertised volunteer tree and shrub planting can happen. And of course watering – saplings need watering and checking for 3 years after planting, especially in the Summer, so ongoing care will need to be arranged too.

    Reply
    1. Colin

      Kris –
      1) dead tress have been removed and replaced (in most cases)
      2)The open area of ground facing Aldi is to be a playground so there will not be trees planted there.
      3) It’s a new estate, the developer will want to keep maintenance costs to a minimum until they exit
      4) It’s a new estate, people don’t want trees growing and impacting on pavements, kerbs, roads and foundations.

      Reply
        1. Colin

          Kris you don’t live there so not sure what impact it really has on you.
          It’s going to take more than a few shrubs to combat climate change so don’t be so melodramatic

          Reply
          1. Daniel

            On climate change, In Dubai many of the skyscrapers built have HUGE carbon footprint yet are empty – and never intended to be occupied. They are simply a desire to “look like” the western cityscape.

            Thankfully, I turn my TV off standby. So đź‘Ť

  4. Badger

    Wouldn’t that piece of land be better used for a small retail park or chain hotel or car dealership or something other than stuffing as many residential spaces as possible slap bang up against the A34.

    Reply
    1. Boris

      It’s any kind of subsidised housing so that can be:
      Social or affordable rent housing, where rent is subsidised by the government
      Rent to buy schemes
      Shared ownership
      First Homes (for key workers and local first time buyers to buy their first home at a discount)

      Reply
    2. Daniel

      It’s a term that developers need to offer in order to get the stamp of approval. They can easily renague on it though because planners have no urgency to hold them to account.

      It is “affordable” because the developers can “afford” the gamble of not delivering it, with no recourse.

      Reply
  5. ppjs

    It is supposed to mean 20% below average market price. But that is so vague that it can be almost whatever number comes out of the developer’s head. Mortgages (in the bad old days) were set to loans of about 250% of the earner’s income with monthly repayments set to one week’s earnings.

    Then lenders dropped the restraints and prices became inflated….

    Reply

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