Overview This chapter sets out the Sub-Area Strategies that apply to different 5 parts of the Vale to help us plan effectively and help ensure the plan Sub-Area is locally distinctive. The three sub-areas are: Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe – which covers the northern and north eastern parts of the Vale that have strong linkages Strategies with the city of Oxford. This area contains the Market Town of Abingdon-on-Thames, the Local Service Centre of Botley and several Larger Villages including Cumnor, Drayton, East Hanney, Kennington, Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor, Marcham, Radley, Steventon and Wootton. A large part of this Sub-Area is located within the Oxford Green Belt. South East Vale – which includes most of the Science Vale area and contains the Market Town of Wantage, the Local Service Centre of Grove as well as a number of significant employment sites, including Harwell Campus, Milton Park and Didcot A Power Station. The area also contains part of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which stretches along the south of the district and a number of Larger Villages including Blewbury, East Hendred, Harwell, Harwell Campus, Milton and Sutton Courtenay. Western Vale – which is a more rural area stretching from the North Wessex Downs (AONB) to the River Thames, containing the Market Town of Faringdon and several Larger Villages including East Challow, Shrivenham, Stanford-in-the-Vale, Uffington and Watchfield. 56 Vale of White Horse District Council 5 Sub-Area Strategies 1 Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe Sub-Area Strategy Introduction as a Local Service Centre in its own on the highway network and to Core Policy 10: Abbey Shopping right. The Oxford Brookes University respect the overarching purposes of Centre and the Charter, Abingdon- 5.1 The Abingdon-on-Thames Harcourt Hill Campus is located the Oxford Green Belt. on-Thames – which supports 2 and Oxford Fringe Sub-Area lies in nearby in North Hinksey. the redevelopment of this area to the north of the Vale District (Figure 5.6 This section sets out: enhance the retail offer within the 5.1). It has strong functional links 5.3. The Abingdon-on-Thames and ࠮ OV^[OL:\I(YLH^PSSJOHUNLI` town. with the city of Oxford and over 40 Oxford Fringe Sub-Area contains a HUK Core Policy 11: Botley Central Area 3 % of the Sub-Area is located within network of attractive rural villages, ࠮ V\YZ[YH[LNPJWVSPJPLZ[V – which supports the redevelopment the Oxford Green Belt. The Sub- which include the Larger Villages HKKYLZZ[OLRL`JOHSSLUNLZHUK of this area to provide for new retail, Area provides housing for residents of Cumnor, Drayton, East Hanney, VWWVY[\UP[PLZPKLU[PÄLKPU[OPZ leisure and commercial provision. working in Oxford and also functions Kingston Bagpuize with Southmoor, :\I(YLH! as a significant employment area in Kennington, Marcham, Radley, Supporting sustainable 4 its own right. The Sub-Area has good Steventon and Wootton. Building healthy and transport and accessibility access to the strategic road network, sustainable communities Core Policy 12: Safeguarding including the A34 and A420. 5.4 The Sub-Area is a highly Core Policy 8: Spatial Strategy of Land for Strategic Highway sustainable location for development, for the Abingdon-on-Thames and Improvements within the 5 5.2 The Market Town of Abingdon- particularly due to its proximity to the Oxford Fringe Sub-Area – which Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford on-Thames is the largest settlement city of Oxford and excellent public sets out our strategic site allocations Fringe Sub-Area – which seeks to in the Sub-Area. It benefits from transport connectivity. for this area. protect land needed for the delivery an attractive frontage to the River of highway schemes within the area. Thames and an historic town centre. 5.5 To help ensure our vision Supporting economic 6 The second largest settlement in for the Vale of White Horse is prosperity the Sub-Area is Botley, which is achieved, our over-arching priority Core Policy 9: Harcourt Hill located on the south-western edge for the area is to maintain the service Campus – which supports of Oxford, and consists of parts and employment centre roles for appropriate and sustainable 7 of the North Hinksey and Cumnor Abingdon-on-Thames and Botley, development to meet future business parishes. Botley has strong links with whilst ensuring future growth is needs of the University. the city of Oxford and also functions managed to minimise any pressure Local Plan 2031: Part One 57 5 Sub-Area Strategies Protecting the Figure 5.1: Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe Sub-Area environment and responding to climate change Core Policy 13: The Oxford Green Belt – which seeks to protect the land that continues to meet the five purposes of Green Belt and maintaining the setting of and managing the growth of the city of Oxford. Core Policy 14: Strategic Water Storage Reservoirs – which safe- guards land for the provision of a res- ervoir to assist with the management of water supply in the South East of England, should this be needed. 58 Vale of White Horse District Council Sub-Area Strategies 5 Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe 1 How the Abingdon-on-Thames and Seacourt Retail Park will have maintained its own Oxford Fringe Sub-Area will change identity. by 2031 2 Oxford Brookes University Harcourt Hill Campus The Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe Sub- will be sensitively modernised to continue to Area will continue to provide an attractive place provide further education and sports facilities to to live, with development carefully managed and students and local residents. The area will also the overarching purposes of the Oxford Green Belt be successfully linked by public transport and a 3 protected. network of footpaths and cycle routes. Abingdon-on-Thames will continue to function as Joint working with Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire an important service and employment centre within County Council, Highways England and other 4 the district. The historic character of the town neighbouring authorities will have identified a long- centre will have been maintained and the Abbey term solution to traffic management around Oxford, Shopping Centre and Charter Area will have been the A34, and in Abingdon-on-Thames and Botley. comprehensively and attractively redeveloped. The countryside and villages will have maintained 5 Botley will continue to function as a thriving their distinctive character and will be much enjoyed community on the western edge of Oxford and by residents, workers and visitors to the Vale. new housing will have been sensitively designed to Growth within the Larger Villages will have helped to complement the attractive environments of Cumnor maintain or enhance their services and to provide for 6 Hill and North Hinksey village. The centre of Botley residents’ day-to-day needs. New residents in the will be enhanced and modernised to function as villages will be helping to sustain the services and a safe and vibrant Local Service Centre and the social life of the rural communities. 7 Local Plan 2031: Part One 59 Sub-Area Strategies 5 Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe Strategic policies for the 5.9 A number of sites are also Abingdon-on-Thames and allocated for strategic growth at the Oxford Fringe Sub-Area Larger Villages of Kennington (within Radley Parish), Kingston Bagpuize Building healthy and with Southmoor and Radley. These sustainable communities villages are suitable locations for development in the Vale, with 5.7 Abingdon-on-Thames is our comparatively high levels of services largest settlement: it has the largest and facilities, good public transport range of services and facilities, a connectivity with opportunities for good employment base, excellent improvement and good access to a public transport links to Oxford wide range of employment. and beyond, and it has the highest need for affordable housing across 5.10 The strategic sites will be the Vale. For this reason, land is designed to integrate successfully identified to the north of the town with the local community and that is deemed to be sustainable for to minimise any harmful effects. strategic growth. Appropriate infrastructure, such as open space, leisure provision and 5.8 The strategic development to new services and facilities will all be the north of Abingdon-on-Thames delivered alongside the housing. will provide much needed housing in our most sustainable settlement and 5.11 Our strategy for meeting our help to facilitate the delivery of an housing needs in this Sub-Area is upgrade to the A34 junction at Lodge set out in Core Policy 8: Spatial Hill. This not only provides access to Strategy for the Abingdon-on- the strategic road network but would Thames and Oxford Fringe Sub- also help to alleviate existing traffic Area. issues within the town. 60 Vale of White Horse District Council Sub-Area Strategies 5 Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe 1 Core Policy 8: Spatial Strategy for Housing Delivery Abingdon-on-Thames and Oxford Fringe At least 5,438 new homes will be delivered in the plan period between Sub-Area 2011 and 2031. 1,790 dwellings will be delivered through strategic 2 allocations. 962 dwellings remain to be identified and will be allocated Our over-arching priority for this Sub-Area is to maintain the service and through the Local Plan 2031 Part 2 or Neighbourhood Development Plans employment centre roles for Abingdon-on-Thames and Botley and ensure or through the Development Management process. The contribution of growth is managed to minimise pressure on the highway network, whilst all sources of housing supply for this Sub-Area are shown in the following protecting the Oxford Green Belt.