Kidlington needs infrastructure before development

Kidlington’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have demanded Cherwell District Council take action to make sure the huge scale of new developments in the Kidlington area do not overwhelm services. Lib Dem councillors want investment in local services and infrastructure before the new homes are delivered.

Kidlington West District Councillors Jean Conway, Lesley McLean (pictured top) and Dorothy Walker raised the issue during December’s Council meeting. They insisted there should be an integrated approach to infrastructure planning.

Cllr McLean said: “We must have coordinated investment in infrastructure for our current and future residents. Cherwell should lead in bringing developers together and joining up their plans.”

Thanks to their pressure, Cherwell Council has agreed to dedicate an officer to make sure the developers and councils coordinate in the delivery of the infrastructure we need. They will work with local Councillors to ensure that community, public transport, health, utilities, education and traffic management infrastructure are all considered across the whole of the Kidlington area. It is not enough simply to fulfil the requirements within each of the individual development sites.

Cllr Conway said: “We are seeing huge development in our area. More houses require more services. We welcome this new focus on an integrated approach.”

Cllr Walker said: “Funding from developers must be spent responsibly within the community. We represent the local community and are best placed to help direct developer funding for the benefit of our residents”.