Author: PeteE

OXFORDSHIRE GARDENS TRUST
Secretary: Maybeth Harasz, secretary@ogt.org.com

From Oxfordshire Gardens Trust on behalf of statutory consultees The Gardens Trust
Comments to Cherwell District Council re.Proposed Development at Upper Heyford, Planning Application 18/00825/HYBRID

Thank you for the extended time to comment on the above application.
Our main concern has been with the potential impact of the proposals upon the highly sensitive Grade I registered park and garden at Rousham. We agree that inter-visibility from the proposal site to other registered parks in the vicinity (Aynho, Middleton and Kirtlington) is not an issue.
We note the conclusion in the Environmental Statement that from the key outward viewpoint in Rousham Park (#16 the Dying Warrior statue) the overall effects of the development “are negligible and not significant in landscape terms” (ES 7.4.95). Given that the proposal is for the redevelopment of an existing military/industrial site then we agree from the evidence provided that this is probably the case.
However we do think it unfortunate that the photoviews in Appendix 7.1 were taken mainly when the deciduous trees were still in full leaf which may give a somewhat distorted view of the visibility of the site from Viewpoint 16.
We note also that in Vol.2 Table A The Potential Visibility of the Proposed Buildings states quite unequivocally that there is no inter-visibility between the site and Viewpoint 16 up to a building height of 30m (for the proposed Viewing Tower). 
This being the case then we have no objections to the application proposals.

Peter Edwards (on behalf of OGT/TGT)
cc. Maybeth Harasz (OGT), Margie Hoffnung (TGT)