SIR, I can well understand the concern of your correspondent, Bob Dixon, about the lack of clear plans for the so-called eco-town. The fact is that a masterplan should have been prepared and made public long ago. This should have made clear how the residents of Bicester, Bucknell and other villages are likely to be affected.
The sketchy plan which you helpfully published recently tells us very little. So, we are left to guess what the effects might be. And one thing that’s fairly obvious is that, unless something is done to prevent it, traffic through Bucknell is likely to increase considerably. This is because Bucknell Road would run straight through the middle of the eco-town and provide a direct route for many of its residents to the M40 – not at all eco-sensitive.
So, is it time for the people of Bucknell to man the barricades?
Perhaps not. Four years on from the Government’s approval of the eco-town, nothing has happened. Not a single road has been started, not a single brick has been laid. You might think our “eco-frog” is about to go into another winter of hibernation. But be wary, something is stirring in the undergrowth.
Could it be that our “eco-frog” will turn out to be a giant toad that has no eco-credentials and wants to abandon the eco-town label and drop the masterplan to build the usual spec housing estates instead? Believe me it’s not a fairy tale – it is a possibility – and one which could quickly remove the green veneer from Cherwell’s growth plans.
Colin Cockshaw, Willow Drive, Bicester
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