Expansion by Prince William-linked Duchy Fields planned

Developer Spitfire Bespoke Homes has lodged the full planning application for land west of Springwell Hill on the northern edge of Bletchingdon in Oxfordshire. Bletchingdon is between Kidlington and Bicester just north of Oxford.

The scheme sits immediately north of the Duchy Fields development, which was built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall - the historic estate that provides an income for the heir to the throne and is now overseen by Prince William.

Designed by Francis Roberts Architects, the development was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement and delivered 58 homes alongside a primary school, village hall and Co-op store.

The new proposal would continue the village's expansion northwards with 65 homes, including 23 affordable properties, which would comprise a mix of one- to five-bedroom properties. Public open space, children's play facilities, sustainable drainage features and new landscaping are also planned.

The 3.9-hectare site currently consists of arable farmland, with relatively limited ecological value, and lies immediately north of housing, a primary school, village hall and Co-op store delivered as part of the Duchy scheme.

Plans for 65 homes at Springwell Hill in Bletchingdon near Kidlington in north Oxfordshire (Image: Thrive Architects/Cherwell District Council planning portal)

Developers say the proposal would create a “high-quality” extension to the village, with homes arranged around landscaped streets, green corridors and an existing public right of way that crosses the site.

The plans include a central area of 1.4 hectares of public open space, new tree and hedgerow planting, biodiversity enhancements and an attenuation basin to manage surface water.

Developers say the homes will include air source heat pumps, solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and other energy-efficiency measures.

The site is within walking distance of the village primary school, shop and bus stops.

As the land has been identified within Cherwell District Council's emerging Local Plan, the applicant argues the scheme would therefore help address housing demand.

A heritage assessment found the development would cause no harm to two Grade II listed ice houses within the nearby Bletchingdon Park Estate because of existing vegetation and distance from the site.

It concluded there would be less than substantial harm to the setting of Bletchingdon Conservation Area through the loss of a small part of its rural surroundings.

Ecology surveys recorded bats, breeding birds and mature hedgerows around the site. There is no evidence of badgers, and great crested newts were considered likely absent.

To mitigate the impact of development, plans propose habitat creation and biodiversity improvements, including new wildflower grassland, installing bat and bird boxes and retaining key hedgerows and trees.

The developer says the scheme would deliver more than 10 per cent biodiversity net gain and more than 40 per cent net gain in hedgerow units.

Comments are due on Cherwell District Council's planning portal until October 22, and the planning authority will decide the application at a later date.