It’s time to demonstrate!

Welcome to BYG’s latest update, we have some important news.

On February 26, Cherwell District Council will hold a full meeting of the council at Bodicote House in Banbury at

which it will vote on the proposals to build 4,400 new houses on the green belt countryside that surrounds Begbroke, Yarnton and Kidlington. [Agenda and papers now available]

At the same meeting, there will also be a recommendation to approve the related Oxfordshire Housing & Growth Deal and its associated Delivery Plan.

Committee members of Begbroke and Yarnton Green Belt Campaign will all be there and we have requested to address the Council meeting. Other residents’ groups affected by the proposals will also attend.

BYG is also joining forces with other concerned groups in the area in organising a public demonstration on the day of the vote. The press has been notified. We are hoping that a large number of people from Kidlington, Bebgroke and Yarnton will demonstrate outside Bodicote House before the meeting, and be present in the chamber during the meeting so that we can show our strength of feeling against these proposals. So please come and make your protest visible.

The BYG group has organised a coach to pick up from Yarnton (Royal British Legion), leaving at 16.45 then on to the pick-up at the Royal Sun in Begbroke at 17.00 before going on to Banbury. Kidlington Development Watch have organised a coach to leave from Exeter Hall. Please use the following link to the Kidlington Development Watch (KDW) website to book your place on the BYG or KDW coaches:

<https://www.kidlingtondw.org/sos-4400-more-houses/battlebusbooking-form/>

There is no charge for the coach as it has been paid for out of funds kindly donated by residents and village associations last year. Obviously you can make your own way there if you wish but travelling by coach may avoid parking problems. The demonstration is planned to start at 5.30 pm.

Ahead of the meeting, BYG is lobbying all councillors to vote against these plans. We have hosted a tactics meeting this week with councillors and representatives from the other local residents' groups and CPRE.

Please come and support us. These plans will fail to deliver on its promises but will destroy our local Green Belt forever. We should see ourselves as custodians of it for future generations.