Welcome to the Caulcott Area Residents' Association (CARA)

Our mission

CARA represents the historic settlement of Caulcott and seeks to protect its identity,
community and the character of its beautiful rural location set within the North Oxfordshire
countryside.

Heyford Park Expansion Plans Threaten Our Community

Caulcott lies less than a mile from the former RAF Upper Heyford airbase (Heyford Park), separated
by farmland. Heyford Park has been developed over the last 15 years on brownfield land with c.1500 homes now completed. While the community supports further proportionate growth on brownfield land - as outlined in the Neighbourhood Plan and the draft Cherwell Local Plan 2042 – it is essential this is done without threatening the integrity nor imposing environmental risks on the surrounding
villages. In this way protection of the Caulcott Gap, lying between the two settlements is critical.

Dorchester Living is now proposing a major expansion that includes:

9,000 additional homes
A population of 25,000+ people
Building on greenfield land within the Caulcott Gap

These plans would cause settlement coalescence, threaten significant flood risk, and overwhelm
local infrastructure. The application (Ref:25/02190/HYBRID) is currently under review, with construction possible from 2026 - posing a serious threat to the future of Caulcott and its
surrounding landscape. The greenfield land in question is owned by New College, University of
Oxford.

Further details here

By Numbers

9,000

Additional homes

25,000+

Estimated population

35,000+

Estimated additional vehicle movements per day on our rural roads

What's at Stake?

Flood
Risk

With every increase in development at Heyford Park flood events in Caulcott have worsened, with water now rising through floorboards - linked to runoff from development at present-day Heyford Park. Further construction would seriously exacerbate flooding and bring damage to homes and farmland.

Traffic
& Infrastructure

The proposed 9,000 new homes would generate over 45,000
daily vehicle movements; overwhelming rural roads never designed for such volumes. Congestion is already building at the grade 2* listed Lower Heyford Bridge (single lane) and
Middleton Stoney traffic lights. Gridlock would become routine with little ability to ameliorate.
Three further projects nearby - the Puy du Fou theme park, Baynard’s Green warehousing,
Ardley rail freight interchange (OxSRFI) - would intensify the pressure, potentially bringing
31.7–39.8 million combined additional vehicle movements per year to the area.

Dorchester Living promotes a new railway station at Ardley and upgrades to Heyford Stationas evidence of a “sustainable” transport plan but these projects are not thought through -access to Heyford Station is very hard to achieve given the limitations of floodplain and theconservation status of Rousham House and surrounding area. They are also not within thedeveloper’s control – they depend on the OxRail 2040 Strategy and longterm collaborationwith Great Western Railways and local authorities.

Ancient Village Subsumed

Expansion south of Heyford Park would destroy open farmland and erase the strategic green gap (the ‘Caulcott Gap’) separating Caulcott from the development. There is also evidence that the gap includes Roman remains. Moreover, theRousham Conservation Area and historic landscapes would be compromised. This directlycontradicts the Cherwell Local Plan Review 2042, which commits to protecting the area’s “sensitive natural environment” and “heritage legacy”.

Further pitfalls

Environment & Sustainability

Dorchester Living’s claims of a “sustainable settlement” arenot supported by evidence. The development would permanently destroy productivefarmland, remove wildlife habitats and fragment the rural landscape. Increased noise, lightand air pollution would harm residents and local biodiversity. Heavy reliance on private carsdirectly conflicts with Cherwell’s climate goals and national netzero targets. Truesustainability means protecting ecosystems, reducing emissions and building within existinginfrastructure – not creating an urban sprawl in open countryside.

Scale & Policy Breach

The current Cherwell Plan allows for around 2,400 homes atHeyford Park - Dorchester Living’s proposal is nearly four times that number. It violatesthe principles of “brownfield first” and heritageled regeneration set out in the Local Plan.

Minerals & Land Use

Oxfordshire County Council’s Minerals and Waste team havedeclared the gap between Heyford Park and Caulcott a safeguarded crushed rock zone under Policy M8 - it should not be built over.

Quote

“Our region deserves environmentally responsible planning that respects both the natural beauty of the area and the wellbeing of its residents. The proposals contradict the very principles of justifiable development and conscientious planning.”
David Irvine, Chair, CARA