[dropcap type =”circle”]B[/dropcap]lenheim Estate and Woodstock Town Council are to appoint a facilitator to help them produce an infrastructure and community delivery plan for Woodstock.
The plan aims to help identify the existing and future needs of Woodstock, in particular, in the context of the sites allocated for development on Blenheim Estate land in the West Oxfordshire Local Plan. Its main aims will be to ensure the special character of the existing communities are preserved, facilities within the town are enhanced where necessary and any new developments successfully integrate with the existing communities in Woodstock.
The plan will look to identify and prioritise the hard and soft infrastructure required for the town to continue to prosper and thrive into the future.
“Jointly with Woodstock Town Council we are looking to appoint a facilitator who will be able to ensure the fullest possible community and stakeholder engagement, to identify the most important local issues and to use this to develop a detailed plan to bring about specific improvements required to support the proposed developments,” said Blenheim Estate’s Property Director Roger File.
A key aspect of the plan will be to establish early open consultation sessions and focus groups to identify key issues for the town, its businesses and its residents.
It is thought priorities may include the doctors’ surgery, schools and pre-schools, green spaces and parking.
Blenheim Estate is currently developing land it owns at Woodstock East. The development, which will include a total of 300 new homes alongside plans for some small businesses’ accommodation, is anticipated to take between five and seven years to complete.
“The Blenheim’s property development plans present a unique opportunity for a single landowner, with an ongoing, multi-generational interest in the town, to help facilitate holistic infrastructure improvements in the town,” added Roger.
Property is an integral part of Blenheim’s 10-year development programme that includes tripling the Estate’s contribution to the local economy and creating a £45m endowment fund to ensure the long-term future of the World Heritage Site.
• For more information visit www.blenheimestate.com/property
