New homes planned for Oxfordshire village of 620 people

The village of Fringford, near Bicester, is made up of a primary school, a pub, a village hall, a garden centre and a church, with a scattering of houses hosting its small population.

A new planning application submitted to Cherwell District Council has proposed a collection of modern houses to extend the village towards the west.

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Described as a place with a ‘long history’, the application said evidence suggests that the settlement has existed for up to 2000 years.

Illustrative visuals of the proposed development (Image: Staniforth Architects / R2 Developments)

The plans are for nine new ‘family sized dwellings’ on land immediately to the north of Rectory Lane and north-west of Green Farm, Main Street, Fringford, which is currently in agricultural or equine use.

The planned homes are all detached dwellings apart from two, which are connected by single garages,

Developer RD Developments is seeking outline permission for the new homes and associated amenity space, including two off-road parking spaces per house, plus personal garage spaces, gardens and a central pond on the new housing site.

The houses would be places along a central access road a new footpath would be created to the east of the development, connecting it to the village.

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This application follows a similar plan from the same developer submitted in March 2024 which was refused by Cherwell District Council on six grounds, including the principle of development, character and appearance, impact on trees and highway safety.

Illustrative visuals of the proposed development (Image: Staniforth Architects / R2 Developments)

The developer appealed this decision and the six matters objected to were agreed with the council, but the planning inspector dismissed the appeal, on the grounds that it would harm the amenity of a neighbouring property, The Cottage.

Resubmitting the same application, the developer agreed to transfer land to the occupier of The Cottage to increase the size of their garden and ‘satisfy’ the objection to the scheme.

The application said: “In recognition of the relationship between the proposed development and the cottage located to the east, and response to concerns raised, a portion of land has been transferred to the neighbouring cottage increasing the size of its garden.

“This measure provides a clear enhancement to the immediate setting of the cottage, ensuring that its amenity space is improved rather than diminished as a result of the development.”

Illustrative visuals of the proposed development (Image: Staniforth Architects / R2 Developments)

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“Additionally, windows where required in the cottage will be replaced with acoustically insulated windows.

“The positive adjustments demonstrate commitment to addressing the neighbouring concerns delivering homes that integrate sensitively with its surroundings.”

The application is currently under consultation on the Cherwell District Council website, with a target decision date in June.