Oxfordshire MP slams UK housebuilder over Sainsbury’s delays

Charlie Maynard, the MP for Witney has publicly criticised developer Vistry Group (formerly Bovis Homes) for not yet constructing the Sainsbury’s store at Windrush Place in west Witney.

The Liberal Democrat MP said: “Vistry’s delays on providing a shop are seemingly endless and inexcusable.

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“It’s completely unreasonable that Vistry prioritises providing housing when Windrush Place residents have no other local options and have been waiting for years for this shop.

“Vistry has not yet provided me either with another completion date or reasons for this further delay.

“I’m seeking answers on both of these points and will post when I have them.”

Charlie Maynard MP with the Vistry construction site in the background (Image: Charlie Maynard MP)

The Windrush Place development first got the green light in July 2017, when blueprints were set out for a thousand new homes.

Proposals were also made for a new primary school, community centre, shops and other facilities to be built on the site.

The new school and leisure centre are up and running, however slow action on other promised establishments – including the shop – has drawn criticism from the council and new residents.

Windrush Place residents in 2023 (Image: Ed Nix)

Indeed, in 2023, legal action was urged by councillors over the estate.

Earlier this year, a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s confirmed they were planning to open a new store in Witney this summer, but that timeline now seems optimistic.

Mr Maynard was at the unfinished building last month and said he had been promised it would be delivered by March 2026.

On social media he said: “This says there is a Sainsbury’s supermarket coming here and very obviously there ain’t no supermarket here now.

Windrush Place (Image: NQ staff)

“We have been waiting for years and years and years for this to come.

“I wrote to Vistry, Rob Stroud at Vistry, in November saying where’s the supermarket, when’s it coming?

“He said it was going to be here by March. We’re now in late May and that’s what we’ve got and it’s not good enough, so we need to know some facts.”

Vistry said they expect to hand the building to Sainsbury’s in the coming months after which it will need to be fitted for the supermarket’s use.

The new pavilion being constructed at Windrush Place (Image: Steven Bott)

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A spokesperson explained: “Following an extensive marketing period, we have recently exchanged contracts with Sainsbury’s and expect to hand the building over to them in the coming months, allowing them to fit it out and open as quickly as possible.”

Section 106 contributions from the Windrush Place development have also been used to fund a major refurbishment of the West Witney Sports and Social Club, which was set to finish last month.

This included upgraded facilities such as new changing rooms for men, women and officials, as well as a new lift and upgraded bar areas.