Jane Winfield and Stephen Clarke, City Council representatives on the Barton LLP presented an update report on the progress at Barton Park.

The opening of the school at the site was confirmed for 3^rd September. The bus link was running, though with Covid there was extremely little take-up of the service. A continuation by the County Council of the temporary arrangement was deemed likely, given the lack of capacity within the bus companies to develop business plans at present. The planned numberplate recognition cameras to prevent rat running had been put into place and a traffic audit was upcoming. The Pavillion had made progress, though significant numbers of snagging items remained to be completed.

The Panel NOTED the report.

Jane Winfield and Stephen Clarke, City Council representatives on Barton LLP introduced providing an update on the activities of Barton Oxford LLP over the last quarter.

An update was provided in relation to the management of the development’s pavilion. The LLP had entered into a service agreement with the Council, enabling the Council to carry out maintenance and compliance functions. Reverting to the understanding of the s.106 agreement, this would be done on a freehold basis.

A free temporary bus link was being established from the development to the John Radcliffe hospital, expected to run until September after which the County Council contract for the permanent service would be ready to take over.

An update was sought regarding the Healthy New Town funding secured by the LLP. A lot had been diverted to support the existing Barton Park estate due to the particularly acute health inequalities of ‘old’ Barton, with significant amounts having been invested in social prescribing.  Additional funding had been secured, and from a Council perspective, it was considered to be a big success that the benefits of the development were being shared between new and existing residents. The Panel welcomed the news that Grovenor had also donated approximately £90k to Healthy New Town projects as part of their corporate social responsibility funding.

The report was NOTED with comment from the Panel that the efforts by all involved at Barton to spread the benefits of the development beyond its own boundaries were to be particularly commended.

Jane Winfield, City Council representative on Barton LLP introduced providing an update on the activities of Barton Oxford LLP over the last quarter.

Seven units from Phase 1 were due to be handed over by the developer to the Council by 29^th November, taking the total to 54 units overall. A date of 13^th December had been agreed to hand over a further 14 units to the Council.

Redrow in Phase 3 had been launched the day before the meeting, and it was reported how well Hill (Phase 1 developer) and Redrow were engaging with the local community.

The Panel sought an update with regards to bus connectivity to and from the Barton development. Bus stops were in place, and it was planned that the LLP would work with the community association and bus stop providers  advertising the Pick Me Up service. Unfortunately, one bus stop had been vandalised, but it was insured. Although there was the potential that Oxford Bus Company would not run the Pick Me Up service beyond another year, it was hoped that by that stage the County Council would have managed to organise new bus routes to cover the development.

One issue of concern to the residents was that of the speed of cars coming along the A40 at the entrance and egress point to the development. Jane Winfield took an action to speak to the County Council regarding the possibility of having speed-warning signage erected. In the absence of data showing a need for such measures, however, no agreement had been reached to date but that it would continue to be pressed. Another resident-issue discussed was that of cars using the restricted access to Northway as a cut-through. Until number plate recognition cameras had been put in (a duty of the County Council following the funding by the LLP) the barriers preventing use by traffic were not to be removed. It was advised that this could be a cause of tension between the LLP and the County Council; in order to have the County Council adopt the junction in question as quickly as possible it would have to be checked and signed off, which would require a car to be able to drive along it, necessitating the removal of the barriers

Discussion was held over the next phasing would proceed. It was anticipated that there would be conference calls with all the candidates to bottom out each proposal and to allow like-with-like comparisons to be made between them.

Further questioning concerned the make-up of the people living in the Barton development at present, the majority of whom were said to be owner occupiers. Issues of project slippage were also discussed, with the challenge of getting outline planning consent for the project – and drainage issues in particular – having held up the development.

The report was NOTED.