To continue work on building out the remainder of the site here at Graven Hill the developer, Graven Hill Village Development Company (GHVDC), submitted two planning applications to Cherwell District Council (CDC). The first of these applications is for the provision of 66 homes in the vicinity of Anniversary Avenue and Blanchard Road [1]. This is the fourth and final phase of what is known as Stage 1 of the overall Graven Hill project. The other planning application relates to Stage 2, which delivers 1200 homes, the remainder of the facilities and completes the development at Graven Hill [2].
Stage 1 Phase 4 planning application (25/00882/F)
This application was discussed by the CDC Planning Committee on 6th November and in line with the CDC Planning Officer’s recommendation was approved subject to conditions [3]. The most notable of the conditions required GHVDC to submit new plans to address concerns raised by the CDC Urban Designer and Thames Valley Police. A number of the Urban Designer’s concerns had already been addressed by GHVDC following its original submission, but a few others relating to the layout and security of a parking court and the visual appearance of the apartments remained. For the sake of brevity, I won’t go into details here, but you can find all the details you need in the Planning Officer’s Report [4]. I will point out though that one of the items the Planning Officer flagged was the proposed blue/black combination of the apartments, citing resident concerns on the colour choice. Final sign-off was delegated to the Assistant Director for Planning, subject to their satisfaction that GHVDC had met the conditions listed.
Clarification has been sought from the Planning Officer as to the expected timeframe for this and details of the amended plans and I will update accordingly.
Stage 2 planning application (25/01768/HYBRID)
This is a hybrid application containing full details for Stage 2 Phase 1 and outline information for the rest of the areas it relates to. Phase 1 is a small area adjacent to Beckett Way on Anniversary Avenue. This application received a large amount of feedback from residents, the Graven Hill Residents’ Association (GHRA), and official consultees. Details of the concerns flagged by the GHRA have already been shared but can be found in the formal response document sent to CDC [5]. A number of the concerns raised by the GHRA were also reiterated by formal consultees such as the Ecology Officer [6], Aboricultural Officer [7] and Urban Designer [8] at CDC, all three of which provided robust feedback on the proposals. The level and nature of the feedback was such that the Planning Officer intervened and made a formal request to either address or mitigate several concerns before the application would be considered at committee [9][10]. GHVDC have since responded to CDC indicating that they will be liaising with official consultees about the concerns raised and will look to supply the information requested by 26th January [11].
Due to the formal nature of the request from CDC, the new information supplied by GHVDC needs to go through the consultation process once more and those with an interest in it notified [12]. To all intents and purposes this means that this application is in effect being (partially) resubmitted. The GHRA has been closely monitoring the progress of this planning application and will continue to do so and update residents accordingly.
[1] Cherwell District Council (2025), Planning register – Planning Application – 25/008/F. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/00882/F
[2] Cherwell District Council (2025), Planning register – Planning Application – 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/01768/HYBRID
[3] Cherwell District Council (2025), Agenda and decisions: Planning Committee – Thursday 6 November 2025. Available at https://modgov.cherwell.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=117&MId=4241&Ver=4
[4] Tucker, Sarah (2025), ‘Committee Report’, Agenda and decisions: Planning Committee – Thursday 6 November 2025. Available at: https://modgov.cherwell.gov.uk/documents/s60862/Committee%20Report.pdf (sections 8.8 and 8.9)
[5] Graven Hill Residents’ Association (2025), Graven Hill Residents’ Association Response to Hybrid Planning Application 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19kxfe9qKhpvoqv3GkvqsZoMmqjmOormT/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawOOzT9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeXBzm85PJbVSwUzzomHdKqnK7xD5EJWS7c6_G5r7x3Fbjvrt6oYoUv3sbyGA_aem_PBEFtPC4L2beGyXTdJ-Xgg&brid=Gl57T5cPN35qnomsyU2DdQ
[6] Watkins, Charlotte (2025), ‘Email to Laura Bell (CDC Ecology consultation response)’, 3 October, Planning register – Planning Application – 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Document/Download?module=PLA&recordNumber=163667&planId=2373856&imageId=276&isPlan=False&fileName=FW_%2025_01768_HYBRID.msg
[7] Osenton, Iain (2025), ‘CDC Arboriculture consultation response’, Planning register – Planning Application – 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Document/Download?module=PLA&recordNumber=163667&planId=2382674&imageId=297&isPlan=False&fileName=25_01768_HYBRID%20CDC%20Arboriculture_Objection.pdf
[8] Thomas, Nick (2025), ‘CDC Urban Design consultation response’, Planning register – Planning Application – 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Document/Download?module=PLA&recordNumber=163667&planId=2370519&imageId=253&isPlan=False&fileName=250924%20Graven%20Hill%20Comments%281%29.pdf
[9] Bell, Laura, ‘Letter to John Jowitt (acting on behalf of GHVDC)’, 21 October, Planning register – Planning Application – 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Document/Download?module=PLA&recordNumber=163667&planId=2380464&imageId=293&isPlan=False&fileName=Final%20Reg%2025%20letter%20GH.pdf
[10] The information requested of GHVDC by CDC was done using a ‘Regulation 25 Request’. This is a formal request from a planning authority to a developer to supplement an Environmental Statement and meet the obligations of UK Environmental Impact Assessment regulations. The developer does not have to provide the information but runs the risk that the planning authority will assume the application has been withdrawn if they do not. For more details see [12].
[11] Jowitt, John, ‘Letter to Laura Bell, 7 November, Planning register – Planning Application – 25/01768/HYBRID. Available at: https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Document/Download?module=PLA&recordNumber=163667&planId=2390964&imageId=307&isPlan=False&fileName=GH2%20Reg%2025%20FINAL%20251107_1%281%29.pdf
[12] UK Government (2025), ‘Regulation 25’, The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/571/regulation/25 (clause13)
Graven Hill Residents' Association 