Quiet UK village with amazing history could triple in size under huge new plan
The village could be set to grow from a small village of about 1,200 homes into a big 3,400-home new town, according to the latest plans
A small English village in a beauty spot could nearly triple in size under plans for a new town. The tiny village of Chalgrove, Oxfordshire, would expand from around 1,200 homes to a substantial new 3,400-property market town under new proposals by a government body. Homes England has outlined its plans to build on a former RAF airbase that has been called a "significant" defence site.
Homes England plans to build on Chalgrove Airfield, demolishing its three current runways and building a new single runway in a new location on site. A section of the former Second World War airfield would be preserved for Martin-Baker, a defence contractor that conducts testing of military ejector seats for the RAF and allied forces.
The broader proposals also encompass new schools, community amenities, employment areas, enhanced infrastructure, and better public transport connections, say bosses. Homes England intends to lodge a complete planning application with South Oxfordshire District Council by the end of the year.
Locals will shortly have the opportunity to examine the final proposals for the contentious development at a public exhibition on October 22, reports the Express.
Charlotte O'Mahony, Director of Projects (South), from Homes England, said: "Chalgrove Airfield provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address acute housing needs in South Oxfordshire within a new community that integrates the principles of a modern Oxfordshire 'market town'.
"The redevelopment will also contribute employment opportunities, schools and supporting infrastructure. We have carried out extensive engagement with the community and statutory consultees since we acquired the site in 2016, all of which has helped inform the updated plans that will be on display at the exhibition ahead of the submission of the planning applications."
However, numerous local residents are against the scheme, raising worries about infrastructure, environmental consequences, and safety concerns. The area's MP, Henley and Thame representative Freddie van Mierlo, has penned a letter to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Minister for the Armed Forces, calling on them to block the development.
Whilst Homes England owns the land, a portion of the site is rented to Martin-Baker - the defence company that produces aircraft ejector seats - under a deal running until 2063. Mr van Mierlo said: "I fully recognise the need for new homes, but this is simply the wrong place.
"Chalgrove Airfield is a nationally significant site, essential to the UK's defence capability and the safety of service personnel. Allowing this development to go ahead would be a serious and irreversible mistake.
"I am urging the Defence Secretary to act now to safeguard this strategically critical site." The site, originally known as Chalgrove Common, underwent a dramatic transformation during the Second World War.
Finished in 1943, it was rechristened USAAF Station 465 and served as a hub for American photo-reconnaissance missions in the lead up to the D-Day invasion. It later played host to C-47 transport aircraft and Pathfinder troops, playing a crucial role in pivotal operations such as Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.
Post-war, the site briefly reverted to RAF use before being leased to Martin-Baker in 1946 for the testing of military ejector seats, a function it continues to fulfil to this day.