The most recent meeting of the Weston Front was on the 23rd April in the Memorial Hall. Attendance was fantastic -- 200+ people including District and County Councillors and members of the media. An excellent meeting all round with past actions and future plans for the campaign against the proposed development tabled.

Get your 'No to Weston Otmoor' Car or window Sticker here.

The campaign has attracted a Wikipedia site. There is also a forthright contribution by our MP Tony Baldry slamming the plan for an Eco Town.

Other eco-towns have attracted the support of local celebrities, John Nettles and Dame Judy Dench, who have come out strongly against the whole idea.

Minister confirms eco-towns will count towards housing targets -- The Government has given the clearest signal yet that the housing development expected in its eco-town programme will count towards local authority future housing targets. This is a damaging sop toward County Councils to persuade them to support these eco-con towns.

This Weston Otmoor development could be a disaster for wild life say Wildlife Extra.

One Millionaire is supporting the campaign in Long Marston with £100,000...Oh that Weston could find an Angel such as this..

Comment from West Sussex about their Eco-town -- "This is a new town in disguise. There's nothing 'eco' about building 5,000 houses on a green field site. Weston couldn't agree more!

The Telegraph has a good report (4th April) and
The Guardian (also 4th April) has a very satirical article on the issue and morality of Eco-towns. Click here.

Eco-Town features in The Sunday Times for 23rd March, and the Telegraph on 24 March. Full Story.

Get your 'No to Weston Otmoor' Car or window Sticker here.
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The threat is for a "Eco-town" or major development on farmland near Weston.

The Local Bicester Advertiser ran an article on 11th April 2008 on how the Residents Vow to Fight On.

BBONT object to the destruction of a valuable SSSI if Weston Otmoor is allowed to go ahead. See their 'Hot-Topics'.

PRACTICAL ACTIONS:-

If you wish to support the campaign, a practical step you can take is to sign the e-petition on the number 10 Downing Street website to petition the PM 'to remove the Weston Otmoor site proposal from the shortlist forthwith'.

You can find the e-petition at
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/WestonOtmoor/

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The QUANGO that will oversee the 'recommendations' for the next stage of the decision making process appears to have been appointed. See article

The Government announcement of this Quango is written up here.

We now have a name and address to write to...

John Walker, Chairman,
The Eco-town Challenge panel,
Dept. for Communities and Local Government,
Eland House,
Bressenden Place,
London, SW1E 5DU

See the Latest stories from national press and BBC, 3rd April.

'ECO Town shortlist revealed',

By a bizarre twist of fate, early April also has seen the notification to the Local Parish Council of the re-application for over 1000 dwellings on the nearby Upper Heyford ex USAF and RAF base, on what could be termed a brownfield site.

See the Eco-town story (4th April) from the Local Oxford Mail

Henman spearheads eco-town protest story

See the story from the local newspaper, the Oxford Times:-

The Eco-Town Story.

Rather unusual take on the Eco-Towns by Building Design Magazine


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There have been meetings of the Weston Front on Wednesday 5th December 2007 and Wednesday 13th February. Both meetings were very well attended by the local inhabitants.

Several people from surrounding parishes attended.

The meetings were chaired by Anthony Henman and Norman Machin.

In the document called "the Bicester and Central Oxfordshire Site Allocations Development Plan Document, issues and options paper June 2007", around 800 acres are identified as a possible development site. Area Map. (basically, Beecrofts farm, Godwins farm, and the airfield).

In the maps shown to Anthony Henman of the Developer's plan the area is two to three times larger, enough space for up to 20,000 houses! It extends to the other side of A34 so there is access to the railway line for a new station.....

Click here for a map

See the press articles and letters

County 'likely to be on eco-town shortlist'

Eco-town fight

For contact email to (robinsallen "at" gmail.com). Last Update 5th May 2008

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USEFUL LOCAL LINKS

Link to Weston On The Green Village Hall Website.

Link to the "Weston Front", the Weston On The Green Campaign site

Link to ' NO Weston Otmoor'. Get your Car-sticker here....

Link to the Oxford Green Belt Network protection site

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This is an important link to the Campaign to Protect Rural England

Link to the story of Weston Eco-town in the Oxford Mail

And if you want a copy of the government's position it can be obtained from

Government Eco-town prospectus