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1
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There was no
sensible case for change, and no consideration made to
unanticipated negative impacts on the existing parish. Keeping the
boundaries in place is sensible.
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2
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I am District
Councillor for Ridgeway Ward and live in East Challow.
Grove Business Park was launched in the 1980’s as Wantage
Technology Park showing that its link was not considered to be with
Grove. Its name was only changed after the original owner, BNF
Metals Technology Centre, went into receivership and the new owners
re-launched it with a new name to make a break with its past
history.
The proposed change is entirely unnecessary, and I cannot see any
particular reason for it whether this be financial or
business-related. I can only think that it is a matter of kudos in
having a fairly important local cluster of companies associated
with Grove.
I want to make several points:
1. East Challow parish already has a good and productive working
relationship with the Business Park. I have been in contact with
all the major businesses there during the last 3 years and I have
established a good working relationship with a number of them,
including help during the Covid crisis and sending them regular
reports which is appreciated. I took David Johnston MP around the
Park and introduced him to some of the exciting companies active in
precision engineering, metal extraction and recovery and business
incubation, in addition to a national business management company
with 900 staff, set up and run by an East Challow resident. I am
currently trying to encourage companies and the landlord to begin
installing solar panels to reduce costs and contribute to the
zero-neutral-by-2030 target.
2. Most of the companies have no idea in which parish they are
situated and it means very little to them. Many staff live in East
Challow and other local villages.
3. Great play is made of the distance by road between the Park and
East Challow. This was not always the case and, should the western
relief road be built, which is likely to happen sometime in the
future, it will again not be the case.
4. The eastern boundary of the parish (Downsview Road) runs down
the eastern side of the Business Park and is a natural
boundary.
5. Planning issues relating to Grove Business Park do not affect
Grove to any greater extent than its neighbouring parishes.
6. The change would unnecessarily affect the district ward and
county division boundaries since there are no residents on the
Business Park.
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3
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Over more than
thirty years there has been regular boundary reviews in which East
Challow Parish has been forced to defend its boundaries against
claims from the neighbouring parishes of Grove and Wantage. In
every one the larger parish has gained land and housing at our
expense.
Grove Parish Council has been claiming that Grove Technology Park
should be transferred into its parish with no valid reason since at
least 1999.
The site itself is closer to the village of East Challow and the
current main entrance is on the very edge of the southern Grove
boundary with Wantage. Downsview Road which runs west from the
Mably Way roundabout to the business park makes the perfect
boundary between the Parishes. Traffic from the north completely
skirts Grove on the A338 and going south, east or west it has to
pass through the centre of either Wantage or East Challow.
Any future development can now only be to the west at the existing
exit on Woodhill Lane (which was the historical main airfield
access) as over the last ten years the site has become almost
encircled by housing. A direct access west to the A417 and then on
to the A420 towards the M4 or M40 is possible especially if the
“west link” road is built.
The local communities of East Challow, Wantage and Grove are
equally affected by developments on Grove Technology Park and are
invited to comment on any planning applications relating to it. Any
planning issues relating to Grove Technology Park do not affect
Grove to any greater extent than its neighbouring
parishes.
Grove Business Park was launched as a business park in the
1980’s under the name Wantage Technology Park showing that
its link was not considered to be with Grove. Its name was only
changed after the original owner BNF Metals Technology Centre went
into receivership and the new owners re-launched it with a new name
to make a break with its past history.
East Challow Parish Council has considered the following assessment
criteria relating to the review and can see no issues which are
relevant to the Grove Parish Council request for a boundary
change.
• natural or man-made boundaries that help to define clearly
one community from another
• housing developments that straddle parish boundaries,
thereby resulting in people being in different parishes from their
neighbours
• effective and convenient representation of local residents
at parish level • the wards of Vale of White Horse District
Council for the purposes of district council elections • the
divisions of Oxfordshire County Council for the purposes of county
council elections
• views expressed in relation to any changes, particularly
from those people directly affected
• the extent to which proposals reflect the identities and
interests of the affected community elections
• the size and population of the local community
Grove Parish Council’s comment that “some”
businesses think they are already in Grove parish is noted although
a recent business survey carried out for East Challow Neighbourhood
Plan indicated that nearly all companies were satisfied with their
situation. 25% of employees on the two industrial estates in East
Challow parish (The W&G Estate and Grove Technology Park) live
in East Challow parish. Over the last few years many productive
contacts with Grove Technology Park have been made by East Challow
councillors. East Challow Parish Council has been very supportive
of the businesses when planning applications have been received. We
do our best to support business development whilst ensuring plans
are appropriate.
East Challow Parish Council therefore asks that in the current
boundary review the Vale of White Horse District Council supports
the existing arrangements and does not allow larger parishes to
continually “asset strip” small parishes. There is no
reason why Grove Technology Park should not continue to be part of
East Challow parish.
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4
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As County Cllr
for East Challow I strongly support making NO CHANGE to the parish
boundary between Grove Parish and east Challow Parish.
There are NO REASONS to make any change: none have been declared
and none have been agreed by any decision-making body over a number
of years.
There are good reasons NOT to make any change : in future response
to housing development around East Challow and Grove there will be
a need for a western relief road from near the Grove Technology
Park roundabout to the A417. This road ( alreadt oproposed by one
developer) will impact East Challow residents, and it is right that
the East Challow Parish Council will be the relevant council to
respond to the proposals for any Western Relief Road.
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5
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East Challow
Parish Council notes the proposal to make no change to the
Grove/East Challow Parish boundary and would welcome/support this
decision.
We reiterate the comments made in advance of the review which are
as follows:-
Over more than thirty years there has been regular boundary reviews
in which East Challow Parish has been forced to defend its
boundaries against claims from the neighbouring parishes of Grove
and Wantage. In every one the larger parish has gained land and
housing at our expense.
Grove Parish Council has been claiming that Grove Technology Park
should be transferred into its parish with no valid reason since at
least 1999.
The site itself is closer to the village of East Challow and the
current main entrance is on the very edge of the southern Grove
boundary with Wantage. Downsview Road which runs west from the
Mably Way roundabout to the business park makes the perfect
boundary between the Parishes. Traffic from the north completely
skirts Grove on the A338 and going south, east or west it has to
pass through the centre of either Wantage or East Challow.
Any future development can now only be to the west at the existing
exit on Woodhill Lane (which was the historical main airfield
access) as over the last ten years the site has become almost
encircled by housing. A direct access west to the A417 and then on
to the A420 towards the M4 or M40 is possible especially if the
“west link” road is built.
The local communities of East Challow, Wantage and Grove are
equally affected by developments on Grove Technology Park and are
invited to comment on any planning applications relating to it. Any
planning issues relating to Grove Technology Park do not affect
Grove to any greater extent than its neighbouring parishes.
Grove Business Park was launched as a business park in the
1980’s under the name Wantage Technology Park showing that
its link was not considered to be with Grove. Its name was only
changed after the original owner BNF Metals Technology Centre went
into receivership and the new owners re-launched it with a new name
to make a break with its past history.
East Challow Parish Council has considered the following assessment
criteria relating to the review and can see no issues which are
relevant to the Grove Parish Council request for a boundary
change.
• natural or man-made boundaries that help to define clearly
one community from another
• housing developments that straddle parish boundaries,
thereby resulting in people being in different parishes from their
neighbours
• effective and convenient representation of local residents
at parish level • the wards of Vale of White Horse District
Council for the purposes of district council elections • the
divisions of Oxfordshire County Council for the purposes of county
council elections
• views expressed in relation to any changes, particularly
from those people directly affected
• the extent to which proposals reflect the identities and
interests of the affected community elections
• the size and population of the local community
Grove Parish Council’s comment that “some”
businesses think they are already in Grove parish is noted although
a recent business survey carried out for East Challow Neighbourhood
Plan indicated that nearly all companies were satisfied with their
situation. 25% of employees on the two industrial estates in East
Challow parish (The W&G Estate and Grove Technology Park) live
in East Challow parish. Over the last few years many productive
contacts with Grove Technology Park have been made by East Challow
councillors. East Challow Parish Council has been very supportive
of the businesses when planning applications have been received. We
do our best to support business development whilst ensuring plans
are appropriate.
East Challow Parish Council therefore asks that in the current
boundary review the Vale of White Horse District Council supports
the existing arrangements and does not allow larger parishes to
continually “asset strip” small parishes. There is no
reason why Grove Technology Park should not continue to be part of
East Challow parish.
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