Berinsfield is one of the 19 successful bids for Garden village status. This announcement comes after a competitive process.
John welcomed the news and said "This is good news for the village which has long suffered from under-investment. The community is a strong community well supported by a good Parish Council with which I meet periodically. They work hard to get the best that they can for the community and need support in doing so. This status will help in providing much needed infrastructure and facilities. I look forward to keeping in touch with the community as plans are developed."
Berinsfield was an extension of RAF Benson and used during the war to train bomber pilots. After the war it was sold to the then rural District Council where a council estate was built. It has long needed more recent investment. The garden village status will mean that the Government will provide South Oxfordshire District Council (the Local Planning Authority) with £150,000 of capacity funding in this financial year to help progress the design and delivery of the Garden Village which carries costs beyond those typically incurred by planning authorities. This capacity funding will ensure that the village will have the resources to fulfil their growth ambitions by procuring dedicated project teams, holistic mater-planning and the key studies needed to anticipate and offset the impact of housing growth.
John also congratulated SODC on their winning bid and said that he looked forward to seeing the development of Berinsfield come to fruition.
John added "It is a community for which I have long had great fondness, going back to my days as their County Councillor."
