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  SANDFORD ON THAMES  
VILLAGE APPRAISAL

COMMENTS
SECTION A-C




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Village Appraisal
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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Village Appraisal
Comments and Suggestions - sections A-C


With many people having interesting things to say, we have received over 790 comments and suggestions which has resulted in a fairly long list. A reasonable attempt has been sorted them in to the various topic areas contained in the questionnaire. For completeness all comments have been included, even those of a more general nature, but note that some can refer to more than one topic area.
The following sections are given as an index:

  STATS  SECTIONCOMMENTS
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  General Information  
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  Housing & Development
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  Working Life  
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Traffic, Travel & Transport
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  Environment  
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  Village Life  
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  Young Voices  
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Each comment also has a "stats" link back to its original question.






SECTION A - General



    General
STATS
   
Comments
  1. To the village appraisal working group: Thanks for all the hard work.
  2. [Data entry note: pages 6 and 7 were totally blank - all other questions had been answered - assume that two pages were turned over together?]
  3. In the long run the question - not raised here - of incorporation into Oxford City will have to be faced. I would at the moment oppose this, yet could be persuaded if it meant better services (police, buses) without significant increase in local taxation.
  4. If this is a village appraisal, should you not enquire what people do for a living?
  5. Time is short. Relaxation needed. Leave Village alone
  6. Lots of people are unaware of village meetings might be an idea to put leaflets through doors so people know when meetings happen
  7. Feel that television has stopped people being a part in village activities like bingo, only 4 at the last one. Residents on park feel isolated from village
  8. Really don't think that I live in a village. However probably more to do with my lifestyle than the village, would be different if I had children. Do not want to have children here having had dealings with a number of local youths and I am not really impressed with schooling or local amenities.
  9. I am pleased that this exercise is taking place and will help inform decision makers. There are limits to what can be realistically achieved and within what cost and time scale. The village is geographically spread with Heyford hill seeming to be neither Littlemore nor Sandford. Over the last 10 years some major developments have occurred and yet the village appears relatively unchanged. We have not been active in the village and do not see this will easily change.
  10. Children are very important in bring people together.



A1. Which area of the village do you live in ?
STATS
   
Comments
  1. Lower Farm Lane
  2. Lower Farm Lane
  3. As a Heyford Hill resident, I do not really feel part of a village and therefore found most questions hard to answer - sorry.



A3. How many of your household are:
STATS
   
Comments
  1. Self-employed



A4. For how many years have you lived in the village? Please indicate how many of your household are in each category.
STATS
   
Comments
  1. Only moved here 2 weeks ago, but have done my best!



A5. Where is the main place of work of those who are employed? Please indicate how many of your household are in each category:
STATS
   
Comments
  1. [Data entry note: In village = half 20+ miles = half]
  2. There are Leisure jobs. Do not encourage commuting to find work etc



[TOP]



SECTION B - Housing & Development



B1.What best describes your home? Please tick whichever applies.
STATS
   
Comments
  1. Barn conversion
  2. Bungalow
  3. Public house



B3. We are expecting to have to, or want to, move in the next 5 years
STATS
   
Comments
  1. "May be"



B4. We expect our children to have to move away to find work and/or a home
STATS
   
Comments
  1. I do not expect my children to be able to easily afford any housing likely to be built in Sandford or if at all in the South East of England!



B5. We need more affordable housing in the village
STATS
   
Comments
  1. But if all the people in this country who should not be here were removed, we would not then need the extra housing
  2. There is already at least one group home for the mentally ill and Iris Hayter House for the elderly. The proximity to Littlemore mental health unit and the medium secure unit means the village has to be particularly careful about any increase in housing for the mental ill as the total impact on a small village would be substantial.
  3. Although I have 'Strongly disagreed' with question B5 the emphasis is on 'affordable' rather than building many new homes.
  4. [did not answer question but added a note] "whose aspiration is this?"
  5. There is no such thing as affordable housing in South Oxfordshire. Low cost housing is usually very unsightly and not in keeping with the village.
  6. Brooks Hostel is for sale
  7. Small number of houses ok. Infrastructure must be in place first.
  8. People do not need to live and work in Sandford.
  9. note Effects of Grenoble Rd. i.e. Project? of 1000 Houses if passed. In-fill Sites
  10. Housing ok. if Infrastructure in place .What will happen to Orchard house
  11. Orchard house to marked for Housing?
  12. Rock farm estate only to have 50 houses
  13. Cost of living too high. houses too expensive
  14. In 15 yrs here. Have seen lots of developments usually "Sympathetically" done
  15. Sandford has been heavily developed. Brick works to Mobile Homes Park. Paper Mill to New Development (Flood risk). Rock Farm Lane Development.
  16. Do we need more Houses? Do not want affordable /starter homes. have paid good money to live here. For Peace, Quiet, and quality of life
  17. Slow, Gradual in-fill of hoses. Do not extend Boundaries of Village
  18. There is an excellent range of houses here Do not wish to see further Developments
  19. Quality Homes only
  20. Only in small quantity
  21. I have always had severe doubts about affordable housing remaining affordable beyond the first purchaser.
  22. There should be no more housing development locally - there has been far too much already.
  23. We have enough development now
  24. Very difficult to see expansion it would be on the green belt land or on existing farm land between Sandford and Littlemore. However prices of housing in the village currently prevents local people and young people being able to settle in the village
  25. Any further development in the village would spoil the character and environment in and around the village, particularly the open spaces adjacent to Sandford road and near Heyford hill.
  26. Any development should be predominately low cost affordable housing not exclusively executive homes
  27. Not to build on land behind Broadhurst Gardens. Not to spoil what people have moved here for.
  28. We think that it is very important that the green spaces between Sandford and Littlemore and between Heyford hill lane and Sandford are retained.
  29. More development would mean less green space
  30. There are enough houses in the Heyford Hill estate and out at Greater Leys. It is time to stop building houses in the Sandford area.
  31. Totally opposed to any further houses being built in Sandford. The village would be spoilt.
  32. To protect the village it should be luxury apartments or detached houses.
  33. I do not think more houses is good.
Suggestions
  1. Few more houses in Field between The Glen and Heyford Hill Lane, preferable to 1000 homes in the Green Belt.



B6. There are current around 600 houses in Sandford. How many more carefully sited houses could the village absorb?
STATS
   
Comments
  1. Don't really know the area well enough yet as have been here less than a month
  2. We don't think there's any more room for any more new houses without spoiling the village
  3. Sandford is a village and if it keeps expanding it will get swallowed up and become a suburb of Oxford City. It will lose its own identity.
  4. Nowhere to build in village except on green land.
  5. [Data entry note: both 10-20 & 21-50 ticked]
  6. Sandford is a village and should remain so. It should not be turned into a large housing estate.
  7. Small additions to existing areas - eg a few houses or maximum 2/3 roads - keep away from making Heyford Hill area into a large estate - a few extra houses could be ok BUT keep it green
  8. Some development surrounding existing areas would be less damaging than developments that would connect Sandford to other residential clusters.
  9. Any further housing would be in the green belt or would make the village a suburb of Littlemore & Oxford.
  10. More housing isn't necessarily bad - it just needs to be done sensitively. Sandford has a lovely mix of buildings which should be reflected in any development. However green spaces BETWEEN housing should be preferred as much as possible. Also less red brick, more stone perhaps?
  11. To maintain a village infrastructure no more "in-filling" should be allowed. We should be looking at providing more structure & activities for current inhabitants.
  12. The village is bordered on one side by bypass & science development - the other side bordered by river & then it is already encroaching on the neighbouring village - Therefore we cannot envisage further housing developments in Sandford to enable it to remain a village & retain its identity.
  13. I was perversely tempted (but did not succumb) to support house building at Grenoble Road if the result would be better services - particularly buses.
  14. The village of Sandford has already been adversely affected by sardine styled pockets of housing developments, any more of this type will I feel destroy the very soul of this village and it will case to merit the title of village and become just another soulless housing estate similar to "Thorny Leys" on the outskirts of Oxford. These estates are horrid places to live, crime is rife, people have no community spirit, no incentive to better themselves. Villages are nicer places to live, easier to manage, have a community spirit, people are happier and therefore better citizens, crime is minimal and you know who is doing the crime! If Am any.
  15. Am not knowledgeable on this subject to give opinion
  16. Of course new homes are needed but it is difficult to see where more houses can be built in Sandford without using those important areas of green spaces that are left if Sandford is to remain a village.
  17. I think I may have been a bit mean with 20 but its important how new comers are integrated ie. The preparation in local amenities so that they may feel welcomed.
  18. To sustain any building of new houses in Sandford better transport links and services would have to be provided. The building of more than 20 houses in Sandford would certainly have a detrimental effect on the environment.
  19. I think what Sandford and the surrounding area needs is a doctors surgery and a small village shop rather than housing.
  20. Only small scale development should be permitted in order to retain the character of the village which has already changed significantly in the past decade or so.
  21. I'm not aware of a housing problem. However urban sprawl could swamp the place, which would not be good.
  22. Expansion of the village would always be limited by its surroundings and by the fact of maintaining its village size. This one of the few villages close to Oxford that have retained its situation of being separate from the City.
  23. No more Houses reqd
  24. Village does not need more Housing. Keep Tranquil/Rural status
  25. Keep Village small, do not expand.
  26. We moved because it was a nice quiet area. We do not wish it to get any bigger or busier than it is now. And we feel that more housing would make more traffic etc and noise, and parking.
  27. More houses would erode the beautiful countryside and green belts that are both important and make Sandford the lovely village that it is.
  28. Roads into the village cannot sustain many more residents and I would not like to see more houses affect the character of the village centre. Buildings hidden such as Heyford Hill and Rock Farm are acceptable.
  29. Part of the attraction of Pheasant Walk for me was affordable housing in a pleasant location, its proximity to town/job and feeling of not being on a sprawling estate, e.g. Blackbird Leys/Greater Leys.
  30. Answer to this question depends on where they could be located - we don't know about available land. Amenities would need to increase esp. shop and buses.
  31. We want Sandford to remain a separate village and not become joined up to Littlemore and become part of Oxford city.
  32. Access is the key issue. On street parking is a hazard and in the rush hour Sandford is jammed and the ring road solid. 1000 extra houses feeding into that is sheer madness
  33. most villages have OAP's bungalow tried for years to have some but not forthcoming even if only 6-12 would be a welcome
  34. The services provided for the village do not allow for any further housing, and the roads could not cope with additional traffic which has increased since the science park was built and people use Grenoble rd as a short cut.
  35. Adding more housing will depersonalise the village.
  36. Develop set a side fields within village partly for housing and partly for wildlife friendly green open spaces.
  37. I think the village should not have anymore housing because it is big enough now as a village. Anymore would spoil the village especially the fields and the green belt land we have a lot of wildlife in the village.
  38. We love the village live in Sandford my family have lived here for generations. We would be horrified if this beautiful little village was turned into a mass housing estate. If this should happen we would leave the village.
  39. We feel that introducing more housing would change Sandford from a village status to more of a town status.
  40. Additional housing would destroy the nature of the village; a rat run is already getting established.
  41. The science park and Kassam developments make Sandford more attractive yet threaten the village community.
  42. The current infrastructure to support the population is fairly poor ie buses, shops. Additional housing over the last ten years has not been recognised and better support structure, including controlled traffic measures.
Suggestions
  1. The new housing should be in-fill only.
  2. Given the need for housing it is reasonable to expect a small increase in Sandford, by in-filling - as far as possible this should be at modest prices and/or to cope with increased numbers of old people.
  3. Henley road has room on both sides near 4 Pillars Hotel which would be ideal.
  4. Houses to be built between The Glen and Heyford Hill Lane. Council Houses only not Private .Families in village 1st refusal



B7. What sort of houses would these be? Please tick.
STATS
   
Comments
  1. I had a big response from advertising my small flat from people who worked at the Littlemore hospital.
  2. I would like to be able to downsize and retire within the village. I would like to see more families with children in the village. My children are restricted in the number of companions of their own age.
  3. I see the village as a residential area rather than a development area.
  4. The mixed housing must include some starter homes
  5. [data entry comment - both Starter & Family were ticked]
  6. [data entry note: Starter & Family both ticked.]
  7. Too many additional houses would change the nature of Sandford as a village.
  8. [Data entry note: Both Family & Mixed were ticked]
  9. We moved to avoid further years of neighbour nuisance with little help from either council or police. Any development with housing estates will/could put us back to where we came.
  10. [Data entry note: Mixed, Sheltered & Retirement were all ticked]
  11. [Data entry note: both Family & Mixed were ticked]
  12. [Data entry note: both Starter and Retirement were ticked]
  13. Not knowledgeable enough on this subject to give opinion
  14. [Data entry note: both "Family" and "Mixed" were ticked]
  15. [Both 'Family' & 'Starter' were ticked]
  16. Houses not too large. Some for Elderly.
  17. Retain family Aspects/housing to Village
  18. Houses too expensive
  19. Need Starter homes for the Children of Residents. we have plenty of family homes
  20. The reason we bought our house in Sandford is that it is spacious not overcrowded with houses
  21. Response was Family and Retirement housing
  22. Both sheltered housing and starter homes were given as answers
  23. Both starter homes and mixed housing given as responses. Houses should be more like Heyford Hill than Rock Farm phase 1.
  24. Starter homes and mixed housing given as responses.
  25. There are many young well qualified people in Oxford working for salaries that will never enable them to start buying a house and thus settling in the community, indeed thereby creating part of a community
Suggestions
  1. I think that more houses are needed for people who work in or near the village
  2. They must be in keeping with the houses that are already here
  3. In-fill the small areas on Henley Road / Oxford Road
  4. The mixed housing should include starter & retirement homes
  5. Depending on the type of housing built would be the population of the future in this village. Building either for families or mixed housing would be the only way of securing this area does not become either a retirement village or yet another dormitory settlement
  6. There is a lack of affordable housing within the South Oxon District, with many families & single people in housing need. I feel sites could be located within this village to provide home for young people & families which have a parish connection (SODC planning agreement) thus ensuring village needs are being met.
  7. More local places like the leisure complex would be good for residents and business.



[TOP]



SECTION C - Working Life



C1. If there were more employment opportunities close to us, we would be keen to work here.
STATS
   
Comments
  1. The Oxford area has had zero unemployment for some years now
  2. I believe that there are job opportunities for local people if they want them. Within walking distance we have schools, a hospital, a hotel, sports & leisure facilities, a science park, pubs etc.
  3. Already happily working elsewhere, but others may welcome local work.
  4. Can't have peaceful, unbuilt-up village life AND a wealth of employment opportunities. Sandford is so well situated - we both cycle into town for work, yet can walk in the fields at the other side of the river. It would be very difficult to create more job opportunities without loosing the 'almost in the country' nature of the village. By their very nature village are small because of limited employment - you can't have a proper village and lots of employment opportunities, they develop around one employer (ie the old paper mill) not a commercial centre.
  5. Depends what they are!!! Job satisfaction. Job profile.
  6. Unless you want to overdevelop the area commercially it needs to be kept as it is.
  7. Sandford village is close enough to Oxford & other business centres which will provide adequate employment. I do not feel unemployment is an issue in the area.
  8. Even with the opening of the four pillars hotel it is still difficult to find accommodation perhaps there is need for another hotel at the science park
  9. Our central location affords many opportunities already ie. JS Sainsburys, C Centre, NHS Trust.
  10. If you can't get a job in Oxfordshire, then your doing something wrong!
  11. "Re C1, C2 & C3 - Are we to turn our village into a suburb?" [Note: no ticks were made in section C]
  12. I work in London / Reading. Access is OK, not really a local issue.
  13. I can see no relevance to the above questions: C1 & C2 Who said that employment opportunities do not exist?
  14. Only work in the Village is the Four Pillars mostly Foreigners. Workers at Science Park are commuters using the Village as a rat run
  15. Better opportunities than other Rural communities
  16. Holiday opportunities for young people reqd
  17. You don't want to work right on your doorstep as it could ruin the area. The Science Park is already expanding.
  18. Enough Jobs in Oxford if not in immediate Sandford area
  19. I have worked at BMW for 40 years
  20. Low paid jobs are no answer to oxford costs but they are the reality. And THIS is a major reason why AFFORDABLE RELIABLE public transport is essential.
  21. THERE IS SUFFICIENT INDUSTRY IN SANDFORD AREA ALREADY
  22. There's lots of work in Oxfordshire. Can't see this is relevant
  23. It depends on the training each individual has it is not clear how much priority is being given already to local opportunities for work.
Suggestions
  1. To keep this village buoyant there is a need to provide the essential services for making life easier for residents. New sources of employment could be started an: a village shop, a nursery school, an after school club, a surgery (doctor, dentist, nurse, etc)
  2. Parish should find work for Young people of Village .i.e. Give Youngsters local work instead of Contractors. Grass cutting, sweeping paths, Church yard etc.



C2. More priority should be given to creating local job opportunities e.g. at the Science Park, Kassam Stadium, Leisure Complex and Four Pillars.
STATS
   
Comments
  1. Surely must apply along with everyone else for a job
  2. Young people will always want varied job prospects and as a village we will not be able to provide them. Leave it as a village - that is its charm. Why change it?
  3. There are empty offices in the science park and Sandy Lane West. Are the rents too expensive for businesses to thrive there? Some of them have been vacant for a while now, there are plans to build more! There are restrictions on the type of businesses allowed to operate in the science park thus causing empty buildings and fewer job opportunities.
  4. You do at times need to work & live away from where one was brought up. I expect the element of choice comes in here.
  5. Local Businesses will support increased Jobs /opportunities for the Village
  6. Jobs in Sandford area will not pay enough for local residents children to buy houses
  7. I wasn't sure by whom more priority should be given
  8. The science park is in danger of totally overshadowing the village in appearance. The Kassam stadium and complex has done us no favours.
  9. More development for work on science park and leisure complex etc for villagers.
  10. The village is ideally situated for work in and around Oxford. Business development in the village would change it to an Oxford suburb - swallowed up like Cowley, Headington etc. As it is we have a village close to and with transport links to jobs.
  11. Sandford at present despite major development around. Ie Science park. Still retains its value of a village and village community. Adding more than 50 houses, or introducing further employment opportunities within its boundary would destroy its character and known status. Its character and known status as a village sine tear 1100 AD.
  12. I am to be convinced that the village has a working life or community - this is probably against the norm. If a working community is an essential ingredient for the village this will need a proper focus and campaign. There is a limit to what capacity is possible at local level. We have always unfortunately worked away from the locality. It would be sensible to set a target for job oppertunities and type.
Suggestions
  1. It would be nice to have better public transport that would enable people to work in Oxford without needing a car



C3. In 5 years, most people will just sleep here and work elsewhere.
STATS
   
Comments
  1. I believe that this will happen if we do not address the issues.
  2. Already a dormitory village
  3. This section seems very odd - what effect it will have on S-O-T is irrelevant! [Data entry note: Section C = Working Life]
  4. Seems likely
  5. How far away is "elsewhere"? If we create jobs in the village it would become a town! What jobs are you referring to? shops? more hotels? Sorry but not clear on this.
  6. The only exception would be for those running business from home.
  7. Do not want to work close to where I live
  8. People sleeping in Sandford and working elsewhere is a danger.
  9. There is little direct employment in the village - the local job options in C2 are in Oxford city.
  10. Do they do this already?
Suggestions
  1. I personally would like to find a local job to fit in with my family commitments.



[TOP]
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Last update: 31 December 2004 http://www.sandfordonthames.co.uk/appraisal/cands.htm
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