Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan – Parish Council resolution

On 15 November 2023 Heyford Park Parish Council made the following resolution:

“That Heyford Park Parish Council terminates its membership of the MCNP Forum with immediate effect and will seek an alternative arrangement under the guidance and recommendations of the Neighbourhood Plan Working Group of the parish council (which will be re-activated for this purpose)”

The decision was finally taken after a lengthy period of attempting to work within Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum whilst seeking to serve the best interests of the residents of Heyford Park Parish. Unfortunately, this has not proved to be possible for the following reasons:

1. Heyford Park Parish is very different from the other Parishes in the MCNP area. It is very much larger, on its way to becoming a town, and has different needs from small rural villages.
2. We have, since the inception of the MCNP Forum made the largest financial contribution which is based on population numbers. The constitution of the MCNP Forum allows each of the Parishes have an equal vote which means that any motion put forward Heyford Park can be vetoed by the votes of the other, smaller, Parishes who are, inevitably, protecting the interests of their own residents.
3. Heyford Park Parish Council has been consistently marginalised by the MCNP Forum when attempting to protect the interests of Heyford Park residents.
4. Our representatives on the Forum Executive have attempted to introduce change to the MCNP constitution giving each Parish more control over the MCNP response to Planning applications. When the Executive finally agreed to consider, and agree, the change we found that the wording has been modified to make the change meaningless.
5. Your Parish Council worked closely with the Residents Association until it’s demise in August 2023 for the provision of much needed services in the Parish. The Pharmacy being an example. We have also been pressuring the developers for land to use as a cemetery for Heyford Park. Our residents have no right to be buried in any of the other village cemeteries. MCNP Forum have decided that they will retain the policy in their revised plan which states that Heyford Park should have its own cemetery, with the provision for a green burial space for the use of all the other Parishes in the MCNP area. Heyford Park Parish Council specifically requested that all reference to “green burial space” be removed and was outvoted by the other members.
6. Your Parish Council was also uncomfortable about the proposal by the Forum to pay an honorarium from funds. Having sought professional advice which considered that this may be an inappropriate use of public funds, we shared this with the Forum but this advice was ignored.

Heyford Park Parish Council still wishes to work closely with the Parishes involved in the Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan and will make every effort to cooperate with them whilst finding the best way forward for Heyford Park.