Confusion exists over just who is doing what to whom, in the West Way Doric deal.
Until there is a planning application submitted to the Vale Planning Department, this is only a land sale. There are two sites involved currently.
Site 1: Comprising Botley Baptist Church, Co-op car park, back half of the Co-op store, Seacourt Hall and public toilets, the empty Grant Thornton building, and the building that houses the Library, Andrews Dry Cleaners and Elm Court.
Site 2: West Way Shopping Centre (that’s the precinct, or The Square) including the front half of the Co-op and the multi-storey office building at the other end. And the larger car park behind Tesco, off Arthray Road.
Site 1 has several landowners. They entered into a joint agreement in 2011 to sell this land with a mind to developing a food store and replacement community hall, church and library facilities, all to complement West Way shopping centre. The Vale owns only a portion of this land; the agreement splits the proceeds proportionately. The Vale intended to use some of their proceeeds to improve West Way Shopping Centre.
Site 2 wasn’t originally offered for sale. But Doric expressed an interest in developing all of this land (and a bit more) so the Vale decided to sell it.
Doric is the buyer for both Site 1 and Site 2. The Site 1 seller is a consortium that includes the Vale. The Site 2 seller is the Vale.
Doric has expressed their intention to also develop land currently occupied by Elms Parade, the Vicarage, and Field House. These three properties are not owned by the Vale, but by three other, spearate owners.
A planning application can be for any land, even land that you do not own. Yes, you read that right. I could apply for permission to build a skatepark on the land where your house sits. I wouldn’t, but I could. If planning permission is subsequently granted, then it is up to the developer to acquire title to that land before development can commence.
So Doric will seek planning permission that includes Site 1, Site 2, Elms Parade, Vicarage and Field House. If they get permission, then Doric will need to acquire the land from the Howse Family (who own Elms Parade), the Church of England (probably a diocese, I’m not sure), and Sovereign (owners of Field House). I would expect that negotiations are already taking place, but I have no knowledge of this.
So, who’s the one wants to flatten frail and vulnerable elderly people’s homes, demolish Elms Parade and obliterate the Sykes’ home? Well, that would be Doric. Not the Vale. Some people have mentioned that Doric plan to offer replacement housing for Field House residents. I didn’t see this in their plans; did I miss it, or wasn’t it there?
thank you for your illuminating research of who owns what. a complicated matter made much clearer thanks to you.
As local residents we are on your side all the way.
Guillemette, you flatter me. You’ve got it backwards though. It’s I who am on YOUR side!
Having taken part in the demo against Doric’s proposals, in Botley, Sat 23Nov..am anxious to hear the outcome – and clearly not the only person. Thank you for your clear resume of the complexity of Doric’s greedy and un-necessary proposals. On Sat we saw photographers and people counting the numbers present…I hope these get through to them.
Thanks Anne, I’m glad you found this useful. It’s a long fight ahead, I’m afraid. But I feel optimistic that the community can make a difference in what Doric plan to do.
Pleasure. Glad it was helpful.
Thank you for this clear description. It answers a lot of my questions.