WaGCG

Current Housing Developments

The Vale of the White Horse Local Plan 2031 and the developments approved before the plan was finalised have meant that over 7,000 homes are planned for Wantage and Grove between 2011 and 2031, this is nearly 17,000 people and about 12,000 cars.

Since the 2011 Census over 3,000 homes have been built in OX12 and around a further 4,000 have received outline planning permission. Another 450 are either included in the local plan or have applications being considered.
This is all before the District Council start their new Local Plan to 2041 and bow to the pressure from developers to allow many more homes to be built between Wantage and Grove, and East Challow or East Hanney.

We were told by NHS England in 2012 that the extension to the Health Centre was imminent - it is now being built (May 2023).
Our hospital was still open to in-patients for rehabilitation and respite - still temporarily closed since July 2016.
The Wantage Eastern Link Road was going to be finished by 2020 - now started and might be finished by 2025.
The straightening of Featherbed Lane to make travel to Milton Park and the A34 easier (promised many years ago) is under review because the Council doesn’t want the bother of a Compulsory Purchase Order.
An £18m new leisure centre would be built in Wantage by 2020 according Matthew Barber (Leader of the District Council) in 2017 - now cancelled.
New cycleways would be built joining Wantage and Grove to Harwell and Milton Park - still possible. Work has started but surfaces aren't suitable for cycling.
Grove Railway Station was included in the Network Rail plans in 2011 - now a distant idea with no firm plans.
New Schools would be built on Grove Airfield quickly to take the pressure off King Alfred’s and our existing primary schools - a primary school opened on Crab Hill in September 2020 and the first on Grove Airfield will welcome pupils in September 2023. The second primary and secondary schools are not yet planned.
Parking in Wantage is a nightmare - unless you want to park on a double yellow line - even then you will have difficulty finding a space. Moving from police to civil enforcement of parking rules has happened but enforcement is very patchy.

For more details on the the Local Plan see our Local Plan page.

It is important that growth is carefully coordinated to seek to ensure that service and infrastructure provision closely matches the needs of our communities.
Grove Airfield will contribute up to 2,500 homes to Grove and provide services and facilities.
Crab Hill will add 1,500 homes and Monks Farm will house 885 families.
This doesn’t include the permissions already granted for 380 homes at Stockham Park Farm, 85 homes on Chain Hill, 250 homes spread around East Hanney, 200 homes at East Challow, 320 homes in smaller applications around Wantage and Grove or 150 homes given permission on King Alfred’s East site.
Plans add a further 400 homes north of the Airfield development and 130 more homes to East Hanney.

See our Wantage and Grove Map for detailed locations.