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Glossary

Planning is full of abbreviations. These are the ones used on this site. Definitions marked "NWAG glossary" are taken from the glossary NWAG attached to its June 2026 commentary; the rest are drawn from the site's own pages.

AT

Active Travel. "Any journey made from one place to another using your own physical body power. It replaces motor vehicles with human exertion — the main types are walking, cycling, and wheeling." (NWAG glossary, June 2026)

ATE

Active Travel England — the national body whose objective the Consortium's 2026 transport case leans on. NWAG's argument is that Active Travel is being used to justify dropping the West End Link, removing "over £30 million of S106 + responsibility from the Consortium".

BCIS

Building Cost Information Service — the source of the 2024 construction-cost data and inflation figures behind the £91.3m strategic infrastructure estimate. (NWAG glossary, June 2026)

CIL

Community Infrastructure Levy — a charge on new development used to fund local infrastructure. NWAG notes the £73,000-per-dwelling infrastructure cost "is before any town or parish CIL request".

EA

Environment Agency — the statutory body whose critical comments on the planning application are quoted throughout the case. To date "the EA has thrown back all proposals for flood mitigation requesting greater infrastructure requirements".

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment — NWAG responded to the developer's EIA scoping submission in May 2023.

FOI

Freedom of Information. The Witney Traffic Flow Model data was obtained through an FOI request.

LP

Local Plan. "The West Oxfordshire Local Plan was formally adopted on 27 September 2018 and sets out the overall planning framework for the district from 2011 to 2031." (NWAG glossary, June 2026) It is now being renewed as the 2041/2043 Plan.

NPPF

National Planning Policy Framework — the national planning rulebook, and one of NWAG's authoritative sources.

NWAG

North Witney Action Group — formed by local residents in 2014 following WODC's publication of the first Draft 2031 Local Plan. Has submitted ten Local Plan consultation responses to WODC, along with objections to each planning application.

NWSDA

North Witney Strategic Development Area — the land between Woodstock Road, across the top of New Yatt Road, to Hailey Road, in Hailey Parish on the northern edge of Witney. Allocated for up to 1,400 homes; now proposed at 1,250.

OCC

Oxfordshire County Council — the highways authority and the flood authority responsible for Section 19 investigations. One of NWAG's authoritative sources.

OUT

Outline planning permission — the "OUT" suffix on applications such as 24/00482/OUT marks an outline application: the principle of development, with details reserved for later approval.

S106

Section 106: "a legally binding contract between a local planning authority and a developer" (NWAG glossary, June 2026) — the mechanism by which the Consortium's infrastructure promises would be secured.

S19

Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, under which OCC must investigate significant flood incidents. "Prepared under Section 19 by OCC" is why the December 2020 Witney flood report carries that name.

SDA

Strategic Development Area: "a large piece of land designated in a local plan for major building projects like new housing estates and business parks." (NWAG glossary, June 2026)

TA · ES

Transport Assessment and Environmental Statement — the application's supporting documents. NWAG's June 2026 commentary cites Transport Assessment Part 1, Appendix B and ES Volume 2, Appendix 7.1.

TRA1

Oxfordshire County Council's 2014 technical note, "Witney Development and Strategic Infrastructure Modelling" — the traffic flow data behind the doubling claims. Flow tables are in the appendices at pages 43–44, 56–57 and 66–67.

WEL · WEL2

The West End Link (Road) — the relief road proposed to run from the roundabout at the bottom of Hailey Road, across the river Windrush (built on the flood plain floor), joining at the traffic lights on Mill Street/Woodford Way. The "2" distinguishes this iteration from earlier proposals. Ratified as developer-funded by the Government Inspector in 2018.

WIT2

Policy WIT2 of the 2031 Local Plan (North Witney Strategic Development Area). On page 154: "development to be phased in accordance with the timing of provision of supporting infrastructure and facilities including the essential delivery of the West End Link…" (NWAG glossary, June 2026)

WODC

West Oxfordshire District Council — the local planning authority that adopts the Local Plan and decides planning applications.