Save Bertie Park Oxford

Should OCC build on Bertie Park?

Anna Railton says that Bertie Park will to go planning committee under the existing local plan. But OCC are consulting on the new ‘2042’ local plan NOW. You and any other member of your family can comment before August 8th. A short consultation only lists the sites, the long one click here lets you comment on them. Sandy Lane is another Oxford recreation ground under threat. Section 10 looks like this:

It’s OK if you don’t want to do any other sections!

The 2042 local plan aims “to provide adequate … leisure and recreation opportunities and make these readily accessible for all.” But here is the new site assessment form for Bertie Park. It doesn’t include the bank of Redbridge Stream, so the site is now smaller. No nature trail. No new bridge.

Bertie Park consists of a recreation ground, playground and MUGA. Only the playground and MUGA are to be replaced. They don’t say where, or how. Bertie Park is still a recreation ground. Government policy says that you cannot build on a recreation ground unless it is replaced by equivalent or better.

Below is a list of consultations for the 2042 plan:

Tuesday 17 July, 11am to 12.30pm	Online – please fill in the online form for the 17 July session to register your interest.
Sunday 20 July, 9.15am to midday	South Oxford Farmers Market
Wednesday 23 July, 10.45am to 2.45pm	Town Hall, Long Room
Tuesday 29 July, 5pm to 6.30pm	Online – please fill in the online form for the 29 July session to register your interest.

Bertie Park development WILL increase flood risk for Hinksey Park

Oxford City council want to shrink Bertie Park recreation ground to 20% of its current size.

To compensate, they want to make a 250m footpath on an area not safe for unaccompanied children. And build a new bridge to access it.

Oxford City Council have now had 5 letters from the Environment Agency, saying their plans for a new bridge will “increase the risk of flooding both onsite and elsewhere.” But the council is not listening. Latest EA letter here.

The Environment Agency say that their latest letter prevents OCC “from issuing planning permission without first referring the application to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government… This process must be followed unless we are able to withdraw our objection to you in writing. A failure to follow this statutory process could render any decision unlawful, and the resultant permission vulnerable to legal challenge.”

Hmm. Do Oxford City Council have a problem?

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Music for Bertie 26 April 2025

At our first fundraiser, music was provided by Sue Smith & Phil Freizinger, Double J Bangra and Trip Hazard, with busking by Tali. Tesco donated prizes for a raffle. Other games included guess the number of balloons in the car, knock down tins and find the real egg. Light refreshments included cakes made by Katy and Michael, and contributions from Baweja Superstore and the Vaults and Garden Cafe. We raised nearly £260. If you are able to contribute, our gofundme is here.

A small taster of the music

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Music for Bertie

Oxford city council do not yet have planning permission to build on Bertie Park. They say Bertie could go to planning committee this Autumn at the earliest. Anna Railton says that the decision could go either way. If they finally give planning permission, we will appeal. We launch our fundraising for legal costs on the 26th April; starting with an Easter Egg hunt on Bertie Park, then music and games at St Lukes.

(If OCC eventually decide not to build on Bertie, all money raised will be spent on improvements to the park)

New Look for Bertie Park!

OCC have finally cleaned the playground surface on Bertie Park. It took 2 years of complaints (and a threat to do it ourselves). Well worth the wait!

So a reminder of why Bertie Park is well worth a visit:

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We are still at it!

Bertie Park is still busy. OCC have nearly finished cleaning the surface, so we will have a new look soon. The photograph below shows spring on the park:

Last October, Oxford City council appropriated the land on Bertie Park. This means that IF OCC get planning permission, they can build on Bertie. But they DON’T actually have planning permission.

Please let us know if you could put a sign outside your house!

Lawyers advised us that it would be better to challenge planning permission than appropriation. We have no idea when Bertie Park will go to planning committee. We have been waiting for well over a year. Anna Railton says that it could go either way. But if Oxford City Council do decide to give planning permission, we WILL challenge it in court.

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Joy Riding in North Hinksey

A small bridge joins Bertie Park Recreation Ground to land behind Wytham Street. Oxford City Council call this land the “Cold Harbour Nature Area”. Because it is not over-looked, it was in the past used for joy-riding. When Wytham Street residents complained about this, Oxford City Council installed bars on the entrance to the bridge so that bikes could no longer cross.

OCC now think that what our community really needs, more than a proper recreation ground, is better access to the “Cold Harbour Nature Area.” In order to do this, they want to fence off 70% of the Nature Area, and build a huge bridge to give better access to a 250m footpath/race track on the remaining 30%.

It is not clear whether they will also provide Wytham Street residents with ear-plugs.

Bertie development could make flooding worse

If OCC build on Bertie Park Recreation Ground there’ll be no space for free play, nowhere for basketball or football and a much smaller play area. The compensation is a 250m path on land behind Wytham Street which Thames Valley Police say isn’t suitable for unaccompanied children. We already have a bridge. OCC want to build a bigger bridge to improve access.

We don’t have access to the most recent bridge designs.

The EA object to the development. This article was in the Oxford Mail: Environment Agency slams plans for more than 30 new Oxford homes. They say “the design of the bridge is entirely inappropriate for the site and wider landscape” because the abutments are within the river bank, and the supporting structures and ramps are to be constructed from gabion baskets:

Environment Agency say this “will impede flood flows and result in a loss of floodplain storage (which) … will increase the risk of flooding both onsite and elsewhere.” They also say that the abutments should be moved back as they would also be a major barrier for wildlife. Apparently there is evidence of increasing otter activity in our area!

Unless OCC build an even bigger bridge for us to reach a 250m “nature” path that we don’t need, the EA are unlikely to grant a Flood Risk Activity Permit. Without this OCC can’t build.

Working class communities don’t need recreation grounds …

OCC have appropriated Bertie Park. The law says a “council may appropriate … land which … is no longer required for the purpose for which it is held immediately before the appropriation.” But case law says the council can take “a broad view of local needs.” OCC say that the need for social housing in our ward outweighs all of our concerns. After all, Bertie Park will be re-provided as “open space, in a slightly different place/form” and “2 new play areas in a slightly smaller form”.

What does this mean?

“Slightly different place/form”: All the space for free play will be re-provided as a 250m path on land that tvhe police say is unsuitable for unaccompanied children.

“Slightly smaller form”: The Multi Use Games Area will be too small for either basketball or football. The play area will be only 10% smaller, but will include disabled access to the play area and MUGA, a “bund embankment” to prevent flooding of the new properties, and a sensory planting garden.

OCC says families no longer served by Bertie Park can go to Hinksey Park or Fox Crescent.

For OCC, this data shows the need for social housing in Hinksey Park Ward:

“The average house price to August 2020 is £401,360 where the England average is £304,430…. 47.4% of homes are owner-occupied against an England average of 64.4%. Of these 1.3% are shared ownership properties against the England average of 0.8%. 17.8% of households live in social rented homes almost in line with an England average of 17.7%.” Equalities Impact Assessment

It is outrageous to use this data as an excuse to remove our recreation ground. The council wants to build on the only recreation ground in a working class area of Oxford. But in North Oxford, the Oxford North development will see 480 homes and 3 new public parks.

Our lawyers have advised that it makes more sense to challenge planning permission than appropriation. The development is due to go to planning “some time in 2025.” Anna Railton says that “it really could go either way.” So watch this space.

Oxford City Council don’t care

Oxford City Council wants to “grow” Oxford. It will create way more jobs than homes. Surrounding authorities have to build homes for the people who work in Oxford. And so OCC has to build on every single site on the local plan.

Bertie Park is on the local plan. OCC say that social housing is more important than our recreation ground. But even working families need amenities. The government says that you can’t build on recreation grounds without replacing them with something equivalent or better.

OCC can’t do this. They fully accept that their new play area will be nowhere near equivalent. It won’t meet either current or future needs in this area.

The government says “Planning … decisions should aim to achieve healthy, inclusive and safe places … so that crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion.”

They want to offset the loss of our recreation ground by providing a nature trail on an area that Thames Valley Police say is unsafe for unaccompanied children, and where women also feel unsafe.

For OCC, the loss of Bertie Park is a small price to pay for getting other authorities to build homes for Oxford. They don’t care that people working in Oxford will have long and expensive commutes. Oxford should export its jobs, not its housing. People should be able to live where they work, and our kids should be able to play where they live.

This is why we are still fighting to keep our recreation ground.