§ Mr. Tony Baldry (Banbury)I wish to present a petition on behalf of the overwhelming majority of residents of the parish of Bodicote in the county of Oxfordshire. The petitioners declare that
Bodicote is a village of some eight hundred and fifty houses.That it has taken since before the Domesday Book until present time for Bodicote to grow to a village of this size.To the great concern of the residents of Bodicote, it is now proposed by Cherwell District Council within a short period of time to increase the size of Bodicote by the building of a further one thousand and one hundred new houses at Bankside in Banbury.The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Deputy Prime Minister, the Secretary of State at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, to bring forward legislation to change planning law so that greater powers are given to Local Councils in England to decide themselves the increase in housing numbers in their districts, rather than having such numbers imposed upon them through "predict and provide" policies and Regional Planning controls.And the Petitioners remain, etc.To lie upon the Table.