Community involvement
Community involvement is essential to the success of our garden village developments. We prioritise giving residents a voice in shaping their communities through engagement initiatives, seeking input from residents, businesses, and stakeholders on key planning and design projects.
2025/2026 – Berinsfield Village Welcome Sign
We are involving residents in the new Village Welcome Sign project to make sure it reflects the character and identity of Berinsfield. A community artist has been commissioned to speak with residents informally, gathering their ideas about what makes the village special. Consultation has also included suggestion boxes and feedback forms placed at various venues across the village to capture wider input. The artist will use this feedback to create draft designs, which will be displayed at a public showcase event. Residents are invited to attend the event, share their views, and help shape the final design, which will be approved by the Parish Council in February 2026.
2025 – Berinsfield Regeneration Strategy consultation
In February 2025, we consulted with Berinsfield residents to gather their views on the Berinsfield Regeneration Strategy. Since then, officers have been reviewing the feedback and are now drafting a final version of the strategy. This strategy will help officers guide and inform development proposals for Land at Mount Farm and ensure regeneration opportunities are maximised to deliver real improvement for the existing village.
2024/2025 – Abbey Woods Spinney Outdoor Volunteers
With the help of volunteers, Abbey Woods Spinney has been turned into a welcoming natural space.
2023 – Ptarmigan Community Engagement
2023 – Health and Wellbeing Community Engagement
In summer 2023, a Public Health-funded project was launched to enhance health and wellbeing in Berinsfield. As part of this, South Oxfordshire District Council carried out a wide-ranging community consultation to understand what supports residents’ wellbeing, what matters most to them, and the challenges they face. The consultation included surveys, focus groups, interviews, and community events. The findings were captured in the Berinsfield Community Insight Report, which set out recommendations for action. In response, a Community Health Development Officer was appointed, and a Health and Wellbeing Steering Group—including local residents—now meets regularly to oversee the work and develop new initiatives based on the community’s input. A summary of the community involvement is provided below.
