We live in ‘abandoned’ village next to ‘Ground Zero’ Piddington – but we’re fighting own battle over huge ‘mega-sheds’

LOCALS are up in arms over plans to build a series of mega-warehouses on their doorstep – just a few miles from the “abandoned” village of Piddington. Residents of Stoke Lyne, Oxfordshire, are fiercely pushing back against a proposal which would see 13 huge warehouses built on a jaw-dropping six million sq ft patch of land. Stoke Lyne residents are outraged by the proposal, which would see 13 warehouses built on greenfield space Credit: Facebook The proposed site would occupy 6million sq ft of land Credit: Cherwell District Council Developers Tritax Big Box had argued the project on Baynards Green would offer thousands of jobs and business opportunities. The firm was initially granted planning permission in July 2025 – but this was overturned by Lib Dem councillors in January after seething locals warned of increased traffic and the destruction of greenfield sites. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The refusal triggered an appeal, due to be held next week, but it has since emerged the councillors will no longer be there to defend their position. Residents of Stoke Lyne will be left to fight their own corner, as the council steps back from debate following “legal and professional advice”. Locals fear the XXL warehouses could increase traffic and destroy greenfield sites Credit: Google The warehouses will be 75 ft high – about the height of ‘eight coaches’ Credit: Cornish Architects The council previously objected to the development plans – but has said it will no longer defend its position Credit: Facebook Residents have launched a campaign group to pressure the council into defending the refusal Credit: Facebook Located just 10 miles from Piddington – where locals are objecting to a huge migrant centre proposal – Stoke Lyne shares a similar tale of governmental neglect. It comes after Piddington villagers launched a symbolic referendum last week to declare independence from the UK, with 285 out of 312 voting to take back control of their area and stall plans for the migrant hub. Stoke Lyne residents see themselves in Piddington’s plight, backed up against a wall by the developer giant and “abandoned” by the council. Deputy leader Chris Brant said the council had considered the chances of “successfully defending” the refusal, but ultimately decided to back down. Most read in The Sun It follows nearby village Piddington’s decision to hold an independence referendum The village faces the prospect of thousands of migrants moving into a former MoD building next door He said earlier this year that the decision had “not been taken lightly”. “Regrettably, the evidence available to the council is not considered strong enough to provide a realistic prospect of success at appeal,” he said. Now, community campaign Stoke Lyne Action Team appear to be the village’s only hope against the gargantuan warehouse project. It has raised an astonishing £50,000 in legal funds through crowdsourcing. Telling the Mail in a statement, they said: “Cherwell District Council refused every one of them [the warehouses]. “It will not be there to defend them. “That leaves a community of a few hundred people to face two huge national developers and their planning teams with no local authority standing alongside them.” Residents fear the complex will take up large swathes of green space that are not even acknowledged in the council’s blueprint yet. Each warehouse will be an eye-watering 75 ft tall – about the height of “eight coaches stacked on top of each other”. Baroness Prentis of Banbury, the former MP for the constituency, said: “These warehouses are not in the Local Plan, and to my mind that is where this matter should begin and end. “Cherwell District Council reached the right conclusion when it refused these applications. It should now stick to its guns and support the people who are relying on it to stand behind that decision.” Local Craig Mitchell said: “I work in the construction industry and have built industrial distribution centres of a similar size before.” “The impact of these will be worse than everyone realises. “They make promises of mitigation during the planning process; it never happens in reality.” Hugo Brown, a former Cherwell District councillor, added: “It’s acres and acres of open countryside to be built up. “The planning case for these sheds is unacceptable.” The council blew through its entire £100,000 budget for planning appeals in the first four months of the last financial year, forcing former PM Keir Starmer to override its autonomy in June. The appeal could last up to 18 days and is being held by the Planning Inspectorate. An open letter addressed to the council has been signed by over 400 Stoke Lyne residents, urging them to stand up for the community. Despite also lacking support from key statutory bodies like Highways England and the Environment Agency, locals remain optimistic. And their request is not without precedent: a far smaller proposal in the same area was rejected on appeal back in 2019. The current project is some 80 times larger. The Sun has contacted Cherwell District Council for comment.