Billionaire Backs Villagers in Oxfordshire Warehouse Dispute

A Saudi billionaire landowner has joined a local action group in their opposition to plans for 13 large logistics warehouses, proposed to cover six million square feet of countryside near Stoke Lyne, Oxfordshire. Wafic Said, 86, a Syrian-born businessman and former Conservative donor, is backing the Stoke Lyne Parish Council in its fight against developers Tritax Big Box and Albion Land.

The logistics giants are appealing to the Planning Inspectorate after Cherwell District Council narrowly refused permission to build on Baynards Green in January. The council has since been stripped of its authority to decide on large-scale applications, having had previous decisions overturned on appeal.

Said, whose Tusmore Park estate is situated near the proposed development site, has accused Cherwell Council of having "capitulated to developers." Barrister James Maurici, representing the villagers and Tusmore Park, launched a strong critique of the proposals, describing the proposed buildings as potentially reaching 25 meters (approximately 82 feet) in height and being visible from up to 2 kilometers away. He likened their height to more than five stacked double-decker buses and stated the combined footprint would cover 150 hectares, an area equivalent to about 45 football pitches.

Residents formed the Stoke Lyne Action Team to oppose the development, raising tens of thousands of pounds to fund their legal defense after the local council declined to defend its decision. The group has raised £50,000 to fight the proposals.

Maurici argued that Baynards Green is an "attractive and sensitive" area, home to priority and protected species, concluding, "This is simply not the right place for development of this kind to go." He added that the government's commitment to growth does not equate to "any development anywhere at any cost."

Lawyers for Tritax and Albion Land contend that the developments would create thousands of jobs and generate up to £410 million annually for the local economy. They noted that firms including GXO, DHL, and a "FTSE 100 retailer" are interested in the site. Lord Charles Banner, KC, representing Tritax, acknowledged that major logistics developments are "bound to cause some environmental harms" but stated that these effects are addressed in national policy, provided siting and design work to limit them. He emphasized that the "national interest is in the delivery of new major logistics development, and it is not to be thwarted simply because there is some environmental harm."

Giles Cannock KC, for Albion Land, highlighted "exceptional circumstances for the location adjacent to junction 10 of the M40." The public inquiry is scheduled to continue until the end of October.