The Society for the Protection of Bampton

Founded in 1993 by a local resident Earl Donoughmore, who sadly passed away recently, it was established ‘to improve the quality of life of the people of Bampton’. With over 300 members, it continues to protect the unique character of Bampton.

One of our early successes was to rescue a piece of land in the heart of the village from development by the County Council. Thanks to the generosity of our founder, Sandford's Field is now owned by the village and used for fetes, the Donkey Derby and the enjoyment of everyone. 

With the arrival of Covid in 2020, the SPB initiated and funded the village Covid support group, known as Bampton Aid Network (BAN). This quickly established a dedicated mobile number through which a team of volunteers could be accessed to do all types of jobs, mainly the collection of prescriptions and shopping. Long after lockdown ceased, BAN continued managing Covid vaccination clinics for the elderly and vulnerable in local surgeries.

Funded entirely by its members, the SPB continues to oppose inappropriate development. We accept the need for growth but feel this should be small-scale and in keeping with the unique character of our village. During the planning process, the SPB often makes constructive points to increase the resilience of developments, especially as regards flooding.

Bampton has history when it comes to flooding. On the 20th July 2007, five inches of rain fell within twenty-four hours, affecting nearly one in eight homes. These were not just those near the Shillbrook but in New Road, Fox Close, and The Pieces. Not only did the damage take many months to repair, but some residents had their insurance quotes double while others were refused coverage entirely. Even today, residents occupying properties that never flooded have been faced with inflated quotes at renewal. This issue affects anyone with home insurance.

In recent years, a speculative developer attempted to build 127 new houses off the Aston Road in an area known to flood. The SPB raised over £20,000 to fight this application. We commissioned a hydrologist to model the flood risk and employed a planning barrister to fight our case. The developer's appeal failed.

As West Oxford District Council attempts to draw up their local plan, they need to build up to 16,000 new houses – and Bampton is once again on the hit list. We need to make sure that if we are subject to yet more development, it is both sympathetic and resilient. To ensure our voice is heard, we need as many members as possible. Please contact me directly if you are interested in either joining or helping. The future of our village is at stake!

Richard McBrien, Chair SPB richardmcb@me.com