Oxfordshire Cotswolds Garden Village Naming Competition

Where: Online
When: 31 August 2019 - 23:59 PM

Imagine having the opportunity to create a garden village with beautifully designed homes that meet the needs of all generations; a distinctive place that complements its rural setting and one that focuses on sustainability with links to pedestrian, cycle, bus and rail networks.

By creating an entirely new settlement we can include the elements needed for it to be vibrant and prosperous as well as providing an excellent quality of life.

It will be a new standalone settlement, self-contained with its own village facilities, such as schools, community resources and employment opportunities, whilst taking proper account of environmental considerations and planned infrastructure improvements.

To learn more about the Garden Village principles that are at the heart of this new settlement, visit the TCPA website or browse the Garden Communities Prospectus (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 2018). As part of the process we are running an open competition to name the Garden Village and the winner will receive 2 adult passes for entry to Blenheim Palace.

The competition is open to all.

Please submit all name suggestions to the following email address by midnight on 31 August 2019 to have your chance of being shortlisted.

[email protected]

We look forward to hearing your suggestions!

Naming guidelines (As adapted from the street naming guidelines 2018)

1. Names should try to avoid duplicating any similar name already in use for a town/village or in the same postcode area.
2. We will avoid having two phonetically similar names within the postal area, for example Churchill Road and Birch Hill Road.
3. Names should not be difficult to pronounce or awkward to spell.
4. Where possible, names should reflect the history of the site or acknowledge the geography of the area.
5. Names that may be considered or construed as obscene which would contravene any aspect of the council’s equal opportunities policies will not be acceptable.
6. Names that may be open to re-interpretation by graffiti or shortening of the name should be avoided.
7. Any name that promotes a company, service or product may not be allowed. Names based on a developers trading name are seen as advertising and are not acceptable. An exception to this may be made for a company that no longer exists, if used solely in a historical context and the claim of advertising cannot be made.
8. Names should not be named after living individuals.

Terms and conditions

Once the competition closes, we will contact the key stakeholders for their approval (County, Parish, Street Name Team, Royal Mail, Land Owners etc.) and a final name will be decided by West Oxfordshire District Full Cabinet.

Under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972 the council has power to name settlements.