Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan ‘ignored’ by planning authority says town council

DESPITE assurances from government following the Localism Act 2011, that Neighbourhood Plans would give communities control over ‘where they want new homes, shops and offices built, and have their say on what those new buildings should look like and what infrastructure should be provided’ (see LINK for full details), Thame Town Council are angry after a string of incidences where it says Thame’s NP has been ignored.

Photo by the late Nick White

As a result, Graeme Markland, Thame’s Neighbourhood Plan Continuity Officer, has submitted evidence to the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) on a list of key planning decisions, contrary to the Thame Neighbourhood Plan policies, that have been decided by South Oxfordshire District Council. In his evidence, Mr Markland states: “In each case the vision and objectives of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan have been seriously compromised.” He particularly highlighted the following examples:

LOST JOBS
Goodson Industrial Mews, Thame
On an office/industrial development on the edge of Thame Town Centre an application for demolition and replacement with housing was approved. This was in spite of a policy in the Thame Neighbourhood Plan that prevents change of use without prior proof of active marketing of the site, and the site being no longer viable for employment purposes. No tangible proof was given by the developer. Using accepted Homes and Communities Agency methodology, we can see that space for between 60 – 75 jobs was lost from this single site because of this application. It is worth noting this decision was also contrary to the LPA’s own evidence from their Employment Land Review (November 2015) which stated that with vacancy rates so low for B-use class land and buildings in Thame, all employment land should be retained.

Key details: Planning application P15/S3848/FUL, the policy ignored was Policy WS12 from the Thame Neighbourhood Plan.

LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR STARTER HOMES
Elm Tree Farm, Moreton, Thame
A specific policy within the Thame Neighbourhood Plan aims to integrate windfall sites well into their surroundings. On an area of land in a small hamlet a developer had permission granted for two extremely large dwellings on a site of 0.4ha in area, a density of five dwellings per hectare. Adjacent, modest dwellings are developed at almost 23 per hectare. The site could have yielded much-needed starter or family accommodation for Moreton/Thame, in line with the vision and objectives of the Neighourhood Plan. The development was also against the LPA’s own Core Strategy policy regarding housing infill in villages. 

Key details: Planning application P16/S1470/FUL, the policies ignored were Policy H5 from the Thame Neighbourhood Plan and Core Strategy Policy CSR1.

HIGHER ENERGY BILLS & CARBON EMISSIONS
Land at Wenman Road, Thame
One of the core parts of the vision and objectives of the Thame Neighbourhood Plan was to encourage energy efficiency in developments. An application was submitted by a developer on an allocation site to remove the requirement to build their dwellings to Code Level 4, contrary to both Neighbourhood Plan and Core Strategy Plan policy. Although much of Code Level 4 has been brought into Government design standards/Building Regulations, the specific issue of energy conservation has not. A Ministerial Statement confirmed that local authorities would be able to continue to demand energy efficiency measures equivalent to Code Level 4, where a legacy policy exists. The LPA chose not to distinguish this element and granted permission. This will lead to the future occupants of these buildings paying much higher energy bills than their neighbours on the development next door. Associated carbon emissions will be similarly higher.

Key details: Planning application P16/S2874/FUL, the Policy ignored was ESDQ13 from the Thame Neighbourhood Plan, CSQ2 from the Core Strategy and written Ministerial Statement of 25th March 2015.

Additional Protection For Neighbourhood Plans

Thame’s Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, told Thame.net: “it seems planning balance is currently in favour of the developers, though the Thame NP has also helped achieve some significant victories. All Neighbourhood Plans have recently been given additional protection by the December Ministerial Written Statement and there are already situations at SODC where NPs are being additionally supported as a result.”

Amending Neighbourhood Plans?

With regard to possible amendments to the TNP, Graham Hunt explained: “There is nothing major as yet from within Thame that has triggered a need for amendment, though a clear need for additional/refurbished employment land is emerging, to maintain and increase opportunities for Thame residents to work in Thame. I think that need would have triggered an amendment in the not too distant future, had legislation existed to allow amendment (current law is a complete rewrite / inspection / referendum – even to change just one sentence in a Neighbourhood Plan – which is why none have yet been amended). Thame would have been a trail blazer again!

“BUT“, he warned, “the real trigger now is the emerging SODC Local Plan. Once that is adopted (expected some time in 2018), the current Thame Neighbourhood Plan will immediately have less weight in planning terms – though there are promises of a 12 month protection window beyond LP adoption for any new Neighbourhood Plan to be prepared. Given likely Local Plan content, that will require a significant overhaul of the current Thame Neighbourhood Plan, which would go through the full new plan process, as last time.

Thame Needs More Infrastructure – A Battle Ahead!

“We have already started evidence gathering. The opportunity will be taken to ensure that any new plan, as well as delivering housing allocation policies, will also provide even more for infrastructure needs. And probably much more detail on retail provision, employment land provision, elderly housing, etc. Our current position is that Thame needs significant infrastructure (as defined in the existing Neighbourhood Plan – a Community Facility / Health Hub / Education / Parking / Transport / Green Space / Burial Space / Sports Facilities / Town Centre infrastructure etc etc) to be developed before any further housing allocation, but controlling timing of further housing development will be a battle. We hope that we will be able to establish good evidence to support our position.”

Graham Hunt concluded: “The detail of a new TNP is needed by April 2019. We have two years of lots of hard work ahead, to help ensure that Thame continues to be developed in the way that the community of Thame wants.”