Next steps for delayed district Local Plan

HAVING already agreed to consider the implications of the Climate Emergency on the next Local Plan to 2034, Councillors in South Oxfordshire are due to decide the next step for the district’s Local Plan at the council’s next round of meetings, following discussions with the government and partner organisations.

Concerns of local residents

At the Council meeting in July this year, councillors voted to spend some time to find effective and suitable ways to ensure the plan takes into consideration feedback from local residents, who have raised concerns about the emerging Local Plan’s approach to providing land for housing in the district, particularly Green Belt issues and the impact of the proposed Oxford to Cambridge Expressway on the district.

Protecting funds already awarded by government

Since then, councillors and senior council officers have written to government ministers and partner organisations and have been in discussions with representatives from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government about the options for the Local Plan. Discussions have included options for protecting Housing Infrastructure Fund money that the government has awarded to Oxfordshire County Council for Didcot.

Boundary of South Oxfordshire (image courtesey of SODC)

The Local Plan was submitted for examination back in March, but the new Lib Dem-Green coalition administration, elected in May this year, has been reviewing key policies and projects in development across the council, including the Local Plan.

What are the options?

Councillors will now be considering three possible options on the way forward for the Local Plan – the council’s Scrutiny Committee will discuss the options at a meeting on Tuesday, October 1. The committee’s comments will then be considered by the council’s Cabinet on Thursday, October 3. The Cabinet will make a recommendation, which councillors will debate and vote on at the full Council meeting on Thursday, October 10.

Benefits and risks

Here is a brief summary of the options, which are explained in full along with the benefits and risks of each option in a report to the Cabinet, HERE

Option A – make no changes to the plan at this point and allow it to continue to be examined by inspectors.
Option B – withdraw the plan from examination, modify the existing plan and then carry out a final public consultation before submitting the plan and the consultation responses for examination.
Option C – withdraw the plan from examination, commence work on a new plan and carry out two further rounds of public consultation before submitting the new plan for examination.

Implications of the decision

Cllr Sue Cooper, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This is a very important decision, so it was necessary to spend some time ensuring we had greater clarity on how each of the options ahead will affect the district and the wider county, especially the impact they will have on our residents and the climate emergency. Councillors will now consider all these issues along with the financial, planning and legal implications of each of the options.”