An opportunity to influence the West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2041 is now imminent.
The Council’s executive approved a consultation paper at the meeting on 12th July 2023. The consultation will focus on the plan’s objectives, spatial strategy options, and a call for sites.
What are the local plan objectives?
The plan objectives cover a wide range of planning topics, but alongside them are notable policies anticipated to deliver them, including:
- A focus on climate change, reducing carbon emissions across all sectors including net zero operation carbon in new builds
- Local Living and a 20-minute neighbourhood concept
- Identification of areas suitable for renewable energy
- Active design principles promoting active travel and multifunctional open space
- Natural capital and integrated nature-based solutions to address climate change through carbon sequestration and biodiversity net gain
As is expected of local plans, delivery of new homes is a key objective and whilst the Council has not yet set out its housing requirement, it’s noted that the delivery of new homes under the current Local Plan has not kept pace with the required trajectory, with delays experienced at the larger strategic allocations. The consultation paper notes it’s important that the new Local Plan is developed in such a way that the delivery of new homes can meet identified needs consistently over the plan period.
Whilst no housing or development targets have been published (work is underway on these), the Council is seeking views on a number of spatial strategy scenarios, including:
- Business as usual (rolling forward the current Local Plan strategy) and focusing growth on the larger settlements (e.g. Witney, Carterton, Chipping Norton, Eynsham)
- More dispersed growth options, including potential growth at larger villages and recognising the role of village clusters
- Another new settlement or Garden Village
- Focusing on public transport corridors – notably the Cotswold Line and the A44 and A40 corridors with a proposed Carterton to Oxford Rail line currently being investigated
It’s clear that the current Local Plan strategy has failed to deliver as expected, with a high number of large strategic sites delayed and the Council therefore unable to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply less than five years after the adoption of the Local Plan 2031.
When will the consultation begin?
The consultation call for sites and comments is expected to commence in early August, with a draft Local Plan following this in 2024.
With significant expertise in promoting sites through local plans and seeing them through to planning applications and implementation, we were actively involved in the West Oxfordshire Local Plan 2031 process and secured planning consents for a number of major developments following this.
If you’re a landowner or developer seeking assistance with sites in West Oxfordshire for housing, employment, renewable energy, carbon, or biodiversity offsetting, get in contact with our team on 01865 731700 or email us via enquiries@edgarslimited.co.uk.
Further information can be found on the West Oxfordshire District Council Local Plan 2041 page.