Joint South Oxon and Vale of White Horse Local Plan enters final stages – but what about the Green Belt?

Following two previous stages of consultation, where CPRE Oxfordshire and our supporters actively engaged, the Joint South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Local Plan is now entering the final stage before being submitted for external examination to the Planning Inspector. At this technical stage (known as Reg19) we are only allowed to comment of if the Plan is, “sound”, “legally compliant” and that it has met its “duty to cooperate”.

This consultation runs from 1 October 2024 until 12 November 2024. It can be found here

Over the coming weeks we will be scrutinising this latest version of the Plan, so do come back to this page and for updates.

There is much to support and celebrate in this Plan as our previous representatives have been heard and actioned. Our initial findings are:

• In the first stage of consultation, we were asked to rank priorities and “protecting the countryside” came out on top. We like to think this was helped by our strong campaigning, and the priority has shaped many of the policies we see within this Plan.
• Alongside policy wording to manage light pollution, there is a proactive approach to preserving and enhancing our Dark Skies. This is something that CPRE Oxfordshire has been campaigning for over several years and it’s great to see this issue coming forward, the first such proactive policy in any of our county district Plans. We will be encouraging other districts to follow suit!
• The Plan has an overall ambition, with policy to back this up, to support development that is sustainable both in terms of construction and operation. It acknowledges that development must respond to our climate emergency and be fit for the future.

Of concern:

Critical Policy wording on the Green Belt has been deleted from this version of the Plan.

In initial drafts of this Plan, we commented on policy specifically relating to development in the Green Belt. This has been deleted and instead replaced with a general comment that Green Belt policy will follow National Policy. We do not agree and will be advocating that the Plan must include wording which prevents further development on our cherished Green Belt.  We cannot be silent on this issue

Please support our work!

Responding to Local Plan consultations takes time and expertise but is vital for ensuring robust development policies that protect the countryside. CPRE is one of the few organisations that engages in this process, working hard to make sure the views of local residents and the needs of the countryside are taken into account.

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