Cherwell Local Plan in final public stage

Cherwell District Council published the final public (Reg 19) stage of their Local Plan consultation before it is presented to the Inspectors just before Christmas and it can be found here. The consultation period is until Tuesday 25^th February .

The Local Plan is an important document which outlines the future development of the area, including the policies and proposals for new development. It also sets out the council’s plans to respond to climate change, to protect the environment and to support the local economy and communities.

The Plan has now been through several rounds of consultation and CPRE Oxfordshire have responded in detail as it has progressed. We welcome that in many areas our views have been taken onboard and the Plan amended, and specifically highlight:

• The withdrawal of the Green Belt site on the Land Behind the Moors in Kidlington which we strongly opposed,
• the addition of the wording that new development should be delivered to the “highest possible energy efficient standards” in the vision
• the withdrawal of the phase “ wherever possible” in the strategy “Minimise carbon emissions and achieve set net gains in biodiversity, in delivering new development.”
• A 20% Biodiversity net gain target on all strategic development allocations within the plan.
• 17 Local Green spaces (LGS) in the latest Plan, up from 3 in the last round of consultation.

At this final stage of consultation, we are asked to comment only on the legality, duty to cooperate  and soundness of the Plan.  We will be challenging the Plan on a few key areas where we feel that the plan lacks soundness as the proposals are not effective.

• Whilst CPRE Oxfordshire welcome the addition of further Local Green spaces we would like the council to revisit and review some applications which have not been included. The Local Green Space designation (LGS) protects local green areas of particular importance to local communities. This enables communities to identify and protect areas that are of value to them. Once designated, the LGS is subject to the same strong development restrictions as Green Belt, and new development here is ruled out other than in special circumstances.
  
• CPRE Oxfordshire support the LGS applications for further LGS spaces at Kidlington. Find out more here.
  
• CPRE Oxfordshire support the LGS application for Banbury Lane, Nethercote, a small rural hamlet, where the local  community have made great efforts to develop and protect the biodiversity and wildlife which surrounds them.
  
• CPRE Oxfordshire would like the council to extend the 20% Biodiversity net gain target to  ALL development, including any speculative , windfall and smaller non-strategic sites.