Oxford City Local Plan 2042

Oxford City Council are undertaking an “Early engagement Survey”, in advance of the formal consultation we expect in June 2025 on their revised Local Plan.

While the survey covers many of the areas CPRE would like to see considered – in particular the policy to allow residential development on existing employment and business land, which is something we’ve been strongly arguing for (Q6 in the survey). If you’ve only got 5-10 minutes, please do fill it in (see below).

However, it is restricted in its scope and doesn’t replace an Issues consultation, so if you have more time, please email planningpolicy@oxford.gov.uk with all the Issues we’d like considered :

• Green spaces must be protected and interconnected and increased in line with an increasing population
• Brownfield sites must be developed first
• Providing new homes for Oxford’s current needs should be prioritised over new employment.
• Oxford City should provide accessible, genuinely affordable social rent housing sufficient to meet identified local need.
• Do not build on flood plains
• Wastewater facilities must meet Environment Agency requirements with any necessary work undertaken before development.
• New development, including supporting infrastructure, must comply with Oxfordshire’s zero carbon targets

---

Early Engagement Survey

The survey can be found here. The closing date to complete is April 28^th.

There are 15 questions, and it will only take 5-10 minutes to complete. Questions 1-4 cover your basic contact details and postcode, with questions 12-15 being profiling questions you are under no obligation to provide.

The key questions are 5-11 and we hope you will answer as follows:

5. To what extent would you support well-designed higher density residential development in your area, which would mean more homes on individual pieces of land to help deliver new homes in the city?

6. To what extent would you support proposed policies allowing residential development on existing employment and business land (policies may allow this to happen but cannot make it happen)?

Strongly agree

7. To what extent do you agree that the local plan should prioritise building affordable housing, especially socially rented housing, over other types of housing?

Strongly agree

8. To what extent do you agree that the local plan should apply stricter carbon and climate standards than current national standards?

Strongly agree

Very important

10. How important is it that the local plan includes measures to protect and enhance biodiversity?

Very important

11. How important is it that the local plan prioritises the preservation and promotion of local cultural heritage sites and cultural events and venues?

Very important